Purple Sprouting Broccoli

[bananagirl]

I got a pack of seeds recently, and it says plant in summer to harvest in January. If I plant them now, will they grow? or should I wait til next year, which would be very disappointing. I am looking forward to them. Will be the hardest thing I've grown. Thanks for the help

BG  :)

[bananagirl]

[terrace max]

Broc is as tough as old boots if you treat it right - but will usually bolt if you don't, which is a waste of your efforts... I'd wait till summer if I were you.

If that feels too long, there's cauliflower which you can sow now (I use Mexico F1) or buy the early psb which you can sow in February/March (e.g. Bordeaux or Red Arrow).

[powerspade]

Keep seeds until next year they last for about 4yrs

[bananagirl]

Thanks y'all, I'll hang on to them.  only 280 days till I can plant 'em  ;)

[HO]

I would sow them in April or May at the latest. You dont need many plants . We only grow four to six plants at the most and that gives us loads of feeds.  They do get big so give them space, about two feet apart, at least, and feed them well up to August. Well having said that I have for twenty years just very heavily fertilised with Growmore when the plants are set out, through holes in the black plastic so I cant really feed after that.  Mine always need staking. Interesting what Wardy said as mine always run to seed in late May and always get covered in grey aphids about then so I  pull them up. Do you do anything special to keep them going, Wardy?

[EmmaLou]

We haven't had much luck with ours!

Dad planted loads in his garden as our family love the stuff - unfortunately the pet rabbit ate most of them! Someone sent me some more - oh dear!...just went to check them on the lottie and the snails have got at them! :'(

I won't give up - have ordered seeds for next year! :)

[timmyc]

We sowed our seed in late spring and had some lovely little plants come up - only to see a couple of butterflies get in when we weren't looking lay some eggs and whilst we left them for a week before planting out they got totally munched!

So - we bought the Dobies Brassica Collection - and actually got ours - only they were late and arrived the day before we went on holiday to Spain for a week - came back and the slugs had had them - we now have one plant left - and about 3 cabbages from the whole lot -why did we bother!!

Still next year we'll go for it!!

[delboy]

I, too, got plugs from Dobies. Every single one of the purple/white sprouting broccoli and spring cabbages is growing well and, so far, without any sign of a slug/bird/caterpillar attack(have I just spoken out too soon...?).

[Looby Loo]

I saw some PSB (or sproccoli as it's known in our house) on River Cottage last night.  It was quite small and bushy and they were harvesting it.  Mine are at least waist height and still going.  Is this normal??

[wardy]

Got some Derris dust to zap those pesky pests.  Just been out with it and let them have it.  Pity there was a stiff breeze and I ended up with a white face  ;D
Bet the little varmints were laughing their heads off  >:(

[jennym]

Mines normally waist height too. It had no variety name on the packet.

[tim]

LL - Bordeaux 'will crop fron June to November'.