Anyone tried it? I think last year DenbyVisitor was giving them a go. I'd be interested in any views on what it tastes like and if it is in general a worthwhile crop.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,62826.0.html
http://www.tozerseedsdirect.com/products/petit-posy/
Thanks. :)
They trialed these last year on Beech Grove gardens. The plants were huge & they said they were difficult to pick. I would love to grow them but with only half a plot to play with I think they would take up to much room.
Interestingly, I have just come back from digging them all up and shedding them in to the compost heap.
But we have a very windy site and whitefly from hell so a lot of brassicas are a complete waste of time.
If you want to try them OP, PM me your address and I will send you my hardly used pack of seed. Sow by Aug 2012. They are vigorous plants, I will give you that.
I would love to try a few seeds if that is all right. What do you want in return. I have sharks fin squash or a few oca or pumpkins if you are interested. Alternatively I can send a SAE.
I was having a look at mine today at the allotment, and some of them seem to have fallen victim to the fierce Winter that we have had this year. Some of the stems seem to have been split open and shattered, presumably by the frost. Some cabbage and kale have suffered in the same manner.
I am always surprised at the comments about whitefly, as we never get them in Glasgow, and long may that continue!!
Thanks, Denbyvisitor, that's a generous offer.
Can't decide whether to try them or not, hardly a resounding recommendation on here, and I haven't much space for experiments, especially with what appear to be large plants.
Just to clarify - did either of you (realfood & denbyvisitor) get any crop from your plants??!!
Just googled beechgrove/petit posy and found this:
http://www.thebeechgrovegarden.com/factsheet/factsheet.php?fact_id=357
Does sound as if their crop/space ratio is very poor, so probably not one for me to try! Unless I hear back from any one that they taste outstanding??
Also found this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTbEet_KvF8&feature=related
The actual flower sprouts are minute - and green!!
http://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/content/february-2011-sowing-and-preparing - Charles Dowding's look good, though...
Now I must go and do some work....
I ended up with two distinct plant types, green and red. The green were tall stalks with kale leaves on the top, a kind of palm tree effect, the sprouts had succumbed to whitefly I think. The purple ones produced the sprouts which looked edible except for the whitefly. Worst winter on record and they still survived. A few plants also died in the weather but those that survived were tall and strong.
Lottie Lou you are welcome to the seed, they are quite interesting plants to grow but I still prefer parsnips for an over winter crop.
I think I have the bonsai version they look very pretty all 14 inches of them!
P.S our normal sprouts are now having' flower sprouts ' these are not 'blown' but are just like the the posy ones.
I got a packet cheap so I am interested in the comments. Not much survived the winter brassicawise here. Sprouts, purple sprouting all look very sick. so hopefully next winter will be a bit milder.
My brussels plants got fairly bad whitefly this year but they don't get in the sprouts themselves.... which is a disadvantage of the flower sprout as far as I can tell.......
chrisc
I've got some of those seeds too..haven't grown them yet though, but it will be in 'program' for this year.
Ohh..I like the sound of them growing huge ;D If I don't eat them chickens do and they can 'rip' into a quite quantity of greens during winter.
I wonder if they just taste like kale? ::)
I tasted my first Petite posy today and I can confirm that they taste like Brussels, sweet and rather good.
Hmm now I am tempted again. I love brussels but my daughter won't eat them - I hoped she might be tricked into enjoying a flower sprout ;D
Did another taste test of Petit Posy today, comparing it with Brussels and sprouting broccoli. The Brussels were sweet, Petit posy tasted of Brussels with a touch of Kale, and sprouting broccoli had added mustard flavour.
If you wouldlike to try a few seeds PM me.