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Hi everyone, im having a problem with my early purple sprouting broccoli,
allthough my plants look realy big and healthy the broccoli on the top of my plants are very small and spindley and some are even going to seed (yellow flowers), is there anything i can do to save my crop from all going to seed, i have heard that if i take off the tops it will encourage side shoots to grow, and also if that info is correct how big do i let the side shoots get before i harvest,  any advice would be gratefully recieved , thanks all Andy

Purple SPROUTING Broccoli? Variety? There are several - for different times.

Hi Tim,  to be honest they are well to early i think, im sure it said on the seed pack that harvest should be very back end of year into spring,has to the veriaty im not sure, regards Andy

Um! There is late Summer, Autumn or Spring PSB. Usually, not Autumn AND Spring.

It's a funny year - much of our stuff is far too well advanced.

The norm is to pick at about 4" - or the point at which the shoot breaks cleanly from the plant. The head can be anything up to 2.5" across.

I have exactly the same problem.  HELP someone.

This is typical of White Sprouting.

It's the stem that I like - not the furry bit! So pick as long as you can - you can always peel the stem if it seems a bit tough.

Had some of ours out of the freezer last night Tim. I pulled up the plants when they had finished flowering although they were supposed to be perennial for about 6 years. trouble was they looked so blooming scruffy. Must agree with you on the stems being good to eat. My spring flowering PSB is starting to form heads on some of the plants now. I'm just hoping they don't all decide to do the same cos I've no room in the freezer at the moment

Quote from: shirlton on August 13, 2008, 07:36:01
I pulled up the plants when they had finished flowering although they were supposed to be perennial for about 6 years.

Are they all perennial?   ???

Once i'd finished harvesting mine in spring, i pulled them up and threw them on the compost heap.

Only '9 Star' red - otherwise you did right.

I have the same problem, either going to flower or looking a little worse for wear. How long do they take to mature by the way ?

Again depending upon variety, 3 months to 10 months.

Mine were 9 star perennial from T&M. Only6 germinated.

Mine look healthy enough, plenty of large leaves, but to date no purple sprouting bits have appeared. I thought that mine said harvest around July/August. Why no sprouts? ???

What variety?

The lush growth this year may have delayed 'fruiting'?

Mine were coming along nicely but when I managed to get up to the plot last week .... GONE! well almost .. the dreaded cabbage white caterpillar