I started purple sprouting broccoli from seed and planted it in my garden at the end of April. It took off and hasn’t stopped growing. It is now just over 5 feet, but I have seen no broccoli. What have I done wrong? Here’s a pic. Many thanks for any help.
@Maplemaple good morning and welcome to the forum. Your Brocoli has bolted. This is caused by extreme heat and I'm afraid IMO you may not get a harvest this year from this crop. Next time you sow or plant out, ensure you give them a good mulch. This will help them conserve moisture at the roots. They are a cool weather veg.
Purple Sprouting Broccoli is an overwintering variety that grows quite large if you plant it too early. It will survive the winter and produce many small heads of broccoli in the spring, typically in April here. I usually plant the seeds in June and transplant the seedlings to their final location in July. This allows them to grow to a reasonable size before winter. They will grow some more in early spring before developing the flower heads that you eat. Maplemaple, you should probably provide some support for you plants; they tend to topple over if allowed to get that tall, especially if it snows.
Thank you very much!! Thank goodness. I was about to go out and rip it all up. I have tended it all summer. Live and learn. Many many thanks for your help. And yes, I will stake it.
