PSB sprouting now??

[bario1]

Hi all,

I noticed that one of my purple sprouting broccoli plants has formed a small head, and there are some sprouting spears appearing on the stem... i wasn't expecting this to happen till after Xmas at least - should i cut off the head and hope to get some spears from it? Is it done for once it's formed a head?

Never grown it before, so i'm a bit perplexed.

Thanks.

[rustylady]

Cut and use them when they get to a reasonable size Bario - if you leave them they will turn to yellow flowers.

After you've cut the central head you should get sideshoots forming in the leaf axils all the way up the stem.

[binley100]

I've been getting side shoots off my calabrese for months , main heads started to bolt early so I cut them off but left the plants in and am still cropping them

[Shadylane]

I've grown PSB that started around this time. The ones I'm growing this year are later though. I think they kept going for quite a while. There's different varieties that start at varying times. It confused me a bit too.

[bario1]

Had a closer look this morning and all my plants are starting to form heads - i'm a bit disappointed as i was hoping to have these early in the new year... now i'm going to have a kale/broccoli glut followed by a big gap. They're extra early Rudolph - the packet says they crop in January/February. Next year i'll try a few different varieties, and hopefully get a later crop.

[Kirk]

Fothergills and Marshalls both say September harvest for your variety, through to February.
Didn't Extra Early in the name give a clue?

[WPG]

Yes, my Rudolph PSB has been sprouting since early September (though some of it had already gone to flower in the summer heatwave).

Next year am going to try the trio of Santee, Rudolph and Cardinal, which should in theory give us a supply almost all year round.

[WendyC]

Had a look at my "Rudolph" PSB this morning. It is about 3' tall and if I look right into the centre of the central bud there is a hint of a flower head but probably no bigger than a large pea at the moment. They were grown from seed sown early May and planted out mid July. They sat around for ages, being potted on into increasingly larger pots as I waited for a space on my plot.
Interestingly most of the plants have green stems and leaves, but 2 or 3 of them have a distinct purple colour to them. Can't remember if they are a F1 variety or not. I shall be watching to see if the different colours behave differently. There's none apparent as yet.

[Chippy Minton]

Mine have been sprouting for a good couple of weeks. PSB, kale, pasta, EV olive oil, yum

[kathyd]

[QUOTE=bario1;1180450] now i'm going to have a kale/broccoli glut followed by a big gap. /QUOTE]

Don't forget you can always freeze them Bario, then you won't have a gap after all .