What's Up with My Broccoli? Video...

Once you see the video maybe someone who has grown broccoli before could help me out. The link should be listed above. My You Tube Channel is "Our Freedom Garden" where I started posting videos when I started gardening in February.

Thanks so much!!!
Stacie

Broccoli takes time and alot of nutrition from the soil. your garden looks great!!! The broccoli plants look great! Broccoli is a heavy feeder & if you want to give it a boost, go ahead and try some compost tea, if you have compost. Read about requirements of growing broccoli here.
and here.

Great video. I love this way of communicating your questions. Maybe someday the rest of us will catch up...lol.

As for the broccoli, I am no expert. But, what I do know is that the part you are looking for is the flower's head. Right, nothing is forming yet. But, broccoli is so slow to grow, it's always a race against bolt for most of us. I would be patient. Once you see the head, I have no idea when to harvest it before it starts turning yellow. But, you will likely have to gamble a bit. I think someone in the Carolinas already had some bolt on them.....literally, while they were at work....so, it happens fast when it happens.

Stay vigilant, and stay patient. I'm sure you'll have some soon. Your gardens are exquisite, by the way. Well done!

My broccoli got at least twice that size before forming a head. Give it time. You'll recognize the head when it starts to form and then it'll grow very quickly.

I don't have any advice about your broccoli but I noticed you have some sort of watering system in your boxes. Is that a soaker hose? If so, do you like it? I bought one to try out in one of my beds and I was just wondering how you like it. Thanks!

First of all, I LOVE the video. What an ingenious way to post your question!

Secondly, your broccoli is fine. It is just growing slow like they are want to do. Just stay patient with it. You'll see progress before you know it.

Stacie,

Plants look good. I've successfully grown a lot of Broccoli and your plants are doing fine. Did you supplement with any fertilizer? Sometimes high nitrogen (fish emulsion) can delay heading and encourage leaf growth but your plants look good IMO and ALMOST big enough to begin heading. Mine get a little bigger before heading. I have 6 of my 16 plants heading up right now. Transplanted Feb24th.

Look for the stalk beginning to thicken and the central leaf growth getting smaller and more dense as it begins to surround the flower head forming. Carefully pull back the leaves on the most developed plant and you might see the head. It will be tiny at first but grows real fast.

The only other thing that might delay heading is the amount of sunlight it receives. Do you know if your garden is shaded for a good while or takes a while for the sun to rise over houses / trees etc before being on your garden?

This pic was from last fall. It will get this big in about 2/3 weeks after you spot the tiny head forming. This might help you see that your plants are probably not quite ready to head yet. See how thick the stalk is and how much leaf growth there is.



BTW - Broccoli is a feeding hog and will be one of the few plants that will need / benefit from supplemental fertilizing. MM is awesome, we all know that but some plants are just plain ole greedy; Broc being one of them and will benefit from a good dose all round organic (liquid is easiest and directly feeds the plant) fertilizer at the first sign of leaves yellowing / head forming. Start with a diluted version and wait a few days to monitor to make sure you don't overdo it.

Hope this helps. Great vid by the way !!!

Your plant looks good to me. My broccoli has sporadically produced for me so far, cauliflower even less so. I transplanted mine back on Feb. 24 and they are just now really taking off. I have had some problems due to several occurances of days of 90 degree heat.

My SFG, and especially my broccoli and cauliflower are attempting to teach me patience... I am not a good student.

Stacie,

Here's my spring Broccoli to help you see that yours are moving along nicely. These pics are just less than two weeks apart but the difference is amazing. All of sudden, Broccoli just springs into action.

Pic dated April 4th. No heading whatsoever.



Just less than 2 weeks later......BOING !!!!!



Small head emerges



Now that particular head is 3 times that size in just 4 more days !!!!

However, 4 of the plants still have no head. I only had one last fall that did not head at all. I have no idea why. All where treated the same in the same bed. I doubt you have a dud though. Yours look healthy. Hope this puts your mind at ease.

Broccoli is certainly a patience tester !!!

I notice from the pictures everyone has lots of broccoli planted. Is it pointless to just plant one square of broccoli? Or pointless if you can't plant several squares because you just get one head from each plant? Really don't know much here. I would like to plant some in the fall, but space wise I don't know how many squares I could dedicate to broccoli.

Not to change topics here or anything, sorry about that, but just curious after reading this thread. It was very helpful in learning about broccoli.

Broccoli is a cool-weather crop so in the south with temps in the 80s and 90s, it might not being growing its best.

As for planting only one broccoli, you'll get one meal plus a bit more.
Cut the head off with a sharp knife about 1"-2" below the head where stems begin to separate.
The sides shoots will continue to form tiny heads on their own. Harvest these every few days to keep the plant producing new nibs.

See the nibs growing from the same plant where I harvested a head several days before.

Thanks quiltbea.