Purple sprouting broccili

[hailtryfan]

Hi all,

I grew this for the first time this year and it has been quite an interesting crop. For one thing my plants grew amazingly quickly and were approachiing 3 foot by July. Secondly they got a hideous case of white fly and then got swamped by hoverflies which I think were possible eating the flys (?). Thirdly, despite all the info I found saying they should reach maturity after 18 months, they started producing loads and loads of succulent purple heads which I've been noshing for the past few months.

Now the plants are starting to flower is it game over, or is it worth keeping onto the plants over the winter in the hope of a second lot of heads next year?

Can anyone experienced in these matters please advise me.

Cheers.

[rustylady]

You need to remove the flower heads as soon as they start to open unless you want to save seed. Otherwise the plant will think job done (after all, it is only there to produce the next generation - it doesn't know that we enjoy eating it). You may get a few more spears.

[LolaLou]

I planted two lots of PSB this year (only did the 'late' one last year). The 'early' PSB grew just like yours, got attacked by whitefly too (and the hoverflies are fab, they gorge on the whiteflies) and it has sprouted lots of skinny shoots of broccoli all summer but nothing I considered worth chopping off to eat (but have also been spoilt with a very generous planting of calabrese that has overshaddowed the PSB) and so I have just let the plants go to flower. I have 'late' PSB in that is only about knee high at the moment for the spring. I've made a note not to bother with the early stuff again as its too spindly and flowers like crazy. I'm outing mine in the next week or so to make room for my onions. I'm 99% sure that the early stuff does not go dormant then resprout in the spring so I'd just enjoy the flowers if you have the space to spare?

[hailtryfan]

You need to remove the flower heads as soon as they start to open unless you want to save seed. Otherwise the plant will think job done (after all, it is only there to produce the next generation.

Been taking off the blooms so maybe I'll get lucky in the new year. fingers crossed

I planted two lots of PSB this year (only did the 'late' one last year). The 'early' PSB grew just like yours, got attacked by whitefly too (and the hoverflies are fab, they gorge on the whiteflies) and it has sprouted lots of skinny shoots of broccoli all summer but nothing I considered worth chopping off to eat

Some of mine was spindly and some fat and juicy, certainly very tasty and worth eating. Think I'll get rid of half the plants and grow something else. Calabrese might be worth a go I guess.

[mmd622]

I planted PSB and according to the packet, they should start producing in Jan, but I have been cutting the flower stalks for a month now, and they are so tasty!!! Only problems, just got back from 2 weeks away and they have been chomped on by small white cabbage catterpliars!!

[nomis]

Mine was all eaten by slugs before it got more than 2 inches tall.

HTH.

[arpoet]

I grow PSB as an annual. sown in late spring in the greenhouse, planted in one of my bean trenches mid summer and will havest them about march/april. once they have produced enough and the shoots go all spindly and thin i pull em, chop the thick stalks up and pop them into my slow compost heap for a year.
As i speak they are about a foot high and the climbing french beans and canes will protect them from the flying pigs.
roger

[buzzingtalk]

Mine got muched hard by cattapillars etc.

but one of them now has broccoli spears on it (or the beginnings) it is purple too, unlike the other ones which arent that purple and dont seem to have any broc on them

[Shadylane]

Last year mine all looked different too(some purple leaved some green). Some started sprouting in autumn which is way early for this variety. This year I have one which started sprouting last month (??) . The rest haven't started yet.

[buzzingtalk]

yeah mine seem to be pretty inconsistent too

[Alison]

Looking at photos from last year, mine look to be at a pretty similar level this year. Think I planted them out late June / July and am hoping for a decent crop come March / April time. The last ones I had produced wonderfully over about 4 weeks and I ate practically nothing else for that time - really tasty.

[BeatTheSeasons]

You can have broccoli and calabrese almost all year round if you sow the right varieties at the right times.

When I've grown purple sprouting broccoli I've bought young plants in August or September - they are so small when they come that I can't believe they were sown any earlier than July.

Perhaps the strangely early crops mentioned in this thread are due to sowing the seed too early in the year?

[Shadylane]

You'd think wouldn't you. However, I sowed mine in July, same last year. I was late planting out and my neighbour said it was a bit late. Come September they were sprouting. Stuff does whatever the hell it wants on our plot