Is this Calabrese bolting?

[Jonny.D]

After my experience with the http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1353881 and then reading a few threads here, I went & checked the broccoli, this one looks a bit odd compared to the rest ...



This is the first time I've grown it so not sure if it is bolting???


Thanks for reading my post

[Scarlet]

I'm on my phone so the pic is a little small but it looks like it. The heads should be tight, as soon as it starts to separate it's going to flower. Pick it and eat it quick.

[Jonny.D]

Thanks Scarlet

[Kirk]

Odd but do Calabrase/Brocolli "bolt" ?
I thought that the bit we eat is the actual flower head before the flowers develop fully and it starts actual flowering.

I would have though that therefore if they start to produce a flower head (the bit we eat) then it has to be cut off and eaten before it follows the natural course and flowers.

It doesn't seem that he Calabrase has done anything wrong, it had produced a flower head, which we want it to do, and that has been left long enough on the plant for it to start flowering.

[Penellype]

Calabrese, broccoli and cauliflower have been bred to produce tight heads of flower buds which stand for quite a long time (and get bigger as they do so) before the individual stems start to elongate and the flowers open. So once the head starts to open out a bit you can be sure the next stage is flowering.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Yep the little yellow flowers are just starting to show. Unless you need the ground just cut the head leaving the plant in situ, some varieties then throw out side shoots which will give you more useful calabrese.

[Scarlet]

Odd but do Calabrase/Brocolli "bolt" ?

I would say yes they do. Bolting for me is when the plant flowers much earlier than it should. The heads should grow to a reasonable size within a certain time frame. Flowering early, when the plant is still immature and relatively small is IMO bolting. As Pen has said they should stand for some time before flowering.
What isn't bolting is my chard at the moment. It's just about to flower. It's run it's natural course as a biennial plant. Sown last march and worked all year and finally come into flower at the expected time.