I grew it one year, but I grew it as a winter crop, and it was a bit slow. It bolted before it ever really set heads. The weather got too warm. Many green veggies are winter crops down here and need to be planted at some point in the fall.

Maybe others have had better luck.

Marcia

I just pulled up the last of my broccoli last weekend. They got almost 2 feet tall before they produced central florets. I harvested those, and the plants were just in the middle of producing their secondary side-shoot florets when I yanked them - some I was able to harvest, others were already starting to open and go to seed; before they were even big enough to be worth eating. I figured the same thing you said; that it was just getting too hot for them. (I'm in Deland area)

I bought some a couple weeks ago as well.....they are doing well. Last summer I had broccoli that got florets......however I kept waiting for it to get bigger so I never picked it....Then it got flowers which were pretty and the bees loved them so I left them for the bees....I am hoping to actually try some this time. I also planted some butter lettuce that seems to be doing well and onions also.

I have planted broccoli the past two winters. They did better last year than this year. I think it was too warm this winter as they bolted before the florets could get any size on them. I am getting ready to pull them.

I was talking with the lady at our farm market just this week and she was concerned about the winter heat we've been having and the adverse effct it's had on the veggies: lettuce, broccoli and the like.

there are many italian recipes for flowering broc.

unlike, say, lettuces, broc that's bolted is perfectly tasty. (same holds true, i've discovered recently, for pak choy, which is exactly as tasty when totally bolted as it is when it's young.) so, while it's a bit late, if you're vigilant and harvest the broccoli quickly, i think you'll be fine, even if it does bolt before forming the heads entirely.

remember that you can cook broc just like collards -- chop the whole mess (heads and leaves) medium dice. in a pan, warm some olive oil, then slowly stew some chopped garlic. don't let it brown. chuck in the broc (head, leaves, flowers, whatever), with a bit of water. clap on the top. cook for a few minutes, then add some dried chili flakes (or, better yet, some fresh red hot pepper -- not much, tho). cook it 'til it's bright green, not drab green. serve as a side with roast, or toss with pasta... mmmmmm.

i guess i'm saying, don't give up on your broc.

Well I will definitely keep an eye on the little guys and fill you all in on their progress. It's good to know that I can still cook up the whole bunch of them even if they don't turn out perfectly-- I had always thought they would turn bitter.

Here's a question: do you think a shade cloth would slow the bolting process?

I've grown Broccoli and Broccoli Rabe in zone 10, and true Broccoli much prefers cold weather. It gets huge, wide and likes full sun, but cold temps. Broccoli Rabe is easier, produces lots of small heads to harvest, and offers a repeat harvest. It will tolerate warmer weather, but not by much. I like the chopped leaves too, of Broccoli Rabe.

The recent years of warm winters have made growing cool-weather veggies here very difficult.

But it is nice to have tomatoes in December.

Lisa

We're in the perfect broccoli zone 8B. We planted last October and by December we had heads 10 to 12 inches across! They were delicious! We have a second crop planted now hoping to harvest next month. We also had huge cabbage heads. Carol

lisa -- i've stopped growing regular broc and now only do rappini, too. i agree -- in all ways, it's superior to american broc, but i think many people will be turned off by its bolder taste.

That's so cool! I never knew that you could eat broccoli leaves - the leaves of mine were huge and I threw them away! Next time, I'm definitely gonna try that recipe (although I have to say, as a card carrying gen-you-wine redneck girl, there's gonna have to be a ham hock in there somewhere! :)

Here is my tiny Broccoli.
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Jan, throw a ham hock in with that broc! Should "beef" it up. LOL. Don't forget the garlic.
If you folks in zone 10 and higher like broccoli rabe, rappini, try the moringa blossoms, leaves and tender green shoots. Tastes very similar to me.
And Moringa trees need regular pruning anyway to get bushy.
I'm glad I didn't plant any broccoli. Too warm here this year.
Collards and mustard have been my mainstay greens for this winter. With hamhocks. Mmmmm.
Still thinning and eating Chinese cabbage and little bok choy too. They're growing fast now.

I share my broccoli with my parrots, they like to chew on hard bolted parts and myself for soft parts.
I had some nice heads last year but I think I planted little late this year but I planted by accident any how.
I was trying for Broccoli sprouts but seeds were too old so only few sprouted so I dumped in my garden and Abra cadabra, I now have cute little Broccoli. he he he
I am going to try broccoli rabe next year but what month do you plant them?
I have 2 young Morianga trees, can't wait to try some.
Jan

Why do the stores sell seeds in an area that couldn't possibly foster them in the spring? I planted broccoli in my lil garden to try it this year...I am getting plants but it sounds like that's all I'll see!

Disappointed broccoli and cheese sauce lover!

I guess you know you can eat the stem of broccoli too? You just peel the outer hard part off. It has a slightly different taste. I use a salad shooter to make little shreaded pieces for a broccoli salad with bacon bits and dried cranberries. In the stores they have packaged brocolli slaw.

Can someone explain "Bolt" to me, in relation to broccoli?
Thanks!

Kim

Kim, I believe bolting = flowering and then getting very tall and leggy.

I planted a few broccoli seeds for the first time last fall and I kept waiting for it to look like the stuff in the store, and it got flowers. So I put the flowers in a salad - pretty good. I chopped and steamed the leaves - pretty good. I cut the stalk off the sliced what wasn't too tough and steamed that with some little florets - pretty good. I left the plant in the ground to see what happens. It seems to be growing. I wonder - is it possible it will get more florets?

Okay, true confession time... I had enough of watching the broccoli plants get huge since February and finally gave up and gave them a good yank a couple of days ago. ...Only to hear wails from my husband who came in with one of the recently fallen to show me that the thing had actually started producing tiny florets! Imagine my surprise! Well, this was bad gardenweb behavior on my part not to have checked each plant before giving them the heave-ho, but all has ended well: we put them back in the ground and with a couple of waterings they look good as new! I've redeemed myself!

Jane

I'm new to broccoli growing but the two plants I put in about 2 months ago are growing well, with one "floret" picked already. it was delicious!
one big thing here in Central Florida is water, and, of course, soil amendment.
I'm going to try more broccoli in the fall.