How to Keep Broccoli Heads from Flowering?

[shotgun]

How to keep broccoli heads from flowering or at least slow it down

[rainbowgardener]

Not much you can do -- it is a reaction to temperatures and hours of light per day. It is its normal life cycle. Putting shade cloth over them may help. In the future, you can plant your broccoli next to taller things that will provide some shade. I like to plant broccoli early in the outside edges of veggie beds. Then when it is warm enough, I plant a row of tomato plants down the middle. When the broccoli need the shade, the tomato plants are getting big enough to provide it. Then when the tomato plants really need the room, the broccoli is done and gets out of the way.

There are more heat resistant varieties if you are in a warm climate. Imperial and Green Magic are a couple. And of course, you really just need to get your broccoli in the ground early enough that it has time to produce before the weather warms up too much. I start broccoli seeds indoors under lights early in January, get them in the ground early in March.

You know once you harvest the main heads, it will keep making smaller side shoots for awhile.

[imafan26]

Plant it at the right time of the year. The heads need to mature while temperatures are below 70 degrees. Anything higher and it will flower sooner. It looks like you can start indoors in Mid March. Transplant out in May.

[Gary350]

You can slow down seeds but you probably can not stop it. This year I planted my broccoli on the east side of a 40 ft tall shade tree. Broccoli gets full sun early morning cool part of the day. About 11 am broccoli starts to get shade this keeps the plants from getting too hot. Once temperatures reach 90+ full sun makes plants hotter about 120 degrees on the plant surface, shade keeps plants much cooler. Go touch your car parked in the sun it will be hotter than the air temperature plants get hotter the same way. My broccoli was starting to make seeds last week in 90 degree heat but this week temperature is much cooler and broccoli is doing good. I harvested 3 broccoli 2 days ago, a shade awning on 4 poles over the plants will keep them much cooler it will slow down seeds for a few more weeks. Get a blue tarp from Harbor Freight hold tarp up over your broccoli with 4 poles and 4 ropes and 4 tent stakes tarp will do good parallel to the ground in strong wind but look out if it rains tarp will fill up with water. I have several 5'x9' tarps they are useful in the garden even to prevent frost bite in November. 100' white clothes line rope is $3 at Harbor Freight.

[jal_ut]

Cut it. Wash it. Bag it and put it in the refrigerator.

[SLC]

I get broccoli seeds that claim to be heat tolerant. I start seeds indoors around March 1 and don't transplant outside until late May/early June so they are growing heads in the heat of summer, and as long as I cut the main head in time and continuously cut the side shoots, I never had a problem with them bolting. They are also in partial shade on/off throughout the day as the sun moves.

For the last few years I was growing Coronado Crown, but ran out of seeds last year and can no longer find it. This year I am trying Gypsy Hybrid and Bonanza Hybrid with the hopes I get the same results!

[jal_ut]

"How to keep broccoli heads from flowering or at least slow it down"

The head of the broccoli is the flower stems. It is the plants purpose in life to make seed and reproduce. All we can do is like I said: "Cut it. Wash it. Bag it and put it in the refrigerator."

[Vanisle_BC]

I'm with Jal: the heads & side shoots that you eat are flower buds. If the plant doesn't "bolt" you don't get them. Shotgun, are you just concerned that it happens before you want broccoli for the kitchen?

[rainbowgardener]

NO, that's not the point. What happens when it broccoli is planted too late or it gets hot too soon, is that it makes a little head the size of a quarter or something and then those buds open up into flowers right away, rather than it keeping on making more buds to be a regular size head.

[applestar]

So far, it seems like the best way to slow them down at least a little bit is to plant them where they get full morning to noonday sun with early to late afternoon shade.

[Vanisle_BC]

... when it broccoli is planted too late or it gets hot too soon, is that it makes a little head the size of a quarter or something and then those buds open up into flowers right away, rather than it keeping on making more buds to be a regular size head.

Ah, interesting. Not sure whether I've ever seen that happen.

[jal_ut]

There are several types of broccoli. Try a few different kinds to see which one does best at your location.

[Vanisle_BC]

There are several types of broccoli. Try a few different kinds to see which one does best at your location.

Good advice. Among others, I've tried Green sprouting, Raab Sorrento, Green giant, Umpqua, Calabrese, overwintered Purple sprouting and Everest which did poorly - oh wait, is that a cauliflower? Anyway the 2 sproutings are my favourites, for the long side-shoot harvest; just right for this 2-person veggie garden.

[rainbowgardener]

... when it broccoli is planted too late or it gets hot too soon, is that it makes a little head the size of a quarter or something and then those buds open up into flowers right away, rather than it keeping on making more buds to be a regular size head.

Ah, interesting. Not sure whether I've ever seen that happen.

You probably don't have the kind of climate that goes from cold to very hot and sunny almost over night!!

[Vanisle_BC]

You probably don't have the kind of climate that goes from cold to very hot and sunny almost over night!!

Hmmm, dunno. May into June we've had 40C dropping to 13 over two days then back again, with nights down to 5 or 6. That's about 100F down to 55 with 40 deg min at night.

Hiding out near-naked in the shady corner of the garden Friday and lighting the woodstove (next year's wood!) on Monday. Couldn't be much more variable outside of a desert?