Broccoli in Zone 7B

If anyone in this zone has planted spring broccoli, I'd like to know how your results were.

Can I expect to get yields in JuneJuly or does the hot weather cause problems?

Thanks
BB

You should have no problems BB. As long as I use a cultivar with less than 75 day maturity, I get excellent spring broccoli in late May-June. It can't take July and August, but fall planted broccoli goes from Thanksgiving to Christmas. It will not take a hard freeze. My plants were wiped out at the last cold spell.

Everest was my best spring broccoli this year. Also had Belstar, but it was not competitive.

Thanks.

Where can I get the seed?

How do you think Packman will do?

BB

Packman is not my favorite but it is a dependable performer. I get the bulk of my seeds from Twilley, but I go to other companies for cultivars to experiment with. Trialing Gypsy this year. Major problem with Packman, it that I get more browning of the heads than with other cultivars. Coronado Crown also has this problem but not quite as much. You might browse through Plantfiles for pictures and ratings if you have not settled on a cultivar. I can't grow the main season cultivars like they do up north, but other than that the sky is the limit.

Pack man

I did have a browning problem with the Packman I grew.

Thanks

Early Dividend should do well for you also. It's my favorite here in zone 6, picked this one on June 4th.

Any hints on the sprouting broccoli? I got mine too late (I thought, now seems I was wrong) for fall planting, any hope for spring?

Cat, it has been a few years since I tried sprouting broccoli. Have grown Green Sprouting and Purple Sprouting back in Virginia as both a spring and fall plant. It has a little longer season than modern broccoli, so don't know if it will run into the summer heat when spring planted. DeCicco is a more modern version of Green Sprouting and seems more adaptable. The key to spring planting is to start them early and get them hardened off and transplanted by early March in this area. The fall plants would need to be in the ground by labor day.

Thanks Farmerdill, I feel better. It WAS too late for me to plant in the fall. Early March, huh? I'll give it a shot, I guess I need to get a move on....:)

Yep. Mine go in the coldframe week after next. Gypsy broccoli, Quick Start cabbage, and Candid Charm cauliflower. plus whatever seeds I have left over from last year.

There is an early sprouting broccoli...oh, now I've forgotten the name but I did just seed that out in the greenhouse last week. It actually does better here in spring than in fall/winter.

Was looking all of these up in plantfiles and came across one called Romanesco Gitano. It is cauliflower but is green and different looking. Anyone know how it tastes? Deanna

I am growing some this spring. First time though

BB