when will my brocolli be ready?

[vicki]

My two children are growing some brocolli (we think! - the seed packet has disappeared and I'm not sure if its brocolli or calabrese!)
The heads are getting really big now but how do we tell the best time to harvest it? We don't want to leave it til its too late and past its best but at the moment they have a good bit of competition going as to who can grow the biggest!

[Shortie]

Hi Vicki

I'm really not the best as I've not yet grown them myself but aren't brocolli calabrese anyway? I think brocolli is the name supermarkets to green brocolli..

I think you just need to harvest the heads as and when needed but before flowering... I've seen them start to flower before and myself would nip out and cut it then if I hadn't had a need for it before that...?

I'm sure other grapes will have grown it befor and be able to advise better...

Let us know who wins and how big it gets!

[nick the grief]

What about Purple sprouting broccoli then Shortie

I've always thought that calabrese forms a sort of head or floret ( like a mini cauli) & brocoli is in spears.

Most broc is late winter early spring crop I think whereas calabrese is ready sooner - could be wrong though

[vicki]

well its just one big head thats formed so sounds like calabrese then! And it looks as though it will definately be ready before the winter!!
Either way I'm well impressed with how it looks at the moment!!

[Weavie]

Hi,
I cut my first calabrese yesterday, it wasn't huge but had mother-in-law staying so thought I'd serve it up as a treat (oh yes and to show off!) It was lovely! I understand that once you have cut the main head off you then get a second cropping in the way of smaller stems from the sides. I wish I had planted more now but space was a problem. Good luck to your children - mine have a competition going on with the toms and it looks like my 8 year old will win. How big is your calabrese?

[sewer rat]

Calabrese (which supermarkets do call broccolli) is ready now -well, if mine is ready up her, it should be ready to harvest in most of the rest of the UK - except maybe for Jennie

[lyndap]

I harvested my early sowings about 3 weeks ago, and my second crop are just getting small heads now.You need to watch very closely for harvesting.checked one day and looked fine,then next day one had gone to seed so I harvested the rest straight away!

[Andrew in Cardiff]

i've had i good few heads off my 'autumn spear' broccoli already, was shocked to find it being ready so soon, thought something had gone wrong, thought maybe i'd put too much nitrogen in the ground?? not sure if this normal but it tasted good. i've probably done something wrong but it was edable, and now side shoots have also appeared.