Purple Sprouting Broccoli - how long till harvest?

[Snow]

So here are my three PSB plants.

Their rate of growth has increased a lot over the past month. The one in the middle is a different variety to the others (came from same pack mind!) and although shorter, is further along. Here's a pic of it. The other two are a couple of weeks behind it.


Not grown it before. How much longer till it's ready to begin harvesting, do you think? I'm guessing about a month...Can't wait to start eating some.

That makes me think that I'll need to get some netting over them at some point to stop the butterflies that'll start in about a month's time?

[Penellype]

I would think it should be ready to cut in a couple of weeks or so. I find that cutting the central head early makes the sideshoots grow faster, but you do sacrifice the size of the central head a bit that way.

With regard to the butterflies, I don't usually find them a problem until about June or early July, but they may come out a bit earlier down south.

[Lisasbolt]

Check all the time you will be surprised on how quickly they are ready. I harvested a lot last night from my only surviving plant. It only took a day to almost go to flower. Does look yummy

[Snow]

couple of weeks or so: brilliant! :-)

I don't mind cutting the first one a bit early so I can start eating sooner, as I can then leave the other two longer to mature. I am hoping my daugher will eat some but she may say she doesn't like it. And my wife ought to eat it, but she is used to buying it 'perfect looking' with all the pesticides and so on, and so may take some convincing. Point is, that there is a chance it'll just be me eating it. Even if not, I'm guessing that one plant will be enough initially.

I may get away without any netting then, I'll keep an eye out but won't stress too much about it.

[muddled]

If you've not grown it before be aware that PSB can turn the cooking water blue.
Bit of a shock that, the first time

Also, if you can persuade your family to try some I think they will find the tenderness and sweeter, less cabbagey taste wins them over. Maybe start pointing out the ridiculously priced, tiny packages of PSB appearing in supermarkets?

If you (or they) are at all concerned about wee beasties, just dump the shoots into a bowl of salted water when you get home.

Oh! and net anyway....pigeons can strip a plant bare in one morning if they suddenly have a mind to.

I lurve my PSB

[Alison]

If you've not grown it before be aware that PSB can turn the cooking water blue.
Bit of a shock that, the first time

It keeps its colour much better if you steam it and the texture is better too - think the only veg we boil these days is tatties as find other methods look better and keep the nutrients more effectively.

[Snow]

If you've not grown it before be aware that PSB can turn the cooking water blue.
Bit of a shock that, the first time

Thanks, yes, I've eaten it before, so know it does this. Just not grown it before.

Also, if you can persuade your family to try some I think they will find the tenderness and sweeter, less cabbagey taste wins them over. Maybe start pointing out the ridiculously priced, tiny packages of PSB appearing in supermarkets?

If you (or they) are at all concerned about wee beasties, just dump the shoots into a bowl of salted water when you get home.

Oh! and net anyway....pigeons can strip a plant bare in one morning if they suddenly have a mind to.

I lurve my PSB

I hope I can convince them to eat some. I'll be trying!
I hardly ever get birds in my garden so not too worried about pigeons. It's small and sheltered and there are a lot of cats around and the only birds in the trees nearby are horrible magpies. But I'll be certain to put up netting if pigeons do turn up, thanks!

[kathyd]

Now if you cook it yourself for them, instead of leaving your wife to do it, they'll none of them know it didn't look 'perfect' beforehand because it all looks the same once cooked! If your kids don't want to eat it, try slathering it in butter to melt over the top, very healthy lol .

[Lisasbolt]

I grill on my foreman type thing, salt, pepper, so yummy

[jacob]

Dunno about my PSB, but the kale is all going to seed...

[Scarlet]

Dunno about my PSB, but the kale is all going to seed...

Last years Kale? That's normal..

[AlanP]

Here in Cumbria I have been harvesting for three weeks, it's coming thick and fast now, but I do think that there are different types, some a bit earlier than others.

Alan

[Alison]

If your kids don't want to eat it, try slathering it in butter to melt over the top, very healthy lol .

Nooooooo, don't ruin it with a sea of grease, it's lovely as it is and this fashion of adding unnecessary ingredients to beautiful veggies makes me feel queasy.

[bussinspain]

I am already freezing some of my white sprouting broccoli. Been harvesting for about 3 weeks now.

[Kristen]

Nooooooo, don't ruin it with a sea of grease, it's lovely as it is and this fashion of adding unnecessary ingredients to beautiful veggies makes me feel queasy.

You don't put butter on Asparagus even?