Purple Sprouting Broccoli

Flinster · January 2021

Afternoon!
I would like to grow a few purple sprouting broccoli this year for late autumn and winter next year.
How many plants might I need (I have early sprouting and Rudolph seed). I’m really the only one who eats veg- my husband dabbles and picks and the kids throw crucifixes at it lol! Im guessing 4 would be ample? How productive are the plants on average (obviously growing conditions vary).
Many thanks.

Dovefromabove · January 2021

There’s only two of us ... I usually grow six plants ... that gives us lots of broccoli sprouts ... usually around four meals a week for the two of us for at least a couple of months ... we love broccoli ... too few plants and there are never quite enough sprouts ready to pick at a time to provide a meal.

Too much isn’t a problem as it’s great in soups, quiches, stir fries and with pasta and of course it freezes well.

Hope that helps 😊

Flinster · January 2021

thank yo thank you that’s really helpful.
one more thing..
i keep reading conflicting advice regarding harvesting times for the varieties I have. Which variety is best for autumn picking, or is it simply a case of when they are planted out/weather etc. Thanks

Flinster · January 2021

Oh another question- can I underplant with anything- was thinking early beetroot, harvesting before the PSB is mature but can I grow anything after that or am I best just putting a thick mulch around and leaving the ground empty once I have harvested the beetroot?

Dovefromabove · January 2021

The way I do it is to die in a pot around April/May ... prick out into modules as soon as they’re ready and then into pots and pot on into larger pots as necessary .... I keep them in a coldframe and guard them against Cabbage White butterflies with nets and inspect the backs of the leaves morning and evening 😖 🐛
I plant them out into the veg patch in late July/early August ideally, (but sometimes later 😳) usually where I’ve been growing lettuce, and OH erects a frame of insect mesh over them to keep the later butterflies and then the pigeons off them.

The pic above is what they look like today. There’s 8 in there ... I planted the ones that they caterpillars had decimated and they recovered 😆.

The frame is about 1m x 1m x 1m (made from old painting stretchers lol) the plants are really a bit too close together. 😒

I expect to start picking in late March early April ... depending on the weather. I’ve never grown broccoli to harvest in the autumn.

Emerion · January 2021

Generally it says on the packet or seller’s website whether they are autumn or spring types. If it doesn’t say it’s almost certainly a spring one. That’s because that’s all there was until comparatively recently (I believe), so as the autumn ones are new and still a bit of a novelty, it really should say so on the packet. “Early Purple Sprouting”, probably the most common variety, produces sprouts in March/April. I also tried F1 Blaze last year, the packet said sprouts from July-December. I was late getting them into the ground, so was picking them from September to early January. It’s made a nice change from the kale and chard, so I’m going to sow them again this year.

Flinster · January 2021

great thanks both. Hope mine look as healthy as yours Dove!
blaze sound great, might try those myself and also do a few of the others to carry on in the new year! Perfect! 😃

nick615 · January 2021

Flinster Can I assume you've considered reducing the time span by buying plants? I've never had much success with brassica seeds so, having a brilliant plant grower who attends the local weekly market, we buy a couple of trays of sturdy plants and start from there. Maybe not for the purist, but suits us.

Flinster · January 2021

Good idea and will keep it in mind! I do love the growing though and find I still get excited seeing the seeds I sow burst into life.... assuming they don’t rot, get stolen by mice or birds, destroyed by beasts from other lands, gale force winds and flooding...😬

Purple Sprouting Broccoli

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