Allotments 4 All

Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: PeterVV on December 31, 2010, 14:05:11

Title: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: PeterVV on December 31, 2010, 14:05:11
When I took over a half plot from a lady , she told me that the plants in one bed were winter brocoli? , so I left them in, but they do not appear to be producing anything but leaf? they are full grown, and apart from a handfull of what looked more like purple flowering brocoli, most plants havent produced anything? should I leave them or get it dug over ready for spring?
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: Bugloss2009 on December 31, 2010, 14:45:54
surely winter broccoli is purple sprouting broccoli?

i'd leave it. if you don't get any shoots, i'd start eating the leaves, if they're reasonably tender
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: goodlife on December 31, 2010, 15:24:53
Oh..don't dig them up yet...It is slightly early days yet and we've had cold weather which would delay the flowering anyway.
Depending of variety I get spears from my winter broccoli=sprouting broccoli from end of November untill April or so.
Majority of sprouters don't start untill February anyway.
I don't know if you are aware, but broccoli  you get from winter varieties are only small little things..you get quantity of these rather than one or two large ones that you get from summer varieties.
Once the cropping start you have to keep picking..more you pick, more you get and don't over cook your spears..just minute or two..so they are just about tender ;D...they are delicious YUM ;D
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: PeterVV on December 31, 2010, 16:35:11
Quote from: goodlife on December 31, 2010, 15:24:53
Oh..don't dig them up yet...It is slightly early days yet and we've had cold weather which would delay the flowering anyway.
Depending of variety I get spears from my winter broccoli=sprouting broccoli from end of November untill April or so.
Majority of sprouters don't start untill February anyway.
I don't know if you are aware, but broccoli  you get from winter varieties are only small little things..you get quantity of these rather than one or two large ones that you get from summer varieties.
Once the cropping start you have to keep picking..more you pick, more you get and don't over cook your spears..just minute or two..so they are just about tender ;D...they are delicious YUM ;D
Thanks for that, just keen on getting the digging done! I will hold back and keep an eye on them, there are only about 10 plants, so not that much to dig over come spring. Never grown brocoli before so apologies for my ignprance! :-[
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: shirlton on January 01, 2011, 08:19:17
I am so jealous of you cos we didn't put any in dring the  late summer so we wont have any.
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: PeterVV on January 01, 2011, 15:22:11
Quote from: shirlton on January 01, 2011, 08:19:17
I am so jealous of you cos we didn't put any in dring the  late summer so we wont have any.
Ha! you could have mine, cant stand the stuff!, I give it all to my mother...
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: Borlotti on January 01, 2011, 17:46:17
Pigeons seem to love it, just pulled up a few plants for compost (that looked very, very sad), and left three, cut off the dead leaves and netted it.  It may recover, may not.
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: calendula on January 02, 2011, 11:20:34
ours looks terrible due to the weather even though they have been staked and netted but will leave them until march at least just to get a few sproutings
Title: Re: Winter brocoli???Help?
Post by: PeterVV on January 02, 2011, 19:32:10
Quote from: calendula on January 02, 2011, 11:20:34
ours looks terrible due to the weather even though they have been staked and netted but will leave them until march at least just to get a few sproutings
Mine are not stalked or netted ( or even weeded !), and seem to be happy enough. There is always one or two cats on the plot, and very few pidgeons.