Broccoli

[tbow388]

Noticed yesterday afternoon I have several small heads on my broccoli.

I will try and get some pics this evening.

How do you store your broccoli?

 

[tbow388]

I know the rules

I know the rules. Pics or it's not true so here you go.

 

[tbow388]

It must be refrigerated. Keep a close eye on the forming shoots and harvest before they start to get 'loose'. If you let them go to far they shoot up and got to seed. You will soon enough know what I mean.

We blanch and freeze broccoli and cauliflower.


If brassicas are stressed when they are young they will often form 'button heads' so it is important to keep them growing always under optimum conditions, especially cauliflower!

I was thinking "blanching". Last year I only had enough to please the wife. She ate them straight out of the garden.

I "tried" to grow some in the fall. Had little heads but nothing worth harvesting. They ended up going to flower and lasted all the way through winter.

 

[tbow388]

Sorry to say but those are button heads and will need cutting soon. The good news is the plants will put up lots of side shoots, some being as large or larger than shown in your photos.


Oh......and those little shoots are worth harvesting! We harvest them all the way past the new year.


Broccolis vary a lot depending on what type you buy. Some put off a lot of side shoots and some hardly any. We love the side shoots and call them florets.

What would cause the button heads? Since those are like that, are the others likely to do the same?

How soon would you say is soon?

I got a lot of florets last year and we had no trouble eating them.

 

[farmer steve]

What would cause the button heads? Since those are like that, are the others likely to do the same?

How soon would you say is soon?

I got a lot of florets last year and we had no trouble eating them.

This can be caused by 10 or more days of temps 35-50,older transplants,micronutrient deficiencies and or variety.take your pick. there are several heat tolerant types available. broc. likes nitrogen & boron. like del said, cut em off & keep em watered & hope for some florets.

 

[mainewoods]

Good chance the seedlings were stressed by cold temps - lack of water -not enough sun and got leggy. The plants look good, so even though the initial main head is stunted , you should have good side florets if that type of broccoli is known for side shoots. If there were tiny heads starting to form before you planted the seedlings then they were most likely stressed to begin with. That is what happens up here in the north- not sure about the south, but that's what it looks to me . IMHO

 

[16:1mix]

Good chance the seedlings were stressed by cold temps - lack of water -not enough sun and got leggy.

I didn't think cold could hurt broccili after last year. We had a hot, dry summer here in Iowa last year and I gave up watering my garden in the worst of it during July. The flavor of my broccoli seemed a little off and I blamed it on the heat and dry. I waited until the frost had killed my tomato and pepper plants in the Fall and then cut off a fresh head of broccoli and it had the best flavor of the whole season. The stuff kept growing long after at least two killing frosts wiped out the rest of the garden. I'm not certain of the variety I had, kind of random chance what is available in the Spring.

I'm itching to get started again!

 

[mainewoods]

I was talking seedlings, wherever they were started. Be it green house or window sill. Cold temps when they are tender -not enough light or too little moisture all contribute to stressed plants. They will recover in the garden and look healthy. But the damage has been done and the main head is usually stunted.The good thing is that if the particular species is known for side shoots growth , the plant will still produce a decent crop. The more heat tolerant the species is obviously the better for southern growers.

 

[16:1mix]

I was talking seedlings, wherever they were started. Be it green house or window sill. Cold temps when they are tender -not enough light or too little moisture all contribute to stressed plants. They will recover in the garden and look healthy. But the damage has been done and the main head is usually stunted.The good thing is that if the particular species is known for side shoots growth , the plant will still produce a decent crop. The more heat tolerant the species is obviously the better for southern growers.

Gotcha!

 

[Arbonaut]

Those are gettin ready to bolt, Tbow. There is no use to blanch brassicas to freeze it. You can but it will freeze fine. Those got rootbound in the container or it is too hot. See GDD. (Growing degree days.) Stress is mother nature's way of saying, "reproduce now".

 

[Arbonaut]

The best book on this stuff is, "So Easy to Preserve". From the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. Everything is covered even drying. Blanching is recomended for green beans and Broccoli/Cauliflower/Brussels Sprouts, I'm sure. Probably as good a time as any to mention let it frost on your brussels sprouts for a mature crop and good storage. If it isn't about health hazard from improper food storage conditions, I'll try the most direct way to preserve food. If eating quality is good, that's enough. She blanches more than me.

BTW aren't most brassicas bienniels?

 

[tbow388]

Cut some of the bad heads off tonight and will just wait on the side chutes. My wife said they were super fine!!

Most of my other heads are really tight and are a total different texture than those pictured.

 

[luckydozenfarm]

View attachment 297594View attachment 297595
Our field on January 27th 2013...We have finished off the fall/winter broccoli and cabbages and you cant see it but the spring broccoli is planted on the far side of the field.

I would agree, anytime you grow brassicas from store bought plants you can get what you see there. Any number of things could have stressed that plant out for it to head out so soon. We plant broccoli by seed in January here in south-east Texas, its easier on the plants and much much cheaper. You can even plant them thick, and wait for a colder wet day, dig them up with a knife and replant in nice rows yourself. But you have to do that early so as not to disturb them. I plant about an acre of broccoli here in Texas and you have to be sure you get the right type for your time of year.

They have warm-cool day varieties and cool-warm day varieties. Depends on whether you are planting in Spring (cool to warm days) or Fall (warm to cool days).

That makes a huge difference...