Broccoli Questions

[BrPanthers99]

My broccoli is producing lots of flowers, but no real heads yet. Is this Normal?

Also, bugs are eating holes in some of my leaves, is that a problem?

[rainbowgardener]

By flowers, do you mean buds or do you mean the actual yellow flowers?

If the latter, you waited too long to pick it. Once it has yellow flowers on it, it's done.

But in this weather, it may never have made any heads, just bolted, gone straight to the flowers.

Broccoli is a COOL WEATHER crop, does not like hot weather, tends to bolt like that when it gets hot.

I plant my broccoli seeds indoors in mid Jan, plant out big healthy seedlings mid March ( a month before the average last frost date... it is cold hardy, went through several frosts and snows just fine). It was all done by the time the hot weather hit.

You can try your broccoli again at the end of the season for a fall crop; it will do much better.

[BrPanthers99]

I have a combination of buds and yellow flowers. For the yellow flower parts, when and what was I suppose to pick? I never saw and heads?

[Liska]

I have a combination of buds and yellow flowers. For the yellow flower parts, when and what was I suppose to pick? I never saw and heads?

Edited since the question was answered better by someone else below me

[rainbowgardener]

I have a combination of buds and yellow flowers. For the yellow flower parts, when and what was I suppose to pick? I never saw and heads?

Like I said, you never saw heads because it was too hot for it, so the buds went straight to flowers, instead of hanging around to create heads. Try again in the fall.

[jal_ut]

Pick all those flowers, and see if it will send out some side shoots. Often broccoli will send out lots of side shoots. Watch closely, and pick the flower buds before they swell too big. You are not going to get a large head like you see in the grocery, but you may get lots of small ones. The "Head" of broccoli is a cluster of flower buds, and it will vary considerably in size depending on variety and growing conditions. You must pick them when you see them and before they open up into yellow flowers. Even little clusters no bigger than your thumb are excellent eating.

Of course their performance will vary depending on the climate, but here they will continue to send out side shoots up until frost. By then I have had enough broccoli and let them bloom for the bees.

[DoubleDogFarm]

This is Thompson Broccoli.

This broccoli is ready for harvest.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02323.jpg[/img]

This broccoli head is just starting to seperate.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02325.jpg[/img]

These are side shoots. They will have yellow flowers in a day or two.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/DSC02326.jpg[/img]

I eat broccoli at all stages. The yellow flowers and stems are wonderful in stir fry recipes.