# Growing Broccoli



## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

Okay need a little gardening help with my Broccoli plants. I bought them from wal-mart and small plants and put some in raised bed and other three in large barrel pot. They all were planted in February when I plant my potatoes. Things is they are growing ,BUT? they did not set head as normal. They started to bloom little flowers instead of a crown? did I plant too soon or late. Do I pull them out after flowering stops for new plants in fall? what does 2cooler gardeners say.:flag:


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## txslamonice (Aug 6, 2011)

I'm afraid your to late pal. Broccoli is a cold weather crop and does well when planted in the fall! It will flower then start to develope seed pods.

slacking off somewhere using tapatalk


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Yep, too hot now. The trick is to harvest well before the flowers start showing. When its that dark green color its good, but when it first starts to lighten up it definitely needs to be harvested. By the time flowers are showing, its too late.


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## Little-bit (Oct 19, 2005)

I planted my Broccoli in the early fall this year and they did the exact same thing.


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## Ibtsoom (Jun 2, 2009)

Heat makes broccoli bolt really quickly. Next time plant em in the fall -- they are really cold tolerant and do great as a winter crop.


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## fangard (Apr 18, 2008)

You can still eat it. Looks like broccolini.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Little-bit said:


> I planted my Broccoli in the early fall this year and they did the exact same thing.


Yes, exactly....no matter when you plant fall, winter or early spring, you must harvest the good stuff before it starts to lighten up in color and begin flowering. That is when it tastes the very best.

Even in winter it will bolt to seed when the time is right...just not as fast as in warmer days. If you harvest before flowering you will also get side shoots to develop that are very tasty...but after flowering, its basically all over.


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## Little-bit (Oct 19, 2005)

Meadowlark said:


> Yes, exactly....no matter when you plant fall, winter or early spring, you must harvest the good stuff before it starts to lighten up in color and begin flowering. That is when it tastes the very best.
> 
> Even in winter it will bolt to seed when the time is right...just not as fast as in warmer days. If you harvest before flowering you will also get side shoots to develop that are very tasty...but after flowering, its basically all over.


Mine only made one very small pod and never a full crown. A few days later it flowered. I wonder why it never made a crown. Should I have harvested the one small pod? And if so would it have encouraged the plant to sprout more?


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Little-bit said:


> Mine only made one very small pod and never a full crown. A few days later it flowered. I wonder why it never made a crown. Should I have harvested the one small pod? And if so would it have encouraged the plant to sprout more?


Several variables could contribute to the small pod....water, fertilizer, soil nutrients, temps, light, room/space, etc. Hard to say.

But, yes harvest the small pod anyway before it starts to show the flower and yes I believe it would have sprouted more but the underling problem(s) that made the original pod small would also tend to make the side shoots fewer and smaller.


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## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

Here is what happen-bought plant as starter from nursery and they said it should do JUST fine.... it never made a small head just started to bolt (as you see in pic). Understand the like the cold weather better, but why do most nursery and wal-mart, Lowes, Home depot even sell well past the best planting times-seems like a waste to time. Perhaps if planted in January would have been better, but plant werern't at store then??? I'll try again in fall. Thanks for everyone thoughs and suggestions.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

I would try to find a small Mom & Pop type nursery or feed store to buy from. WalMart, Home Depot, etc. never seemed to me to be on our deep south schedule.


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