| Author | Content |
janet59
Brampton
(Canada)
July 8, 2008
5:57 PM Post #5225813
| This is a shot of my four broccoli plants. The largest is growing like a weed but has no broccoli on it, while at the rate they are going the ones with stalks will be ready to eat in 2010. What do I do with the plants that seem otherwise healthy but have no broccoli? Will it re-flower? Who/what is eating it? I use bloodmeal to discourage critters and replace it after a rainfall. Any help appreciated thanks 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
July 8, 2008
6:01 PM Post #5225833
| Your broccoli has gone to seed or "bolted". It went past forming broccoli heads and went straight to bolting.
The weather forecasts for your area indicate high 70's during the day and 60's at night. Rip it up and try again when it's cooler. |
janet59
Brampton
(Canada)
July 8, 2008
6:02 PM Post #5225840
| Thank you feldon30 and b patient with my ignorance. What is bolted? Do I rip the whole plant out? Is it too hot to try to grow? |
Farmerdill
Augusta, GA
(Zone 8a)
 July 9, 2008
8:11 AM Post #5228492
| Janet, With broccoli, you eat the seedheads before the flowers open. Once it flowers, the seedheads become tough and inedible. Bolting simply means going to seed, ( sending up a seedhead) a bad thing for leafy brassicas but not really applicable to broccoli since you want the seedhead. Stress, cultivar, weather can all have an effect on the size of the seed head. Yours apparently formed small seedheads ( florets) and you let them go too long hoping for larger seedheads. Buttoning ( tiny seedheads forming on small stunted plants) does not appear to be your problem as your plants apppear to have sized up.
Broccoli does not tolerate heat, but that should not be a problem in Canada. Once it has flowered however, the plant is done. You will need to start over. |
linux_guile
Pueblo, CO
July 9, 2008
9:22 AM Post #5228733
| Also another thing blood meal is high in nitrogen which will encourage massive vegetative growth but discourges flowering. with your next batch try balanced 10-10-10 formula fertilizer for even vegetative and bloom growth or a bloom formula 8-16-16 or 5-10-10 which will encourage thick full florets with compact vegetative growth.
Andrew |
feldon30
Houston, TX
(Zone 9a)
July 9, 2008
12:59 PM Post #5229935
| Broccoli as far as I know has no problem with 0°C (32°F) at night and 40's and 50's during the day. This fall will be my first time growing it.
This message was edited Jul 9, 2008 11:59 AM |
janet59
Brampton
(Canada)
July 9, 2008
2:43 PM Post #5230536
| Do I need to rip the whole plant out? |
linux_guile
Pueblo, CO
July 9, 2008
2:50 PM Post #5230573
| Unless you want to let it go to seed and save the seeds to plant later. There is no point to leaving the plants otherwise because they aren't going to produce any florets. Im not sure if the leaves are good to eat or not. |
LTilton
Glen Ellyn, IL
(Zone 5b)
July 9, 2008
5:51 PM Post #5231447
| Rip it out, plant new ones for fall.
|
janet59
Brampton
(Canada)
July 9, 2008
7:47 PM Post #5232037
| thanks L.T. that is straightforward! Will try again earlier next year |
LTilton
Glen Ellyn, IL
(Zone 5b)
July 9, 2008
9:32 PM Post #5232569
| Broccoli makes a good fall crop - often better than the spring crop.
|
linux_guile
Pueblo, CO
July 9, 2008
10:35 PM Post #5233100
| And now is the good time to plant the seeds for the fall crop |
