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christie_sw_mo

Yay Broccoli! - now what?

christie_sw_mo
14 years ago

I have some little golf ball size heads forming on my broccoli. Will those get bigger or do I need to break them off?

This is my first try at growing broccoli but I didn't grow them from seed. I bought four-packs of Pacman at Lowes ... or maybe Nixa Hardware. I haven't done anything with them so far besides sticking them in the ground. Any tips?

Comments (5)

  • gldno1
    14 years ago

    I have never raised Packman, but usually broccoli heads get huge, big as your hand. You cut out that first big head and other smaller ones with grow in the nodes between the leaves so you can harvest over a longer period of time. Just did a Google and the central head should get pretty big.

    You have me beat. I don't see a sign of a head on mine.

  • jspeachyn5
    14 years ago

    Congratulations Christie.
    You are way ahead of me.
    Bonnie

  • mulberryknob
    14 years ago

    As Glenda and Bonnie say, broccoli can get huge, dinner plate size. But sometimes the transplants you buy don't but instead "buttonhead", which means make small heads which bolt to flower quickly. Watch them to see how big the individual buds are and how many of them develop. If the head gets large before the buds start to break open to flower, you got good transplants. But if the buds do start to break open while the heads are still small, you want to pick them immediately, fertilize and water if needed and you should get some sideshoots. They never get very big but one plant may put out a dozen if it's a good sized plant. Good luck.
    You're ahead of me. I usually spend memorial day weekend putting up broccoli from my own seed raised plants, but this year the seed company backordered...and delayed... and my broc is almost a month behind.

  • christie_sw_mo
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Mulberry - I think that's what mine are doing (forming buttonheads). I went ahead and broke off a few this morning. They weren't flowering yet but were starting to get loose (?) like they were about to. It's kind of bitter. I don't know if that means I waited too long or if it's all going to be bitter. Surely we've had enough rain.

    I think next time I'll try growing it from seed then if the transplants tend form small heads like that. Still - It's not as big a failure as my lettuce. lol

  • mulberryknob
    14 years ago

    /christie, some of my seed raised plants are starting to buttonhead. They just went in too late, then got too much rain and a couple too cold nights and not enough cultivation or fertilization. So a disappointing year for me so far for broccoli. Luckily I still have several packages in the freezer from last year and I may try planting some for the fall if these don't make.