Return to the Organic Gardening Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
broccoli
| | |
Posted by ancfan 9 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 2, 10 at 14:41
| This is my first time growing a winter garden, I put out my cabbage, white and purple califlower and brussel sprouts seedlings last Novemeber. The plants are doing good and about a 1 1/2" tall. The broccoli is forming little heads about the size of a dime and smaller ones on a few of the plants, I was told I should cut these off and they will produce side shoots. My question is Will they grow into a larger head instead of going to seed? I'm confused :/ Thanks for any input..... it seems to me that they start small and grow. I don't want to cut them off if they are going to grow |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: broccoli
| | |
| You want the big head, as that is the biggest one. After that is cut off, smaller side heads develop. If someone told you to cut off the first head developing to get more side shoots, you may want to take their advice with a grain of salt in the future. Dan |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| Thanks Dan!! I feel better now. :) |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| Oh, by all means, leave the initial central head (I just ate 4 last night). I'm now getting ready to harvest some side shoots from the first broccoli plants that I planted. I learned fairly quickly that succession planting is really desirable with most (if not all) vegetables. I'm now on my second round of initial head broccoli while enjoying the side shoots from the first planting. I have one more round of initials and their side shoots should take me through the spring. |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| thanks Gracejax, I wasn't about to cut the main head, but I was told that my plants were stressed. I love broccoli and I'm looking forward to some homegrown :) I thinned my out and froze the thinnings to eat :) I have about 20 plants now |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| wow 20 plants you are going to be swimming in broccoli! It also depends on varity some have more side shoots than others but I wait until the main head is just about ready to pop with flowers to cut it even if it does show a few flowers it tastes the same then I cut side shoots the rest of the year |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| I actually have 26 broccoli plants, I planted extras in case they didn't germinate, but all of them germinated, same with the califlowers (white and purple) I only lost 4 seedlings that the wind blew over. I have a couple of broccoli plants that are growing the main heads but they are also starting putting out some side shoots, Is that normal? |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| As long as the central flower head is still staying relativly tight and green the head will generally continue getting larger. |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| I'm w/ jonas302 - I wait until the heads start to 'loosen up', which indicates that they'll soon start stretching out & blooming, & I also don't avoid the flowers - they're tasty = ) The only 'bad' thing about waiting too long, that I can think of, is that the stems can become rather tough, depending on the variety. |
RE: broccoli
| | |
| The variety I planted is calabrese, I did harvest a couple of main heads because they were loosing up and showed signs of flowering, I'm going to have them for lunch today :) Next fall I'm going to try the green Golieth. |
|
|
|
|
