My first broccoli

[RebelRidin]

Thanks Bill. I am trying a smorgasbord this spring...

Goliath
Amadeus
Arcadia
Gypsi
Emerald Giant
Waltham 29

Arcadia is supposed to be good for closer spacing in raised beds. I never follow SFG spacing but with this one I am actually trying it, 1 ft per plant in one bed.

[b54red]

Rebel I am not believing the number of decent side shoots this variety is producing. By now most other varieties would be putting out side shoots the size of a nickel while I am still getting some over 3 inches across and lots of them. I have been wanting to get them out of the way so I can ready the bed for tomatoes but I just can't pull them up while they are producing like this.

Bill

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by b54red

Rebel I am not believing the number of decent side shoots this variety is producing. By now most other varieties would be putting out side shoots the size of a nickel while I am still getting some over 3 inches across and lots of them. I have been wanting to get them out of the way so I can ready the bed for tomatoes but I just can't pull them up while they are producing like this.

Bill

That seems to be a good problem to have Bill.

I am definitely putting Coronado Crown on my list for this fall.

[greenthumbomaha]

Yep. good info. I have a few varieties going , including a Burpee hybrid Endless Summer supposed to be heat tolerant. We shall see ...

Lisa

[Tracydr]

Originally Posted by b54red

Down here broccoli and similar plants are really affected by sudden changes in temps. Frequently in the fall it will be too warm when plants are set out and it doesn't cool down quick enough and they will head when very small resulting in small heads and side shoots. The same thing can happen in the spring if an early warm spell lasts too long the plants will go ahead and head before they are mature. It is always hit and miss for me with broccoli but I have learned more about when to plant over the years and as a result have gotten much better at producing a good crop most seasons. I think you will have better luck with them in NC once you get the hang of when to start seed and when to set them out.

Bill

That will be great if they do better. So far, I've only gotten kale and collards to grow. They sometimes get loaded with aphids, probably from stress. I grow across winter and they start to take off early spring. We sometimes have days in the 90s in Feb/March.
I do have a volunteer patch of kale in shade that always pops up in late spring and has actually produced through early summer. Weird!
I even tried sprouting broccoli and Rabe with no success.

[b54red]

Tracy, I just don't know enough about your weather other than it is very hot and dry. Conditions that broccoli doesn't like. The trick to making good sized heads with broccoli is to get the plant large enough before hotter weather signals it to head. We too sometimes have those middle of the winter heat spells and the young broccoli will start heading and the results are almost nothing fit to eat. The same thing happens when we go from winter to summer in a matter of a week or two. This year we are actually having a real spring and the broccoli are loving it; but it should be over very soon. I usually set out broccoli plants two or three different times during the fall and winter and hope one or more of them will hit it right.

Bill

[b54red]

I picked what well may be the last side shoots from my broccoli a few days ago. If things go as planned I will pull them tomorrow and may bet a few more but with this 90 degree weather their isn't much point in waiting. I need them out of the bed so I can start preparing it for other things. I took this pic of the side shoots I cut and even though they have been making side shoots for weeks many of them are still nice size. The roll of orange surveyors tape behind them is about 4 inches wide so you can see they are still fairly nice but nothing like the first ones I was getting after the main head was cut a month ago.

Bill

[coronabarb]

bill, that is one beautiful photo! Homegrown broccoli tastes so good, much better than the store bought. What do you do with it all? Eat it up? Freeze some?

[b54red]

We eat it or give it away.

Bill

[RebelRidin]

Hi Bill,

Unlike last year it is shaping up to be a good season for brocolli up here too. This morning I took a look and saw at least a half dozen heads ready. I'll be blanching and freezing this weekend for sure.

[better boy]

i planted a dozen Packman broccoli seedlings this spring -early May- picked my first head last night, i had forgotten how much better fresh broccoli tastes than the super market kind. now waiting for my brussel sprouts --

[coronabarb]

How will I know when to harvest my brussel sprouts? I am growing them for the first time. Someone told me to start pulling the leaves off starting at the bottom to give the sprouts room to grow? They are maybe an inch across and not filled out much yet.

[guruofgardens]

Bill, thanks for the info on Coronado Crown - it sounds like a winner and will be on next year's list for sure along with Green Goliath that we've grown for many years.
We tried Bonanza, this year but are very disappointed that the heads weren't tight and began to flower much earlier. We planted seed on April 1 and have picked all the heads by July 10, waiting for the sprouts now.

We were given Calabrese seeds to grow for a friend, and they are just starting to head. Quite a difference between that and Bonanza. Plus the Bonanza plants were much smaller than Green Goliath.

[Zone9b]

Broccoli gardeners are often encouraged to use spacing of 12" to 18" between plants within a row. However, commercial growers are encouraged to use much closer spacing. For example an online article NC University Broccoli Production Horticulture Information Leaflet contains: ". . . 2 rows per bed (9 to 12 inches apart) and 4 to 6 inches between plants in the row."
http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/broccoli-production

While the University of Clemson Organic Broccoli Cultivar Trial and Organic/Conventional Broccoli Plant Density Trial included trials at 4,6 and 8 inches apart within rows.
"Conventional vs Organic Cultivar Plant Density Trial Conclusions
 Validated Higher Plant Populations Produce Greatest Yields With
Little Effect on Head Quality.
 Increased Costs Associated with Higher Plant Populations Negate
Within Row Spacing Less Than 6”."
http://media.clemson.edu/public/rec/...ivar_trial.pdf

It would be great to hear from other Broccoli growers. Comments, Opinions, Experiences, Etc would be great.
Thanks,
Larry

[ddsack]

Wow! That is really close spacing, but I think those are recommendations for market growers that probably only care about the main head. The NCSU article says:

Central heads will vary in size, depending on variety, spacing and growing conditions. The central head weights will range from 0.3 to 1.0 lb each, while side shoots will average between 0.1 to 0.3 lb. The commercial trade only accepts 2 to 5 heads in a 1.25- to 1.5-lb bunch. Under good management and good growing conditions, per-acre yields should average between 400 to 500 cartons (21 lb net).

Note my bolded sentence - assuming good fertility and wider spacing, you should produce much larger central heads in a home garden. Here in the north, my central heads go over 1 lb, and I get enough side shoots after the main head is removed so that I only need to plant once in the spring. But after a time, the side sprouts re-grow too small for a commercial grower to bother with, though they freeze just fine for me. I try to visualize how large the plant will get when I plant my seedlings. Even at my roughly 12-15" spacing, the plants overlap when they are grown.

I wish I could have seen the Clemson pdf, but it downloaded so slowly that I gave up on it.