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Advice on purple sprouting broccoli

BelmarBelmar Posts: 2

I planted seed of Rudolph variety purple flowering broccoli in March.They have grown,but most of them have grown to about 15cm and have yellow flowers--the shorter one haven't.Should I discard the ones with yellow flowers?

Posts

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Yes they've gone over.

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    I'd favour sowing them a little later next time.  They need plenty of space and plenty of water so they don't "bolt" (ie flower prematurely), which they do as a result of stress - they say "help, I'm going to die, I must flower and produce seed before it's too late!"  What you want is a number of large, sturdy plants to survive the cold and produce you lovely sprouting broccoli next November (if you're lucky) to March.  The short, unflowered plants you have now should be transplanted to about 75cm apart.  They like quite rich soil and firm planting so they don't rock in the wind. 

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Katherine WKatherine W Posts: 410

    Liriodendron said it all. I can only add, that I grew sprouting broccoli for years and can't make head or tails of them. Sometimes they work wonderful and somtimes they go over like PUFF! Don't be discouraged. Try again, giving them the best conditions, as per Liriodendron's post. Some years they do splendid, and rward you ten times over.

  • treehugger80treehugger80 Posts: 1,923

    cut off the flowers and you might get a second flush, but I've always grown PSB as an overwintering crop, not during the summer.

  • BelmarBelmar Posts: 2

    Thankyou for all the advice--very helpful

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