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Can I still eat broccolis that were pecked by pigeons?

TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
in Fruit & veg
Our neighbor raises pigeons..... I grew some sprouting broccolis that I waited for a whole year. Before the florets are fully open (visible just under the leaves), I saw 2 pigeons sitting on the broccoli plants and pecking the leaves.... that was a week ago. Now the florets have matured further and probably ready for harvest. I checked the plants, the young leaves around the florets are almost completely gone, but the florets themselves seem fine/ can't find holes from pecking. Is it still safe to eat the broccoli? I would be very upset to wait for a year and not have anything... at the same time safety first...

Posts

  • SkylarksSkylarks Posts: 379
    edited March 2021
    I’d eat them. As long as they are cooked, I can’t see a problem, but I could be wrong. I’m sure someone else with more experience will be able to confirm if they 100% are safe to eat. 
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd imagine all fruit and veg grown worldwide is pecked at by something. 
    I'd eat it.
    Devon.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Perhaps chuck some netting over them now and think about better  protection next year. 
    That's the trouble with broccoli takes so long and then it all comes at once, not nice frozen, so you get fed up with it or end up giving it away.
    Watch out for caterpillars as well.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    True, @K67, if you grow an F1 variety.  But not for old fashioned, open-pollinated purple sprouting...  half my plants have produced a central sprout worth picking, but the other half are at least a fortnight behind - and you only get fed up with it if you grow too many plants...  it's our favourite green veg, so no chance of getting tired of it here.   :)

    To tackle the original question - provided you wash it before cooking it, it'll be fine.  Netting is the way to go - you can use butterfly net which will keep off the cabbage white butterflies as well as the pigeons.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • K67K67 Posts: 2,506
    Ah that's the trouble @Liriodendron I'm not a veggie fan. 5 a week rather than 5 a day!
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    If gardeners discarded food that had been pecked by pigeons they'd  have no crops, and if farmers discarded food that had been similarly attacked they'd be bankrupt.

    Go ahead, pick and enjoy your broccoli ... just give it a good wash first ... I'm just going out to pick mine  :D

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • brackenbracken Posts: 91
    Definitely eat them, unfortunately pigeons love broccoli.  We have grown them in the flower beds before now with more success.
  • rachelQrtJHBjbrachelQrtJHBjb Posts: 819
    Nothing to do with the broccoli but if your neighbour breeds pigeons but is letting them out then he/she is breaking the current biosecurity measures in place for the avian flu pandemic. Birds must be housed indoors until further notice. It is hugely irresponsible if the birds are free-flying then going home to roost. Here's the link to the Royal Pigeon Racing Association   https://www.rpra.org/avian-flu-outbreaks/
  • TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
    edited March 2021
    Hi everyone thanks for the response, I will eat the broccoli then. @rachelQrtJHBjb special thanks for your information. I have actually lived through an avian flu pandemic myself in childhood so know it's no small matter!
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