calabrase broccoli

[aquilegia]

My mysterious self sown brassica has turned out to be calabrase broccoli!

It has a couple of small heads of broc on it, only about 1-2in in diameter. Will they grow to supermarket-sized proportions? (i mean the size of heads of broc you get in the shops, rather than actually being the size of a supermarket! ;D)

I've never grown it before, so have no idea how it does it.

Not that I can exactly claim to have grown it this time either!

[aquilegia]

[1066]

I'll be interested o see your replies as I'm growing some that I got in a swap this year, so haven't a clue what to expect  :D

[calendula]

the ideal is one good sized head per plant so it doesn't compete too much and then when you cut that you often get small off shoots but if both heads are growing well then I would leave it be but feed and water when needed

[PurpleHeather]

I keep asking what the difference between calabrase and broccoli but no one seems to be able to tell me.

Both seem to produce a big cluster at the top, then smaller ones from the sides which can keep being harvested for some weeks.

I suspect the difference is the same as marrow, courgette and zuchinni. Or Aubergenes and egg plants....Scallions, salad, green and spring onions.

[manicscousers]

How big is the plant, aqilegia..our calabrese is about 12" tall at the moment, it will grow larger before it produces the top head, then smaller ones for quite a while  :)

[realfood]

Sprouting Broccoli or Brassica oleracea Cymosa group.

This type of Broccoli is sown in the Spring and usually eventually harvested in late Winter and early Spring. In other words, it is a group of hardy, over-wintering varieties of Broccoli to eat in late Winter and Spring. But just to complicate matters, there are now sprouting broccoli cultivars that are ready for eating in the Autumn.

Calabrese or Italian Sprouting Broccoli, or Brassica oleracea Italica group.

This type of Broccoli is sown in the Spring  and harvested in the Autumn and early Winter, as it is not frost hardy. Some catalogues also list the Romanesco varieties (look rather like green cauliflowers), in this group. The edible spears are usually shades of green.

[queenbee]

I am growing a variety of purple sprouting broccoli called WOK BROC. I think it is a variety included in Thompson and Morgan called Bordeaux F1 Hybrid. It is sown in the spring and harvested in the summer and autumn. It is not winter hardy but you can get about 6 - 8 picking per plant, I grew it last year and had no problems. My plot is on the small side and I find the regular purple broccoli gets in the way at planting time in spring. Also not a lot of pests affected it. I too would be interested in the difference between Broccoli and Calabrase.

[kt.]

Will they grow to supermarket-sized proportions? (i mean the size of heads of broc you get in the shops, rather than actually being the size of a supermarket! ;D)

No reason why not.  Supermarket sized calabrese heads can be quite small and they are also so expensive.  Varieties vary in size from 300-800g per head.  Read the label before purchasing if you want large heads.  Some people buy the seed then think it has failed because small calabrese is produced yet it is the right size for the variety.  Last year I grew 2 varieties

Parthenon:  Sown in spring for a summer harvest Jun-early Oct.  Huge heads!!!  Sow again in late summer for an over winter harvest.  (Produced the largest calabrese I have ever grown)

Marathon:  Sown late spring for harvesting Sep-Nov.  Not quite as big as Parthenon but still big enough for over winter harvests.

[earlypea]

To complicate things, my calabrese was frost hardy.  I planted it late and it overwintered by accident and produced heads in the spring.

I think if you want calabrese heads that look like the beefy supermarket ones you have to use the F1 varieties.  Certainly my open-pollinated one looked nothing like those with a very delicate central head.

But the taste was absolutely superb, even better than purple sprouting.

[aquilegia]

It's definitely not an F1 as it was a volunteer. Must've been a seed in an old bit of broc I found at the back of the fridge.

The small heads are much looser than the ones in the shops. It looks as if it might burst into flower at any moment too. TBH I wouldn't want a big head of it as we don't eat that much. It's not one of my favourite vegetables. I usually only eat it because it's green and good for you!

I may have to cut them later in the week and dig up the plant anyway as I'm running out of room! It's HUGE. Over 3ft wide and about 18in-2ft high. It's not something that I'd choose to grow, but I'm always reluctant to pull up a useful volunteer!

[tim]

I MUCH prefer the old Calabrese that gave you a 2-3" head & then tender sprouts - like Asparagus - for weeks after that.

I don't like eating flower heads - open or shut!!

[Digeroo]

I love all broccoli or calabrese  I don't really know the difference.  I thought that calabrese was green headed while broccoli had red or white heads. 

I particularly like Romanesco.

I grew Franchi Calabrese Cavolo last year and was very disappointed by the small size of the central head, but it then went on to produce loads of side shoots and so I had months and months of broccol until the frost finally killed it off.  Much more flavour than the supermarket types.         


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[calendula]

It's definitely not an F1 as it was a volunteer. Must've been a seed in an old bit of broc I found at the back of the fridge.

The small heads are much looser than the ones in the shops. It looks as if it might burst into flower at any moment too. TBH I wouldn't want a big head of it as we don't eat that much. It's not one of my favourite vegetables. I usually only eat it because it's green and good for you!

I may have to cut them later in the week and dig up the plant anyway as I'm running out of room! It's HUGE. Over 3ft wide and about 18in-2ft high. It's not something that I'd choose to grow, but I'm always reluctant to pull up a useful volunteer!

I would offer that if it is that huge and the 'heads' are less than average size then it is actually sprouting broccoli and not calabrese - sprouting broccoli do make huge plants, in the ground most of the year and consequently take up a lot of space - just a thought  :-\

[aquilegia]

I suspect you could be right Calendula. It looks rather more like a green version of PSB than supermarket broccoli.

I probably cut a few shoots and see whether it's worth extending it's life or not (meant to have some for dinner yesterday, but I got too excited about the broadies being ready and forgot!) Maybe I'll have to find somewhere else to plant my 6th and final courgette (like a neighbour's garden?!)

[tim]

Typical "Calabrese" Pacifica. 12-15" high. A small number of repeats. Different to the old-fashioned sort which was much taller - like "Tenderstem".