Kale flowers

[Alice]

My black kale looks as if it is developing little heads like brocolli. Can I eat these or is it just going to seed ?

[vicky]

You can eat the buds - my kale went to seed last spring and the heads were very tasty!

[Eyren]

Yes and yes

You can eat them like PSB - I cut some of mine this afternoon and will be having them with my tea!

[nelliegemini]

Rats, I pulled my last two up because I thought they were all done (note to self for next year)!

[Growem]

Ooh, good to know because my cavalo nero is headed that way too. Makes a change from the leaves at least!

[Alice]

Thank you Vicky and Eryn. They'll be on my plate soon.

[Snadger]

I rather like them and hope mine don't start shooting until my PSB and white broccoli are finished to give me a succession of succulent spears!

[westwiltspatio]

Sounds like it might be a potential alternative to PSB then?

I love purple sprouting broccoli, but although I've tried it in containers this winter I'm getting so little return for it I won't bother next year (I thought it would probably need more room than I had but I like it so tried it anyway). Maybe I should grow kale next year and then even if it doesn't go to seed I'll still have had the leaves.

[Alice]

My PSB and WSB and Chinese Brocolli are all making their spears now so I'm just going to have the kale spears with them. Brocolli with everything

[Eyren]

The cavalo nero spears I picked yesterday were lovely - much nicer than shop-bought PSB, which can be horribly tough and stringy

Mind you, my PSB hasn't sprouted yet, so I could be eating sprouted kale and broccoli leaf at this rate