Hi all,
Just a quick question. I planted 24 strong "Purple Sprouting Brocolli" plants last year a bit late in the year, around June. They never were ready at the expected harvest time but I decided to leave them.
However they have grown and grown (albeit slowly) all the way through the winter and it's been very cold lately with snow, hard frosts etc. I harvested a head today actually, washed the snow off and steamed for 4-5 mins and was lovely. The heads seem so much bigger than when planted/harvested conventionally.
My question is however, if I let one of the biggest headed plants flower, if I collected the seeds would this produce seeds which when sprouted/planted would be very frost/cold tolerant?
Thanks very much for reading.
Brocolli is Still Growing
Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter
I dont see why the seeds would not have the same properties as the parent as long the parent is not an f1 hybrid.Try planting early and late types like i have so you get a longer harvesting period.I put in Rudolph(early) and Claret F1(late). I have just started taking the sideshoots from Rudolph and the Claret F1 is just starting to form the main head.Last year i took the last sideshoot from Claret in mid april
Hi,
With PSB you must remove the main head ASAP and it is only when you have done this that you will get a mass of side shoots. For the record Darren it is a little early for Claret F1 but of course if you live in the south its about right. I picked the last Claret F1 here the first week in June in 2005 but we do not get Rudolph until mid January. I also have a commercial seed whose name escapes me at the present moment and that has been magnificent since the end of November right up until I started picking Rudolph. Coming between Rudolph and Claret F1 are;
Red Spear, Red Arrow, Early Purple Sprouting, Cardinal and Late Purple Sprouting and there are also two summer varieties Spike and Bordeaux F1 and by a little juggling you can now have PSB all the year round should you so wish.
With PSB you must remove the main head ASAP and it is only when you have done this that you will get a mass of side shoots. For the record Darren it is a little early for Claret F1 but of course if you live in the south its about right. I picked the last Claret F1 here the first week in June in 2005 but we do not get Rudolph until mid January. I also have a commercial seed whose name escapes me at the present moment and that has been magnificent since the end of November right up until I started picking Rudolph. Coming between Rudolph and Claret F1 are;
Red Spear, Red Arrow, Early Purple Sprouting, Cardinal and Late Purple Sprouting and there are also two summer varieties Spike and Bordeaux F1 and by a little juggling you can now have PSB all the year round should you so wish.
JB.
-
Geoff
- KG Regular
- Posts: 5582
- Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:33 pm
- Location: Forest of Bowland
- Been thanked: 135 times
I would have thought your plants are doing exactly as they are supposed to. As Johnboy says it's all down to variety. If you can remember what you are growing you will probably find they doing as JB predicts. I would think seed saving on Brassicas is a total waste of space and effort - better to get them out of the ground when they have finished and use it for another crop.
-
Guest
Out of the ground and for another crop? Do you mean you can literally transplant a dead plant and it will re-grow?
Dear Guest,
I rather think Geoff means eat the Broccoli and enjoy and when the plants are 'picked out' dig them out and destroy them. Seed is so cheap that you would be wasting valuable space that would house another crop of whatever you choose so for the want of what is only a few pence saved you would missing out on everything else. Simply not a paying proposition.
I rather think Geoff means eat the Broccoli and enjoy and when the plants are 'picked out' dig them out and destroy them. Seed is so cheap that you would be wasting valuable space that would house another crop of whatever you choose so for the want of what is only a few pence saved you would missing out on everything else. Simply not a paying proposition.
JB.