when to harvest broccoli
Suzanne McNeely
plants as they were just starting to make stalks. I wasn't sure when to
harvest them and now one is blooming. I take it it's too late for that
one. approximately when does one harvest broccoli?
Suzanne
Temecula, CA
Zone 9
Jim Crahan
You can start harvesting as soon as the center shoot, clump, sprig
(there's a word for that, but it escapes me). is at least three or so
inches across. Young veggies are extra tender, so if you planted a
lot of them have at 'em.
If you cut the main stem relatively high you'll get several side
shoots that will get big enough to eat. I've found that the total of
the side shoots probably exceed the center by the time it's all said
and done.
Also, the hybrid varieties are bred for a large center stem and to all
be ready to be mechanically picked at the same time. The open
pollinated varieties will vary more in days to maturity and will
usually send off more side shoots.
Jim Crahan
Stevens Point, WI
Jim Crahan
>I'm growing broccoli in my garden for the first time. We bought the
>plants as they were just starting to make stalks. I wasn't sure when to
>harvest them and now one is blooming. I take it it's too late for that
>one. approximately when does one harvest broccoli?
>Suzanne
>Temecula, CA
>Zone 9
Oops,. One more thing. Keep a close eye on the heads and you'll
usually be able to tell if the buds are about to open. They'll be
swelled up big time and you might see a little bit of the flower
breaking through. If that's the case pick em now.
Dwight Sipler
>
> >I'm growing broccoli in my garden for the first time. We bought the
> >plants as they were just starting to make stalks. I wasn't sure when to
> >harvest them and now one is blooming. I take it it's too late for that
> >one. approximately when does one harvest broccoli?
>
> >Suzanne
> >Temecula, CA
> >Zone 9
The thing most people eat from the plant is the immature flower cluster.
This starts out as a small group of buds and depending on the size of the
plant may reach 6" across before the buds start to open as yellow flowers.
As far as I know, you can eat the flowers also, but by that time the flowers
have started to reach out from the cluster and the general appearance of the
head is less attractive. The individual flower buds in the cluster grow
along with the cluster so you probably want to pick the head when it's still
relatively "fine-grained", before the buds get too large.
All the broccoli I've ever grown will generate side shoots, some varieties
more efficiently than others. The side shoots are just as tasty as the main
head, just smaller. Even after you harvest the side shoots, many varieties
will produce an additional crop of (very small) side side shoots. At some
point it becomes more trouble than it's worth to keep the plant, so just
pull it up and put it on the compost pile.
For a continuous supply of broccoli, plant some every 3 weeks.
Suzanne McNeely
SUZANNE
In article <3163B2...@hyperion.haystack.edu>, Dwight Sipler