My first BROCCOLI of the FALL VEGETABLE garden are ready

My first broccoli are ready !! I may have about 15 large heads already.
I have planted my transplants in the ground at the beginning of september. I was really worried that they were going to bolt, instead they are huge beautiful plants whit huge broccoli heads. Yeaaaa !!!!

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Looks like you're taking care of bidness drthor, great job!

Hooray!!

Beautiful heads and tasty, too, I'll bet.

I'm growing broccoli for the 1st time (Pacman.) I prolly have another 3-4 weeks before harvest, though. What did you feed your plants and how often, drthor? I've been feeding my cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli with fish emulsion about once a week.

I fed my brassicas with Seaweed and Fish Emulsion too, just at the beginning to get them estabilished.

Wow, those are nice. Mine should be ready this weekend.

Most broccoli varieties will send out side shoots after you harvest the head. Enjoy!

yes, that what has happened before. I keep harvesting those little heads untill next spring.
Fall broccolis are the best !! I have planted so many. My husband and I really like broccolis.

I fed my Broccoli manure tea with Alfalfa and fish emulsion...I think I may have added some molasses also. I have already harvested my main heads and they were huge and delish!

Those gorgeous leaves can be steamed and eaten, as well.

GREAT JOB!

Great looking broccoli heads! I have some nice big plants -- still waiting on the heads, none of which have even started to form. Like you, I feared the fall heat, but I think I'm past the big danger now. Lise

It is sure chilly here this morning!
Gymgirl, those broccoli leaves are good sauteed with a little onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Serve them with balsamic vinegar, yum yum. We also add broccoli leaves to vegetable soup.

I notice you haven't got a single hole in any of your broccoli leaves. May I ask what you use on them to keep the little critters off of them?

I normally spray them with BT, which is totally organic.
But this for the fall garden the caterpillars are really minimal and so far I didn't need to spray at all.
I did find some caterpillars and I do have some holes ... but I really don't care much.
As soon as the cold weather kick in the little monsters will disappear.
That is also the reason why I only plant broccoli in the fall now: better harvest and no pest problems.

Thanks, drthor. I have sprayed with BT too, but not with enough regularity to do the job. I just read somewhere that it only lasts 3-4 days so I need to re-apply more often than I have been doing.

No big problems here, I'm just impressed at how lovely those broccoli leaves of yours look.

gorgeous veggie picture, yum!

Lise, it's well worth it to keep up with spraying BT. Last year I didn't and no matter how long I soaked the broccoli in salt water it never got rid of all the worms. I even had some worms in the fall. This year I kept spraying, by the time fall rolled around I think the worms get weaker, the cycle was broken and no more worms! Maybe in dryer climates they totally disappear in the fall, but in zone 4 I had problems with them sticking around last year.

Some years are so bad for them. For some reason this summer they weren't so prevalent here. Other years they have been as bad as you are saying. I like BT for the bad years, for sure, but this year I didn't have to use it. The little wrens around here eat them. I have seen them jump up in the plant to snatch a green worm. Go little wrens!!!

That sounds so cute. The beauty of BT is that it won't any of the worm's predators!

Mine are the size of a quarter, can't wait to eat them, I think broccoli is one of my favorite winter veggies, I like them steamed or raw or stir fried, you name it. Last year my broccoli did not put very big heads at all, but this new broccoli I have planted I have heard good things about. I dedicated a whole raise bed to broccoli this year also, so hopefully I will get lots.

Mine also don't get bothered by bugs at all this time of year, but I have been feeding them some worm compost tea, some of my cabbages are getting little holes on the lower leaves so I will have to spray BT on them for sure.

Hooray, found my first quarter-sized head yesterday!

Calalily said:

I always leave the leaves on the plant untill I have my first broccoli head.

Yes I would probably do the same as drthor suggested, if you take too many leaves the broccoli will be stunned, by the way mine is growing big, they really don't take too long once they start making heads.

Love growing Broccoli! Top 3 favorite things to grow. So far I got about 50 plants, 4 different varieties planted. Green Goliath and Premium Crop are probably my favorites. Trying out Purple Sprouting and Romanesco Italia for the first time. Anybody tried these before? Been cutting about 3-5 heads a week(for the past couple of weeks). I was smarter this year by spacing plantings apart by 7-14 days to get a constant supply. Last year I was cutting down dozens at a time....that's too much broccoli all at once for me. I generally don't wait for side shoots. After main head harvest I chop down and replant. I'm lucky that my climate allows me to do that all through the winter.

Here's two nice sized heads of Broccoli I just recently chopped. Looks like I'll have 6 more heads ready in time for Thanksgiving.

Ray, Do you sow seed every 7 to 14 days or do you have a source for starters that you transplant?

Are you starting them indoors first, then planting out or just direct sowing the seeds in the garden every couple of weeks? Thanks.

I'm letting them germinate indoors and as soon as they sprout they go outside until they're ready to be transplanted. About 4 weeks from when they sprout.

Thanks Ray. I just picked up some seeds, an heirloom - calabrese broccoli. The only seeds the store had. I'll try some other stores over the weekend.

Nice job, Ray. I'm sure they are delicious. I was feeling kinda low after reading your posts because I thought my broccoli plants were stuck in neutral. But you know what? Looks like I got my first broccoli heads!!! My plants must have sprouted within the last 2 days. Not long now, huh?

This message was edited Nov 24, 2010 8:38 PM

It takes about 10-14 days from first sign of heads to ready to eat. That could vary depending on temperature. Our temps are 50's at night, 70-80's day.

Well, I have some nice big plants -- still waiting on the heads, none of which have even started to form. Also have huge leaves, some of which are yellowing and I snip them off. More, different fertilizer?? Cover with insulate? Have never grown broc before. Also have brussel sprouts that aren't doing much. All these growing in ebuckets and homemade ebox....
mary

Brussels Sprouts will take more time to produce fruits than broccoli. They are both very easy this time of year.
I have planted my first batch of broccoli at the beginning of september and I was eating them at theend of october !! Delicious !! Now I keep harvesting lots of little broccolini from the plants that gave me already the huge broccoli head and I have lots of more broccoli heads to harvest ... love broccoli.
Some of the bottom leaves will turn yellow. No worries !!
Good luck !

I am finally collecting some of my broccoli, yesterday I got 2 nice heads, they are so sweet and great eating. I also planted some purple broccoli but nothing yet, is it because it takes a lot longer to produce the heads? My heads were about 5 inches across, not bad but I heard that it can also get as big as 8-10 inches, maybe I did not fertilize mine as much as I should have.

There are different varieties of broccoli. Some head will get only 3" large , others 8" or more.
I do fertilize them every other week.

With fish emulsion drthor?