BROCCOLI

[staceyv]

And yes its my second question in two minutes. Got heaps of brocolli in a green house, got really really tall, then nothing??? now its falling over itself, so I staked it carefully. Leaves are starting to die down. Now, like my bok choy, I feed, watered, mulched and chatted for the last 3 months, just got a bunch of leaves and no actual broccoli. Can you help?

[rainbowgardener]

Agree with jal - ut's response to the bok choi question. Tall and spindly could well be not enough light. What is the lighting like in your greenhouse? And I take it you are in australia? What have your temps been like? Broccoli is a cool weather crop, tolerates frost well, does not tolerate much heat. Finally, you mentioned feeding it every week. That sounds like a lot. What are you feeding it with? Too much nitrogen can lead to tall, leafy fast-growing plants at the expense of fruiting...

[staceyv]

Hi there rainbowgardener, yes I am in aussieland, temps are between 16 and 38 in the greenhouse, mostly they sit constantly around 24-25. I feed them seasoil/nitrosoil/follage spray, alternate them each week. I did actually plant summer broccoli.

[cynthia_h]

What do you mean by "summer broccoli"? Broccoli likes temps in the 40s to low 60s Fahrenheit (approx. 5 to 18 Celsius). Your greenhouse may simply be too warm for the plants to set heads.

But I've harvested broccoli leaves along with chard, kale, and other leafy greens and sautéed them all together. Scrumptious!

Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9

[Geoffxyz]

Broccoli is a cool climate vegetable that needs to be transplanted from seedlings. Plants can become top heavy but don't normally need staking. When they are about 5cm tall, I give them a boost with a diluted mixture of liquid kelp or fish emulsion with fulvic acid. Geoff.

[garden5]

StayceV, were those temps Celsius or Fahrenheit? If they were Celsius, than it just may be that your greenhouse is too warm and they are bolting.

However, if it is this warm in your greenhouse, than it is probably cooler outside. Perhaps you could try starting them and growing them outside of the greenhouse. Also, what is your lighting situation like?

[jal_ut]

Broccoli, cabbage, turnips, and kohlrabi, are very cold hardy. You can direct seed them in the great outdoors early in the spring. The only problem you may run into is that the bugs like them too.

[DoubleDogFarm]

Got heaps of broccoli in a green house, got really really tall, then nothing???

Are you saying you harvested broccoli florets and now nothing? You planted many broccoli plants with no harvest?

Eric

[staceyv]

yes I planted and got absolutely nothing. I pulled them on the weekend and threw them out. was nothing left. same with the bok choy