Heading Broccoli Varieties

11 years ago

Okay...I either have to find another heading variety of broccoli, or another husband. Since I like my husband better than broccoli, I choose to change the former :D

I can grow the most gorgeous, gigantic, blue green broccoli around...Ed HATES the variety. It's Waltham 29. I personally like the taste, sort of "asparagussy". Ed hates asparagus. After eating NINE heads of broccoli by myself (gave the chickens the side shoots, canned the greens) I give...

Is there a heading variety that tastes more like the market varieties? I've gone to the market to check and see if the variety he likes is listed on the label..it says "product of Chile".

I've planted some organic broccoli (don't expect anything, the seed is 6 years old and of an unknown variety but if it grows and he likes it..I'm good at collecting seed).

Any suggestions? Ed LOVES broccoli, he has special dietary needs and I can get the first heads by late Nov if I start now.

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deannac
Original Author

11 years ago

AWESOME ya'll! Thanks so much! I'd forgotten about Packman, I'll do that and the Umpqua sounds interesting! @theTradition, LOL, yep, you hit it on the head...if it's not processed and totally deleted of any nutritional value...Ed won't eat it. Strange for someone that grew up on a fully rounded farm! He says my veggies taste too "gardeny"!

Now, if I CAN what I grow...THEN he'll eat it, no problem whatsoever. He just hates fresh vegetables, which are SUPPOSED to be over half of his daily diet.

I grow danvers carrots. If cut them horizontally, he refuses to eat them. If I cut them longwise into sticks, he'll eat every one. I married a nut, lol.

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Comments (8)

thetradition
11 years ago
I'm growing Burpee "Major Hybrid" this fall. I'll try to remember to let you know if it tastes like a bland supermarket variety.
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
11 years ago
I'm trying Major this year too - from Pinetree - it's supposed to be very early. Also growing Packman - a dependably productive & tasty variety for me.

My current faves are Packman & NutriBud. Years ago I grew Umpqua, which was fantastically tender & sweet & OP as well, but smaller than the 1s I grow now. Packman is a popular commercial variety, according to my seed catalog, & I find it quite delicious. NutriBud is supposedly higher in glutamate & the buds were very tender & delicious, but not as large or prolific as Packman.
ocalagirls
11 years ago
My father hates fresh green stuff but I grew Packman last year and made him try some. He ate the first head raw within minutes of me bringing it in the house. I'd say it was a hit!
thetradition
11 years ago
Ok, the Major broccoli is starting to flower. I'll be able to report on taste in a few weeks.
deannac
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you so much! I'd have already started harvesting my greens if my husbands 130 lb monster of a dog hadn't made himself a 4' hole in the middle of them...TWICE. They're up and running again, third planting. Ed decided to FINALLY build me a proper fence (dog jumps over the other one) when he saw me chase that mutt across the yard with a pitchfork! I'm not sure that I'd have actually used it...but then again...I was pretty angry! I finally told the dog that if I didn't have anything to eat next year because of his infernal digging, I'd eat HIM!
tomncath
11 years ago
Late to the party but my favs are Goliath and Barbados, I don't do well here with W29 because of my heat, humidity and pests since my garden is only 8' from a brackish lake. I have to have resistant heat and humidity tolerant hybrids.

Tom
thetradition
11 years ago
Ok, we ate one of the Major Hybrid heads on Saturday night. I've attached a photo to show what it looked like just prior to harvest. I steamed it with some fresh Kentucky Wonder green beens. Nothing on it at all. The taste was not too strong, but had a nice mild flavor. I think Ed will like it.