Brocolli Q?

[Sargan]

Planted a number of Broccoli plants last winter ... they survived winter well.
However they are growing and don't much look like Broccoli plants I had last year.

The stems have gone long thin and very tall quickly ....
Brocoli | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
is this what is described as 'bolted' and do I have to bin them.

[realfood]

The first question is what kind of Broccoli?
In fact, there are two different groups of Broccoli plants which are:-

Sprouting Broccoli or Brassica oleracea Cymosa group.

This type of Broccoli is sown in the Spring and usually eventually harvested in late Winter and early Spring. In other words, it is a group of hardy, over-wintering varieties of Broccoli to eat in late Winter and Spring. But just to complicate matters, there are now sprouting broccoli cultivars that are ready for eating in the Autumn.

Calabrese or Italian Sprouting Broccoli, or Brassica oleracea Italica group.

This type of Broccoli is sown in the Spring and harvested in the Autumn and early Winter, as it is not frost hardy. Some catalogs also list the Romanesco varieties (look rather like green cauliflowers), in this group. The edible spears are usually shades of green.

It sounds to me if you have planted the first group. You need to pick the emerging buds before they open and steam them. Fabulous!! Picked a Carrier bag full today. The main edible part of broccoli is the immature buds which if left, will turn into the flowers.

Have a look at this page :- broccoli

[Sargan]

Originally Posted by realfood

The first question is what kind of Broccoli?
In fact, there are two different groups of Broccoli plants which are:-

Sprouting Broccoli or Brassica oleracea Cymosa group.

This type of Broccoli is sown in the Spring and usually eventually harvested in late Winter and early Spring. In other words, it is a group of hardy, over-wintering varieties of Broccoli to eat in late Winter and Spring. But just to complicate matters, there are now sprouting broccoli cultivars that are ready for eating in the Autumn.

Calabrese or Italian Sprouting Broccoli, or Brassica oleracea Italica group.


Have a look at this page :- broccoli

The details state "Autumn Planting Sprouting Broccoli white"

[vegetable-gardener]

Your broccoli has gone to seed - it has run it's course. Just pull it out - if you have a compost bin you could chop it up and put it in there.

[Sargan]

It's now in the compost.
is there something I did wrong?...planted in autumn, looked fine, but started growing at speed in March, and then went spindly.
All of the plants did this.

[realfood]

The only thing that you did wrong was to leave it too long before picking it. Pick the emerging flower buds before they open. I will have a picking tomorrow of the delicious sprouting flower buds.

[vegetable-gardener]

No you didn't do anything wrong - it's the time of year for the plants to go to seeds. Pick the emerging flower buds as they come - did you pick any? Otherwise you just allowed them to grow to big and like I said naturally they will go to seed.

Till next year crop of broccoli!