There's nothing like fresh broccoli out of the garden, especially the first head you pick. Congrats!

This year was our first at growing broccoli. When your 1 yr old holds out her hand for more and asks "Brocci?" You know it's got to be good!

I'm glad yours turned out as good!!

Vegetable gardening is an excellent way to get kids to eat their veggies. My grandson is now 5 and he loves to go with me and pick the beans and peas and tomatoes and eat them right out of garden! Yummmmmmmmmmm. He loves his veggies now!

Congratulations! That news gives me hope!

I started my Broccoli Calabrese from seed in August and though that was too early. I would guess I'm easily ten days or two weeks from my first harvest.

When did you put yours in?

jll0306:

I started mine from seed in early August. I am starting successive plantings every 2 weeks so I can have a constant fresh supply. So much fun!

That explains it. Mine went in toward the end of August.

I am doing succession plantings, too with some different varieties, to see which ones will become our winter standby.

OK, please let me know what you think of your different varieties. I have very limited space so only planted packman from parks seeds.

Being that I'm also in z9, I thought I'd add a comment to this thread.. I plant broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage and brussels sprouts. I start planting seeds in seedboxes during the first (or second) weekend in August and continue into the first (or second) weekend of Septermber. The broccoli cultivars that I plant are Premium Crop Hybrid, Packman Hybrid, and Green Goliath. Cauliflower cultivars planted are Snow Crown Hybrid and Candid Charm Hybrid. Generally the plants that do the best are those transplanted in the 3rd or 4th week of September. Earlier plantings will do very well if they can survive the heat. October plantings usually produce after Jan 1 the next year.

Packman is a good choice for limited space. Packman produces larger side shoots. A local Market farmer mentioned to me a couple of months ago that he plants Packman in double drills on 5 foot wide rows at a 8 inch spacing. He also said that he will often times nip the center head to encourage larger side shoot production.

Grandpa:

That is excellent info that I appreciate very much! I planted seeds in the ground in early August and they did just fine in our unusually late heat wave that is still lingering (83 yesterday). I planted lettuce as well and it is doing absolutely great! My shelling peas and sugar snap peas have been slow to germinate and grow however. Maybe they are waiting for cooler weather?

Thanks for the info about Packman, GrandDad. I'll try that with some of my packman plants.

The other variety I'm growing is Small Miracle, but I lost the first crop in a windstorm, so I have started over. (Those seedling roots sure get long, fast!)

I have Bubbles, Half-long and Catskills brussel sprouts growing, but no cauliflower at all. Do cabbage loopers like it as much as they like broccoli?

Can I start seeds for broccoli now or am I too late?

djkj, if your planting guide is like ours then you are bit to early for spring broccoli and too late for fall. Our guide shows that broccoli seeds are planted in January for the spring garden. I don't usually plant spring broccoli. The reason is it generally matures after the weather gets too warm making for a stronger tasting broccoli. The fall/winter broccoli is much better tasting and produces over a longer period... but don't let my comments deter you, give it a shot.

Thanks grandad I will give it a shot!!

I always look forward to the first head of Broccoli. I was a little disappointed this year. The heads are only about half their normal size. I guess it's because of the drought. They have been getting plenty of water thru irrigation and I have been feeding them like I always do. They taste good but they are just lacking in size. Seems like in prolonged droughts like this no matter what you do to artificially make up for the water shortage the crops are still somewhat lackluster.

I planted broccoli from seedlings for the first time this October. There was frost on them yesterday morning...they look fine today. Guess that's why we have a winter garden! LOL Can they really stand up to frosts like this?