The first of the Chinese broccoli was ready to cut today. This is my first time growing it so I had to rely on internet sites for the particulars of doing that and when to harvest. The variety is 'Yod Fah', a toy I got from Baker Creek. I started three sets of six and planted them several weeks apart just to see how it went. Just a test drive for the first time out. This is a shot of the first two groups (nearest the camera).
The group on the right was the first group planted and suffered frost damage that it never fully recovered from. Kind of puny plants!
The second group is much more robust:
Apparently you let the stalk produce flower buds but you cut the spear before the buds open. Once cut, the stalk is supposed to produce another, kind of like broccoli plants keep making side shoots. We'll see. I cut what was ready and we'll chop them up for a stir fry. Leaves, stalks and buds are all edible.
Things I learned:
- It's easy to grow and maybe because it was a very early planting, no bugs bothered it at all.
- I'll have to plant a lot more next time so enough can be cut at one time for two nice servings.
- Maybe just two staggered plantings so one set can be growing back after cutting while the other's almost ready.
- Better frost protection will be needed if there's to be another Feb 12th planting. Or wait until later to plant.
Yet to learn: how heat tolerant it is and what insects will mess with it later in spring. Also wondering about fall planting.