Over-wintered Broccoli ?

I have some Broccoli plants(Decicco I think) that I planted back in November not really expecting them to live very long. They actually did very well until early February when the temperature dropped into the low 20's/high teens for almost 2 weeks. I covered them with straw and plastic to try to save them but they got pretty stressed out from A) getting smushed by the plastic and B) the cold temps.

Well, most of about a dozen plants lived, but they're obviously feeling a bit stressed and put-upon. This last week, it has gotten very warm and rainy. About half the plants put out flower buds about 2 inches across. I immediately assumed they were bolting because they finally saw some nice weather and decided they should make seeds while the sun shown. So I, umm... ate them. They were delicious. Very sweet and not so dense as the store-bought broccoli I'm used to.

But then this morning I saw a couple more with flower buds and I thought, you dummy maybe this is the way broccoli heads form so don't eat them this time...

So my question is, when Broccoli sets a head is it as big as it's going to get (and I should eat it immediately) or should I wait a bit and let it try to get bigger?

Anxiously awaiting an answer because my next snack depnds on it :)

I am assuming that these heads are the first ones on your plants since you planted them. They have kind of been through "the weather" and may not produce large heads. Heads will grow larger daily in warmish weather until they reach their full size [be it large or small]. Then the beads will swell larger. I like to harvest mine before the beads start bursting open and bloom. In fact I like to harvest while the beads are smallish and tight...like the store bought ones.

So it is hard to tell if yours heads would get larger. I suppose you just have to see if they will.

Thanks Indy,

Yes, they are the first heads. The beads were pretty large so probably the heads weren't going to be any larger. That's why I harvested them, because I figured they were about to flower. Maybe that's why they were so sweet too... I'll let a couple of the plants do what they will and see what happens. The first one where I ate the head is already sending out side shoots!

I do appreciate the expert opinions even though I did something fairly abnormal and I never really expected anything from these plants anyway...

jkehl Decicco is in a group called sprouting broccoli. It does not form large heads, just lots and lots of small 1-3 inch florets, like the sideshoots of the newer cultivars. It is never going to look like store broccoli, but those little florets picked before they bloom can be delicious eating and there should be lots of them.

Ah, that is very good news! Thanks Farmerdill. In that case I will definetly keep eating them.