Help! Is it worth persevering with sprouting broccoli?

[robhoughton]

We are complete noobs to veg growing and planted sprouting broccoli far too close together. We didn't know about netting them either Now the plants are enormous, many leaves at the bottom are yellow & rotting, plus cabbage whites have eaten a lot of the leaves (although I'm out twice a day squishing caterpillars and eggs) and I'm wondering if another 6 months of this is worth it - will we get any sort of crop at the end of it? Or shall we dig the whole lot up and try to do it properly next year? Any advice appreciated, thank you.

[Jimmy]

The pigeons stripped my sprouts broccoli and kale in spring.
I netted them and the seemed to recover OK.
Hope this helps.
Jimmy

[lmayhow]

Ours were eaten by pigeon over the winter last year and we still had a crop.... along with my netting not working for all of the white butterfly..... how close have you planted them to each other is the idea of taking every other one up to give more space an idea?

[Chestnut]

Ours had a tough start with slug damage. One sprinkling of slug pellets and they suddenly took off, and haven't looked back since.
If you don't need the space for anything else, I would be tempted to leave at least some of them in the ground - there's nothing to lose, and caterpillars shouldn't be a problem over winter :-)

[Kirk]

Just look at mine and after a good start, and planting in a suitable row they are now all of 6 inches high. Suppose that by summer next year they might make 10-12 inches. Minor problem is they will be on the compost heap well before that.

Everything seemed to start off fine and then they all stalled. Literally just removed all the spring onions but they were really pathetic, honestly seen blades of grass that are stronger then these managed after some 6 months.

Might leave the brocolli where they are simply as it would mean least diusturbance to the stuff around them..

[ESBkevin]

The cabbage whites won't be a worry for much longer in this weather. Pidgeons and such are, so netting is advised. They can recover, if you have too many plants and all too close consider cutting the stem off near the ground on a couple to give the others more space to flourish. Do not pull them up as you don't want to disturb the other plants or weaked thier hold against the wind rocking them.

[robhoughton]

Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for the advice - I feel a bit better now. I think I'll try cutting down a few of them to make space for the others and then net them against the pigeons, and hope for the best!