purple sprouting broccoli

[tracie]

Hi All,

my pruple sprouting broccoli has been in since april/may last year and has not produced any sprouts to pick, and by the looks of it will not produce any either. Nor sure wht vairety it is!!

Has any body else had this problem. Should I leave it a bit longer or give up and pull it up and prep the bed for this years crop.

Can I have some suggerstions please as to what vairety's to grow this year for cropping from October to April.

Thanks for your help.

Tracie.

[Monika]

There is still plenty of time for them to sprout, Tracie, so don't despair. Unless you need the ground for other crops in early spring, leave them to do their bit until April and you should get a crop. I have grown 'Extra Early Rudolph' in the past and have occasionally had crops from the plants from about October until February but it's a bit hit and miss and depends very much on the winter weather.

Marshalls website says about it:
" This high quality broccoli will begin to crop in September but is at its very best from November to February. Good sized, tender spears are produced on large framed plants."

Because I don't want to tie up the bed for such a long time, this year I am trying a broccoli called Atlantis which is said to be a broccoli (rather than calabrese) which sprouts in summer and autumn. Only time will tell.

[tracie]

Hi Monika,

thanks for your reply. In the past I have had a crop by now.I wondered if it may have been down to the dry spring/summer because I did not water at all!!.

[donedigging]

Hi tracie,
My purple sprouting broccoli has just begun to show some buds...
So I would agree with Monika , give them a few more weeks.