Romanesque broccoli running to seed.

[Catherine]

All my romanesque broccoli ran to see before I could pick anything I looked at it one day and it looked okay and two days later it had run to seed and reading the packed of seeds it was not even ready to pick till later this month. Any suggestions as to what I can do to prevent it next year? As I love the veg. But in three years I have hardly been able to get a decent size head on them. I have given up with ordinary caulis and brocolli's

[Monika]

I think this year it's no good following what it says on the seed packet, Catherine. almost all of our early sprouting broccoli (due to be harvested next spring) are already finished and the dwarf wallflowers (sown in May, due to flower next spring) are in full flower! So, I would harvest the broccoli as soon as it reaches eating size!

[alan refail]

Romanesco is such a lovely plant, but I haven't grown it for many years now. I found it usually produced small heads, which, like you, I thought it would be a shame to cut - then all of a sudden to seed



Not one of mine, I hasten to add!

[Catherine]

Thank you for that lovely photo Alan that was what I was looking forward to. I gave some plants when small to a friend on the allotment but she was ill and did not cover or look after them some of them got eaten by catterpillars but she got one just like that and none of hers went to seed. I must try harder next year as I have decided I am determined to get some proper heads on them.

[snooky]

Struggling with Romanesque this year.Out of fifteen plants put in eight are 'blind' and the rest are in various stages of head development,from small buds to bolting away.A lot of leaf too.The area where I am growing Brassicas this year was well manured last Autumn and dosed with chicken manure prior to planting out,the other Brassica plants are doing well.

[Victoria]

All my Romanesco gone already, managed to catch a couple to eat, very disappointing.

[retropants]

May I show off for a moment?



this was one of last years crop, picked on 22nd Oct. I'm afraid this year's will not be as good, or may even be non-existant. They weren't planted out in time, and got left in pots in the cold frame for a month due to me having foot surgery (and the cabbage whites found and shredded them). When I did finally get around to planting them out, they were only stems and mid-ribs of leaves, with a hint of a growing point in the middle. So they are only a foot tall at the moment, a long way off cropping. BUT, you never know! I shall leave them and se what happens. I don't mind waiting!