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What is happening to my Broccoli

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Louise (U14848585) on Tuesday, 28th February 2012

  I planted Broccoli last April and they have really thrived, very green and healthy and about 3ft tall but they haven't formed heads. I'm trying to prepare the ground for this year's veg and I'm not sure weather to give them the benefit of the doubt and leave them an extra month or so, or cut my losses and pull them out to make way for my potatoes.
  
  any advice would be much appreciated (this is only my second year!)

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Tuesday, 28th February 2012

  I presume you mean Purple sprouting broccoli?
  
  If this is right; then this is quite common, and is one of the reasons I have given up growing it, much as I like it as a veg on my dinner plate.
  
  In my area (West Yorkshire) it is often late March and into April before ( and sometimes later) I started harvesting it!
  
  Like you I found sometimes it got in the way of my rotation/planting plans so in the end I gave up with it!
  
  So I would say ( based on my experience) you have answered your own query but having said that; in your case, I would leave them in place until potato planting time.
  
  The choice is yours!
  
  Just as a point of interest; I usually follow on with brassicas after potatoes rather than the other way round.
  
  I do this for pH reasons i.e. I lime for brassicas and it is another couple of years(at least) before I put my potatoes in that spot again (potatoes do not take too kindly to too much ime in the soil)
  
  This is just a thought that came to mind as I answered your query, I hope you don't mind?..Tg
  

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by BigDave (U3975543) on Wednesday, 29th February 2012

  Its one of them things....do I wait...I need the space....can I hold on just a bit more....then its to late or you waste a crop.....so what I did when it happened to me was used the plant as food...ie....like a cabbage...
  
  It was nice...that nice we now do it every year and if we get some heads to all the better.
  
  Hope that helps.
  
  Whatsthemarrow...

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Lorea (U14415784) on Wednesday, 29th February 2012

  Hi Louise,
  This is my third year growing purple sprouting brocoli which is usually producing at this time of year, but this year it is dragging its feet. We had an extremely warm autumn but practically all of February was under a foot of snow with really hard frosts, so I'm putting it down to that. I'm going to give it another month.
  Good luck!

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