has anyone grown romanesque....

[BrideXIII]

cabbage/cauliflower/broccoli ?

found these in my greengrocers, flamin cute looking, he told me they were a cross between cauli and broccoli , but he doesn't always get these things right.

I loved the spiral look of the florettes, and it tasted delicious, I did it steamed with a normal cauli and onion sauce.

I haven't seen seeds for these anywhere, have any of you grown them?

[lynda66]

i bought some last year, but can't find the packet, but they look lovely

romanesco, Home Garden, Art, Vegetables Fruits items at low prices on eBay.co.uk

[BrideXIII]

well if you find the seeds hun, bear me in mind for half a dozen, they tasted delish.

[lynda66]

okies, will do, think i'll get some more anyway, cos i've been annoyed with my broccoli, and the caulis have gone brown and pink and stuff, so these sound perfect, and will take up less space

[BrideXIII]

okies, will do, think i'll get some more anyway, cos i've been annoyed with my broccoli, and the caulis have gone brown and pink and stuff, so these sound perfect, and will take up less space

the ones i bought were really compact, and the same conical shape as sweetheart cabbage, they were really lovely to look at, greengrocer only bought 6, of which i bought 3, i would definately grow them if i can, they are compact looking enough to stand up to the rigours i think.

[lynda66]

i imagine they are slightly bigger than those mini caulis ...... which would be great, cos my mini caulis actually have bigger heads before they go manky, than the full size ones. and the broccoli are huge, but haven't produced enough for one person per plant before flowering. so something small and cute will do me fine

[lottie dolly]

i have some romanesco on order from the KINGS catalogue,70 pence for 300 seeds,it's within the cauliflower ranges,and described it as a pale greenconical curds,they are also on line.
Have you looked on the search here,as other peeps have commented on it previously,as they grow them,they do sound a more reliable than a common coulie,best of luck.

[BrideXIII]

well if i can get hold of some seeds I am definitely up for an experimental grow next season. as they are so compact I may be able to find some room for them

[lottie dolly]

thats what i think bridex111,had no luck with coulies this year at all,even me broccoli heads got no bigger than shoots,but have lots of side shoots,going a bit woody now though,am keeping an eye out on the early purple sprouting,up to now is looking very healthy, with lots of side shoots coming,my first time with them,only my second year as a lottie grower,and enjoying it ,

[BrideXIII]

well i found the seeds on T&M, 'broccoli romanesco'

Thompson & Morgan

so i am going to get some, alongside some sweetheart cabbages.
I am going to dig up part of what remains of the lawn for a Brassica bed next year.

[zazen999]

I grow these alongside my Calabrese, and they pretty much grow at the same rate, and have the same problems. A few do blow before you get the heads, so I grow alot and use the heads smaller than you get in the greengrocers.

Succession sow for crops most of the year round, and once the middle is cut out you get the same follow-on crops if you leave them to grow on. Sometimes the blown ones are better, as you get smaller heads and they grow back really quickly.

[BrideXIII]

I grow these alongside my Calabrese, and they pretty much grow at the same rate, and have the same problems. A few do blow before you get the heads, so I grow alot and use the heads smaller than you get in the greengrocers.

Succession sow for crops most of the year round, and once the middle is cut out you get the same follow-on crops if you leave them to grow on. Sometimes the blown ones are better, as you get smaller heads and they grow back really quickly.

sounds like a plan then for my first foray into brassicas.

[Rodley]

once the middle is cut out you get the same follow-on crops if you leave them to grow on. Sometimes the blown ones are better, as you get smaller heads and they grow back really quickly.

I grew T&M's Romanesco this year for the first time (it's cropping at the moment). It's lovely and tastes most like cauliflower. Much as I like it, it does take up a lot of room. Hence the reason why I pull it up after I cut out the head. I had read that it only produces one head and hadn't realised that you can get follow-on crops if left! I will try this with those I have left. Thanks.

[zazen999]

The additional heads grow where the leaf nodes are; well they do on mine!

[kate&rob]

i grew some last year, was one of the few things we got off our flooded site! wasn't all that keen really, taste was ok but found it awkward to cut up as it didn't form florettes like cauli, but each to their own.