broccoli virgin - not sure my broccoli is OK

[eskymo]

Hi all

I've got several broccoli plants in my plots - all about a foot or so high. I think one bolted last week as instead of a broccoli head I got lots of yellow flowers - so I cut those off...but maybe I should just rip that plant out.

The other plants are all forming central tiny broccolli heads. My quetion is - do these get bigger? They are about the size of golf balls, if not a bit bigger. I'm not syre whether you pinch this central one out to encourage more to grow or whether you wait until the central one is big and harvest it then.

I'm a complete virgin with broccoli as it's the first time I'm growing it and have no idea what to do. Can go out and take a picture later if you want a photo...it's pouring down with rain at the moment, so not prepared to go out now.

cheers

[SueA]

I think it depends on the type of broccoli you're growing Eskymo, if it's a sprouting type the small heads are probably ready to pick & use but if it's a standard broccoli I would wait until the central head gets to a larger size. I've only grown purple sprouting broccoli myself as it is ready to eat quicker than normal & keeps on cropping for a while.

[eskymo]

I've just found the seed packet and it's called Broccoli Autumn Calabrese. It says on the packet "Once the main head has been harvested, side shoot woll be produced for later eating".

Should I leave the heads to develop a little more? I'm worried about it bolting and flowering as that's happened to one plant already.

[SueA]

Because your variety produces sideshoots as well it won't do any harm if you take off the main head as the shoots will still keep on growing so if you're really worried about bolting snap it off & use it. You could leave the one that bolted in the ground for a while to see if it produces any new heads but it might not as the flowers usually mean it has 'gone over'. If you keep the plants well-watered they should be O.K. it's probably just because we've had so much hot sunshine over the last week or so.

[Slug]

I must admit that I'm finding the broccoli is a bit hit and miss, and I'm thinking I won't bother next year.

I've got the green sprouting broccoli and I find that if I don't harvest it in time (i.e. if I wait to get enough sprouts for dinner!), then by the time I've got enough for dinner.... the earlier ones are all flowering!

I either need to grow more plants to have more broccoli sprouts, or I just need to accept that I shouldn't wait for a 'dinners worth' of broccoli....

Slug

[eskymo]

I agree with you slug - I think next year I need to plant out about 20 or more broccoli plants so that I could harvest enough for dinner each time. At the moment if I harvest waht I've got I'll be fighting with my OH as to who gets the broccoli on their plate!

Thanks for the info everyone...I will perservere!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi Eskimo,

Sorry about your broc. I thought my purple sprouting was doing great, only to notice at lunchtime it like my swedes had lovley little flowers!

Oh well, looks like I know what I am doing tonight. If the rain stops a little!

[leona]

i just took mine off when they were tiny. much nicer to eat that way

[eskymo]

when you only have a few plants though it's not a good idea as I would only have enough for me and none for the OH and that wouldn't do. I'm going to plant loads next year.

[Jaxom]

How about a vegetable "pick and mix" combo? That’s what I do with the vegetables from my raised beds and pots. I don't grow enough to have a big helping of just one veg.
I cook with a steamer so just bung the vegetables in the top units in the order that need the most cooking time. By the time the last ones go in I have started to make the gravy.
Meat, potatoes and six vegetables are wonderful. Last night I had carrots, spinach, peas and sugarsnaps all from the garden.

[sewer rat]

I have calabrese F1 Hydra and Early PSB both of which are doing fine with no signs of bolting despite our two glorious scorching weeks - however all bar two of my raab (brocolletto) have bolted

[Getoffmylande]

If you have an autumn brocolli then it is what is called a perpetual and these state that once the central crown has formed harvest it tand then about three weeks later the side shoots should be ready for cropping. Just a word of warning if you do try to leave the crown on keep an eye on it as the day before you were going to harvest it is probably the day it will bolt.If the crown looks like it is beginning to open cut it off . It is best to cook this stuff by adding about 1 Cm of water in a pan putting the calibrese in and virtually steaming the fresh young shoots