sprout 'sprouting broccoli' !

Harvesting and preserving your fruit & veg

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yummyveggies
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Being a first time grower last year of sprouts .... and having left the plants in ( as that patch is earmarked for courgettes / squashes) I was amazed to be getting a second crop of sprouting sprout shoots ... absolutely delicious sweet stems with small leaves..
great for stir fries/ steamed or even in salads.
I am almost tempted next year to do the same and leave the sprout plants in late !
The variety was Cromwell ( in case anyone is interested) .. maybe they make better 'sprouting sprouts' !

(Makes up for the PSB that got frosted this year - completely blatted - end Oct 20+C next couple of days down to -7C ... no wonder they went bleeaah and died.)
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Johnboy
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Hi Yummyveggies,
Over the years it has been well documented what were the original "Spring Greens."
I must confess until I read Cromwell I wondered which plant you actually meant.
Many many years ago Brussel's Sprout Producers used to rely on these growths for part of their income but today with mechanical picking the whole thing has died out.
What you are getting are the very very small Sprouts that were above the normal crop and are not pickable.
I agree that they are in deed scrumptious however you eat them.
I know a lot of people lost Purple Sprouting Broccoli this last winter which I do not fully understand because we very often have temperatures below -7C and mine simply shrug and carry on.
I don't want to rub it in but I am still picking F1 Claret PSB and have had a marvellous crop.
I do not know which part of the country you live in but hereabouts I think plants get accustomized to lower temperatures. Mid Wales/Marches border 500' up.
JB.
yummyveggies
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Thanks Johnboy - that is interesting that they were considered a secondary crop. I think if my PSB had survived I would have been overwhelmed with spring greens ... so maybe a happy mis-hap !
I am Black Mts way .. but only at 120m ( start of the Llanthony Valley.

I think the killer of the PSB was going from such high temps to such low ones in a matter of a couple of days - with no chance for them to 'harden off' ...a large creeping rosemary was killed off completely and neighbours who have lived here for several years said they had some losses of other marginally 'hardy' plants.

yummyveggies
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Johnboy
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Hi Yummyveggies,
So you are not a million miles from me. I am aboput 25 miles north of Herefored and you are a similar amount south.
Although only 25 miles north of H we are about two weeks behind them. For example my Amanagowa Flowering Cherry is still in tight bud yet the one in my Aunts Garden was in full flower last week in H.
Her tree is one I produced from one of the suckers from my tree then budded the topwood onto it so it is a direct clone.
Another vegetable that may appeal to you is Kale Pentland Brig which gives pickings of Kale during the cold months and gives off side shoots not unlike PSB in the spring like about now. These are not as tasty as Blown Brussels but good eating never the less.
JB.
yummyveggies
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Hi Johnboy ,

it is amazing the difference a few miles make.
I used to live in Reading and had an allotment .. then moved to 120m above sea level only 8 miles away in the Chilterns ... and the difference was at least 10 days in the season ....

Thanks for the tip ... I was given Sarah Ravens 'The Great Vegetable Plot' for Christmas and have been inspired to grow 'Borecole Red Russian' ... a red higly dissected looking Kale ... I hope it proves to be as hardy !!
Great photos - almost a coffee table book for us veggie growers !

( plus some ideas I am trying which include pea tips for saladings .... probably old hat to you experience peopele) Sow mangetout/sugar snap peas very thickly in a deep tray of some description and harvest the tips when they are about 2 - 3 inches ... leaving some to sprout further like 'cut and come' saladings ... apparently delicious ... I will report back ...

(maybe I should I started another thread) ... in a rush sorry !!

yummieveggies
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Geoff
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My psb is still keeping us and the neighbours supplied - don't know the variety, planted 3 lots and the labels faded. I think cold wind does it more harm than just cold so I grow mine inside wind break netting. Russian Red came through without the netting. I always grow a few spring cabbage in the greenhouse (the ones outside are alive but not growing) so with those and an early sowing of Raab in the greenhouse we are not short of greens. Some Primo in the greenhouse look like they are going to follow on nicely then Green Comet outside are growing quickly.
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Johnboy
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Hi Geoff,
I suspect that you either have Late PSB or Claret F1
harvesting now. I too still have enough to feed the village and bit by bit I probably am.
I only grow open pollinted varieties of Calabrese as I believe that the F1 varieties do not have the flavour. Normal Green Sprouting and Di Cicco which is a little later but they both give off fantastic crops of spears similar to PSB only green. I prefer these to the enormous hybrids. This of course is my personal prefence but I go for flavour every time above enormity. The Summer Spouting Varieties of PSB are certainly a welcome change to Beans. Don't get me wrong I absolutely adore the good old British Runner but find that a change is sometimes as good as a rest.
JB.
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Geoff
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They were Cardinal, Red Arrow and Rudolph - two are still cropping, one better than the other, one finished (and shredded along with sprouts, one hot smelly compost heap) but all anonymous.
Anonymous

they are most likely late :(
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