When do i cut broccoli

I planted three in a row. They were one of the first to grow in my garden that year, and I was proud. And honestly, I was confused why anyone would grow such a big plant for one head of broccoli. So I just kept letting them grow… until they flowered. This was too late to learn that the flowering state means my time had run out, and also that had I cut them early, they would have produced additional heads of broccoli.

I was broccoli-less that year, which is particularly sad because they take up a good amount of space. Luckily, a more experienced friend explained to me, when I told her of my broccoli woes, how to cut broccoli off the plant early enough so I could enjoy this nutritional powerhouse for several months.

One of the most obvious signs to watch for is flowering. A head of broccoli is really just a collection of flower buds. Broccoli is a cool-weather plant, so if the temperatures are climbing, be sure to check your plant every day for those hints of flowering. Others are developing a bunch of small but not solid heads on the same stalk. What am I doing wrong? Live in Pacific Northwest in the coastal foothills. Weather has not been hot and I have been watering. I'm having the same problem with my broccoli and this is the 2nd year in a row it has happened!

After the first year, I thought perhaps it was too hot last summer here in the PNW so this year I planted in an area that is slow to sun but still gets hrs or fairly sunny exposure. Can someone please tell us whats going wrong? I adore broccoli and really don't care for the store bought veggies anymore Broccoli normally bolts due to sudden changes in temperature, but nutrient deficiencies can also cause the plant to bolt.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension office , which should be able to do a soil test for you to see if your soil is missing any key nutrients.

Additionally, adding mulch around the plants will help to keep weeds at bay and keep the plants cooler. Check out our Broccoli Growing Guide for more advice! Hello, I grew brocolli for the first time this year. I am in Southern California. Out of 5 plants, one died quickly and 4 have done well. I have been harvesting Spears for 3 weeks. Right now I have large green leafy plants with empty stalks.

If I am reading this correctly it's time for a nitrogen boost, say blood meal. What can I expect next and when do I remove the plants for either composting or disposal? One has gone to seed so I will harvest them for next year.

I can get a second crop in this spring g hopefully. The taste was amazing. You are correct, and you can remove the plants anytime now except the one that has gone to seed. They would be great additions to the compost pile. Thanks for writing! How does one trim broccoli to encourage it to flourish in the first place? I had a few go to seed because I didn't catch them in time made lovely "broccoli bonsai", and an abundance of seeds to try next year Now I have another few that are just showing the smallest floret at the very top, surrounded by broad green leaves.

We lived for 10 years in one of those homes where if you stand on the back door you can almost reach the fence. It was so tight and over grown. In our new home we had trouble last year trying to grow plants from seeds and killed them all. We were so busy unpacking still from the move and that either watered too much or dried them beyond the point of life.

So this year we gave it a solid try. We had a dirt patch from the prior owners that used to have a garden years ago. I roto-tilled the dirt into a 20X75 foot garden and kept with my normal planting schedule which is the first week or two in April.

But I always risk it, as seen here. On the first harvest you will want to cut the main large trunk — saving the large side branches till they get larger. The main trunk should be cut when it is around inches wide. But that is a fairly large spread of size to decide when to cut. Other things to look out for are the little florets or soon to be flowers. When the head of the floret is about the size of a match head then it is time to harvest.

Another feature to keep an eye on is the color. They should remain a dark green.