i think I finally learned to grow broccoli

**walshevak** 5/11/2012, 12:29 pm

Harvested the 2 biggest heads today. The last 2 in the garden are smaller, but still decent sized. Would these have won the biggest contest?

i think I finally learned to grow broccoli Dscn0554

i think I finally learned to grow broccoli Dscn0555

So much better than last year when all I could get were 3" heads.

Kay

cheyannarach 5/11/2012, 12:37 pm

That's awesome Kay!!! i think I finally learned to grow broccoli 311672

Any pointers you would like to share? My broccoli is very slowww growing... i think I finally learned to grow broccoli 657780

marc-in-pa 5/11/2012, 1:52 pm

I'm trying broccoli again this year after an epic fail 2 years ago. Again, they look great in all ways except the most important... no heads!

I think I'll call them my Ichabod plants.

Squat_Johnson 5/11/2012, 2:04 pm

Beauties! I think it has a lot to do with weather. It's too hot here, and I have tiny tops, they are bolting too soon.

**walshevak** 5/11/2012, 2:13 pm

MY PLANTS were growing extremely big with no heads which I attribute to the fact it was a new bed heavy on manures and therefore very high in Nitrogen and we had a very warm early spring that then cooled down in mid April. So I got a little creative. Since broccoli heads are really the pre form of the blooms, I got something high in phosphorus to encourage bloom formation. In my case it was fertilome blooming and rooting soluble plant food. 9-59-8. I definately did not need more Nitrogen. I mixed 1/2 strength according to directions and poured 1 cup at the base of each broccoli just ONE time during the season. I didn't want to mess up my MM nor spill over into the other squares. Within a two weeks heads were forming and voila, they got BIG. Next year the Nitrogen may not be as high and the plants will be more normal sized.

Kay

Chopper 5/11/2012, 2:40 pm

What variety did you plant?

**walshevak** 5/11/2012, 2:44 pm

Starts from Bonnie Plants. Belive they were Pakman.

Kay

Chopper 5/11/2012, 2:55 pm

Thanks. And I like the idea of a bloom booster. Clever.

**walshevak** 6/13/2012, 5:19 pm

Think the broccoli is finally finished. After harvesting the main heads from my six plants in early May, I was sure I would be planting my winter squash in a week or two. Heat was well up there already. Well I have been cutting side shoots ever since. Have a small baggie full in the fridge right now, and there are still more tiny sproutlets on the stalks. Time to cut and eat the smaller leaves and finish plant for the summer. My neightbor is giving me squash as mine were supposed to go where the broccoli is.
Kay

BackRiver_SFG 6/13/2012, 6:55 pm

Looks great! I have my first ever head forming too excited about it. About 4" across but starting to look like a decent head of broccoli.

Enjoy eating fresh veggies. cutesie

jakesebastin 6/25/2012, 1:44 pm

For me the grow of broccoli is a bit difficult task and serious growing is required to for broccoli. Here the information is great and is quite helpful too.

**llama momma** 6/25/2012, 1:51 pm

Beautiful pictures, Kay Congratulations!!! I think it would have won the 'show us your biggest brassica' contest.

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nice job!

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