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Garden Gate:  Why isn't my broccoli heading?  |
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clux64
True Blue Farmgirl
162 Posts
Celeste
Blair
NE
USA
162 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 09:49:30 AM
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I grow for farmers market here in east central Nebraska. The season has been uncharacteristically cool. I have dozens of huge, beautiful broccoli plants transplanted back in May and no heads. I'm thinking I'm not going to get any heads and am about ready to pull them up and plant something else. I've never grown much broccoli before--am I wrong to think it's not going to head? What went wrong?
Celeste
in Nebraska
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are" |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 10:40:19 AM
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Look way down in the very center of each plant and see if you can see tiny little buds that will eventually become heads. If your plants are large and healthy, you likely just have a type that is a little later in producing heads. I've found that plants that aren't going to head look pretty sad and obvious that all is not well.
Di |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 3:08:07 PM
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Thanks, Diane. I've been wondering the same thing about my broccoli. I don't even see a little tiny bud down in there but the plants are huge and beautiful. I'll just continue to wait, though it's really hot now and I thought broccoli hated the heat.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jul 05 2008 : 9:09:35 PM
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The heat will do it too. Unfortunatly we went straight from cold to HOT here.
Jenny in Utah
Proud Farmgirl sister #24
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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clux64
True Blue Farmgirl
162 Posts
Celeste
Blair
NE
USA
162 Posts |
Posted - Jul 06 2008 : 6:26:47 PM
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Thanks for all the advice....I was considering waiting just a bit longer when I went out to the garden today only to find grashoppers feasting on the big beautiful green leaves! I made an executive decision to try again in a few weeks for a fall crop and I pulled the whole lot! I need room for other things and I just can't devote any more time, space and energy to an unproductive crop---CRUD! What is the secret to growing broccoli?
Celeste
"No matter where you go, there you are"
--Confucious |
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mikesgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
3659 Posts
Sherri
Elma
WA
USA
3659 Posts |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 04:33:54 AM
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Our spring was unusually long and cold. We had snow and heavy frost on June 10 and 80 degrees and sun by June 12. If I allow them to continue, do you think they'll produce heads later when it cools off will they just bolt?
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - Jul 07 2008 : 12:53:44 PM
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I wonder about tht too. I had read on another website in the recent past about a gentleman
who had the same problem, and he said that when conditions are perfect, the plants don't
find a reason to reproduce so they don't head up (produce a flower - which is what broccoli
is actually) and for broccoli, if its cool and wet and that's what they like, they just grow and
grow. So he resoned that it is wise to put them under some sort of stress so he started
breaking leaves and he said that was when the plants began to produce buds. My broccoli
is still small so I don't know what they'll do this year, but I had the "no production" problem
last year and I'll try the stress thing if it happens again this year. But I have learned in the
past with my fruit trees that a little bit of wood ashes goes a long way for producing flowers
with them. So perhaps part of my problem would be too much nitrogen in the garden and
not enough of whatever is in ashes, maybe potash? Good question for the master gardeners
or the extension offices. |
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lisamarie508
True Blue Farmgirl
2648 Posts
Lisa
Idaho City
ID
USA
2648 Posts |
Posted - Jul 09 2008 : 4:15:50 PM
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I have tiny, little buds beginning to show way down inside the plants! I wonder if our sudden heat wave has stressed them out enough to cause it? Makes sense. I'll let you know what happens. My plants are about hip high.
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog: http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm |
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Garden Gate: Why isn't my broccoli heading? |
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Why isn't my broccoli heading?
