Hi all! Can someone tell me if these two broccoli are ready to harvest? The first one looks different than store bought ones. Did I wait too long? Or will it grow more?
[img]https://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/DawnOlivo/garden%20July%208%202011/veggiegarden7-8-2011011.jpg[/img]
This one is a lot smaller than store bought ones, but I"m afraid in the hot weather we've been having, that it will flower and be ruined if I wait much longer. Advice??
[img]https://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g411/DawnOlivo/garden%20July%208%202011/veggiegarden7-8-2011018.jpg[/img]
Thanks!!
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mtgarden gal
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:46 pm
- Location: Southern Montana
Just before the flowers open they must be picked. These look both ready to pick! Even sometimes after you pick them they will flower but you can still eat them. Cut the top head off and let the plant grow and you will see many side shoots for all summer! Some of mine went to flower fas so I just cut the flowers off and will get smaller heads later. Many times the broccoli will produce flowers or heads all summer and then cool weather comes you may get some nice small heads but keep cutting the flowers or small heads off!!
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mtgarden gal
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:46 pm
- Location: Southern Montana
There are several types of broccoli with the longer day type giving the bigger heads! There are also hybrids that produce nicer heads! The warm weather is bad for broccoli and it will form smaller heads in heat! You can grow types that only give lots of clusters or very small heads! Planting near fall seems to give me better heads here in Pa.. I baby my spring broccoli plants all summer by cutting the flowers and seem to get a few nice side heads in the fall!
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rainbowgardener
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