Early PSB
Over the past few weeks I have been watching my early PSB (purple sprouting broccoli) just develop day by day. Nature is truly fascinating because since the Winter solstice 21st December the days have been getting longer and the plants are definitely reacting to this! In the past 10 days the lead shoot on my early broccoli has doubled in size!!
It amazes me that plants are just so sensitive to brightness and daylength. This variety is an extra early PSB called 'Rudolph' which is usually ready to harvest in January (that's tomorrow!) I also have a few plants of standard PSB which should be ready in March so I should have a good succession of fresh Broccoli until Summer now!
Even the side shoots are starting to show now. I am thinking that when I do decide to cut off the lead shoot then the side shoots will start to grow more quickly. 
I am salivating at the thought of a plate full of freshly steamed PSB !! Happy New Year everyone!
posted by Matron @ 5:39 PM
13 Comments:
Lovely picture and those shoots definitely look yum! happy new year.
Delicious! Must check on mine! Happy New Year to you too.
I think I must have done something wrong to my psb this year - it looks decidedly sickly. It suffered a severe dose of white and greenfly in late summer and I think the measures I took to try to get rid of it took their toll. Now it's all floppy and dead looking. Any advice?
Rachael.. depends how floppy and dead looking you mean! I have found that broccoli has remarkable comeback power after overwintering. You might be surprised that it may start to grow in March, you might try giving it a nitrogen rich mulch like rotted manure. I thought I had completely lost mine one Winter and it just bounced back.
Thanks - I will keep my fingers crossed, it is too soon to give up on it. but yours looks SO much better...
Your broccoli looks so nice! I've been growing the broccol raab and I really like it alot. I've never seen the purple broccoli before. Nice!
Awesome colour, I should try this one. Does it hold it's colour after boiling?
Dan, no it goes green on cooking but tastes divine!
I'll have to experiment with mine Matron ~ it sounds like a perennial for you, but I don't know how mine will fare. I just received my seeds ~ 200 of them! It was the only way I could get it. An investment for me.
Yours looks beautiful and it seems as though you don't have too long for harvesting? Other broccoli I've grown sprouted more often as you began to cut.
I'll also be experimenting with garlic. I didn't get any planted in the fall, so I ordered softneck and will try a spring planting. I'll do what I saw you do last year and plant up in cells in the greenhouse asap.
Mmmmmmm - I am salivating too. Looks like a happy and healty crop. When did you sow 'Rudoph' ?
Wow, where are you able to buy seeds? It looks awesome!
Jessica, this Rudolph broccoli is available in the Thompson & Morgan catalog.
Hi Matron, I think what you say about light is true. Heat alone doesn't make a plant grow the way it does when the days are longer, I notice this all the time in the greenhouse. Bob.
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