broccoli

General tips / questions on seeding & planting

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

jane

Do you remember that on the old forum there had been a question to Johnboy about successional sowing of broccoli? May I revive that question? I was waiting for an answer before I ordered any seed. Thanks, jane.
fredsapple

I'm a bit of a computer noivice myself and had just got the hang of the old notice board! Mines the same problem as the other lady - how do you look at old messges? It's a bit confusing.
Guest

i dont tihnk they are there yet, so you can't. it is stillbeing set up, bear with them
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Johnboy
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Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi Jane,
Please bear with me just a little longer. I signed on this morning but have only just become 'active' as BT/Yahoo decided to treat the validation as spam!!
I ticked it as not spam and it has taken 4 hours to get to my inbox.
My posting will be there first thing in the morning.
JB.
Chris
KG Regular
Posts: 183
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:26 pm
Location: Moray, Scotland

Hi

Tried to register yesterday - but never got the e mail to complete the process. Thanks to Johnboy for pointing out that e mail messages from the new forum are treated as spam by BT/Yahoo. I think I'm there - or here - now.

Sorry - I've forgotten the original question and there is no clue on the reply screen.

Chris
Chris
Mr Potato Head

My apologies to those looking for the old forum, I'm still struggling to ressurect it! I'm confident that it will be online, in some form, by the end of the week - hopefully sooner.

Please be patient... :)

If you have any more comments about the website & the forum, please reply in the 'Website & Forum' category, then we can concentrate on Jane's broccoli here...
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Johnboy
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Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi Jane,
As promised although a little later than I intended.
There are many Purple, White and Green Sprouting Broccoli’s and I can only vouch for the varieties that I have and do grow. These are as follows:-

Winter and Spring Varieties.

Rudolph.* Generally harvests just after Christmas but can be grown in succession.
Red Spear. Mid January to Mid February.
Red Arrow. Mid February to Mid March.
EPS. March.
Cardinal. Mid March to Mid April.
LPS April to Early May.
Claret F1. Late April to Early June.

There is another named Early Red Late Summer. (What a strange name but suspect from the Southern Hemisphere) This variety is about to come into harvest and is on trial this year. It is said to be about a month earlier than Rudolf and I do not know quite where to place it in the growing calendar. Sadly this is only available commercially but there is a variety named Garnet, which seems to have almost the same specification.
*Rudolph. If you sow too early it is possible that it will harvest in late September so it is possible to have a mini succession using the same seed.

White Sprouting Varieties.

Early White. Harvesting in February.
Late White. Harvesting in April.
White Eye.
White Star. Both are reselected seed of the Late and Early Varieties.

Green Sprouting Broccoli. (Open pollinated Calabrese) Varieties.

Original Italian Green Sprouting Calabrese. Harvesting July.
Di Cicco. Harvesting in August and sometimes a little later.

Romanesco. Harvesting around October. What you get is absolutely wonderful flavour.
Just like what Cauliflowers used to taste like before they started hybridizing them.

I have only grown the bog standard seed and have never tried a named variety or an F1 Hybrid but I agree with Beryl who said that it is a lot of growing for a poor return.

Summer Sprouting Varieties.
Both varieties can be grown in succession and will harvest from June to Late November

Spike. Sow 1st of every month from February to July and will harvest from Late June to Late November.

Bordeaux F1. Sow 1st March every month to June and will harvest until late October.

I do not grow F1 Calabrese Varieties or Cauliflower’s, as I do not think they are value for space and consider that both have been hybridized for visual impact to the detriment of flavour. As regards space well both of the above at the very best will produce 4 portions
But Sprouting Broccoli’s will produce up to 10 times in excess for the same space on your plot. At the best of time Cauliflower’s are temperamental to grow where as PSB’s
Have never failed me.
I have been in trouble in the past for expressing the above view but I must stress that this is my personal opinion and am open to be persuaded otherwise!
JB.
Guest

Many thanks for that very comprehensive reply, which was very helpful. I've grown purple sprouting broccoli for the hungry gap previously, Claret being one I've grown.However, my family is fond of it and I wanted to extend its season, never dreaming that it could be extended to a virtually all the year round crop. I'm definitely going to grow the Romanesco, because it was very good tasting. You make me feel better about my failure with cauliflowers! I've NEVER got them to work. So, I've printed off your reply and I'm going to work out a sowing and planting plan and order seeds. Thanks, Jane.
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Johnboy
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Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire


Hi Jane,
I do not know quite how to get in touch with you privately as neither of us have included an E-Mail contact but I am going to try and re-register by going to PROFILE. I should just like to say that I have masses of seed especially of the one only available commercially. So if i am successful in re-regeristing there should be a means for you to write to me via this website.
JB.
jane E

Johnboy - Thanks -I'm having trouble with registering at the moment. If you have Cherie's email, she has mine.
Colin Miles
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Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:18 pm
Location: Llannon, Llanelli

Hi Johnboy,

Claret has never been that late (early June) with me and is usually over well before then. Would it be possible to use Bordeau to be ready June by raising it under glas and planting out say March? Marshalls describe Garnet as a replacement for Rudolph.
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Johnboy
KG Regular
Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi Jane,
Try sending me a Private Message without your E-Mail and if that turns out ok I will tell you and you can then post me again with the details.
JB.
fen trying to register

I think my confirmation has been treated as spam too. Where can I find it?
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Johnboy
KG Regular
Posts: 5824
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 1:15 pm
Location: NW Herefordshire

Hi Fen,
If your validation E has been treated as Spam your ISP will have a site where you can see that you have a Communication although you may not be able to read it and you will have to click on it and then click on NOT SPAM and it should then be transferred to your Outlook Express. I am with BT/Yahoo and as I have said they then took 4 hours to transfer it.
Normally it is a lot quicker than that.
One of the major differences betwixt the old and new forums is that you must log on when you start and log off when you finish.
If you think you have registered try logging on and then and only then will you be able to get a posting in your name and not merely a guest.
Hope this helps you.
JB.
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