Realization Of The Day:
Things are definitely looking up in the broccoli department.
Some of my very favorite foods begin with a 'b': bread, brownies, biscuits & gravy--and broccoli. I absolutely adore broccoli. If I could only grow six things in the garden, one of them would be broccoli. And now, ten years after my only decent harvest (though not for lack of trying), it looks as if I actually can grow it.
I've never had broccoli in the January garden before, and I am just tickled. This photo was taken earlier today in the greenhouse. It is either Calabrese Green Sprouting (an Italian heirloom brought to America in the 1880s) or good old Waltham 29 (a standard, open-pollinated variety introduced in 1954). Unfortunately it is not surrounded by a dozen or so other plants that look exactly like it--it is surrounded by Swiss chard (which I also adore, but not in the same lovesick way as broccoli).
This was a lone seedling that I transplanted on a lark into one of the greenhouse raised beds sometime around the end of August. It was a volunteer that had sprouted up in a container of something else (I think a tomato plant), and I of course didn't have the heart to simply toss it into the compost bin--unlike the three containers of broccoli seeds I started last February. And am I sure glad I didn't--because the seeds I planted directly in one of the new beds on the south edge of the garden sprouted, turned into cute little seedlings with lots of potential, and were all devoured by deer or The Rabbit when I wasn't looking.
December 17th: The Day Of Discovery
I was thrilled when I noticed a tiny head peeking out from the enormous leaves several weeks ago. But while both the plant and the head have been steadily increasing in size, progress is slow. In my Pinetree Garden Seeds catalog (great seeds, great prices) it says that Waltham 29, for example, matures in 85 days. I'm never sure exactly when you're supposed to start counting the days, but this plant has now been in the ground for over 120, and it's still got a long way to go. I'm not complaining, but I am a little worried, as I read something about broccoli yesterday that I never knew. According to Ed Smith, author of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible (a wonderful book I highly recommend for any kitchen gardener), "long exposure to cold" may produce a tiny broccoli head, or button. Ack. I'm assuming that winter in Zone 5 qualifies as "long." We've already had temps down to zero degrees F, and I hate to say it, but it kinda looks like some of those buds are threatening to open real soon. It will be interesting to see what happens.
On the upside, there are at least 8 or 9 adorable little side shoots poking out of the stalk below the main head, a characteristic of both Calabrese Green Sprouting and Waltham 29.
These free florets will increase in size once the main head is harvested and are always a welcome bonus.
No matter what happens with this broccoli plant, I'm already looking beyond it. For on January 3rd (a fertile day in the 2nd quarter--click here to find out what this is all about), I started two small containers of 2006 seeds (from my favorite Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) that have been strategically placed near the woodstove in the living room: yep, more Calabrese Green Sprouting and Waltham 29 broccoli. This is another first. I've never started broccoli seeds this early. I am excited. Because as tasty as they are, a girl can't live on bread and brownies and biscuits & gravy alone--once in a while she's gotta get her broccoli.
And I think this just might be the year I do.
Offshoots to this post:
Susan's Simplest Broccoli Soup--Another Less Fuss, More Flavor Recipe
I love fresh broccoli, too, and my rabbits (pets, not pests) love the leaves and the extra stalks. I haven't had much luck growing it, except for the bunny food parts -- maybe because I live too far north. We don't have a long enough growing period.
ReplyDeleteYours looks delicous!
I think broccoli is one of the most beautiful and exciting vegetables to watch grow - But maybe that's partly because it's my favorite to eat!
ReplyDeleteI love broccoli in soup (and cauliflower soup) Hubby throws everything in the pot even the stalks. He's a chef and nothing goes to waste!
ReplyDeleteI'll be growing vegetables this year, but these could be too big for my little patch!
So is this all because our winter's so mild, thus yours is an El Nino Broccoli???
ReplyDeleteBroccoli is my favourite too. I'm growing some purple sprouting plants this year which seem to be doing ok so far...
ReplyDeleteGreat blog!
I can't help but brag to you that this year for the first time in several years my broccoli produced 5 and 1/2 pounds of beautiful heads. (Check out www.nananotes.typepad.com in November 2006 to see a picture.) The chickens and deer loved the remaining leaves and stalks. Living in the South might have helped.
ReplyDeletemy first success with broccoli was in my cold frame last winter. weird! being near st. louis, we have similar winters as you.
ReplyDeleteI tried broccoli my first year at the community garden (brussels sprouts too!). The broccoli came up looking GREAT! Before the heads got too big, however, SOMETHING came along and ate them all out! Deer? Someone said the neighbor farmers had a pet goat that sometimes got loose into the gardening plots, and that that might've been what ravaged my poor, poor broccoli... Still, we got some of the side shoots and, while it wasn't very much, they tasted great!
ReplyDeleteThe next year I had no luck with broccoli, and considering how restricted we are with garden access during the colder months (no earlier than mid-April, no later than the end of Oct), I've given up on these cold crop items.
Just don't let it go to flower!
I had great success with broccoli this past year, but I was greedy and kept waiting for the heads to get bigger - then they would go to flower. I'm going to try to resist that urge this year. Part of it is that different varieties have different sizes heads and I was expecting more than the plant was capable of.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous, but happy that I am educated. I started broccoli on like August 20th last year, knowing pretty much that it wouldn't make it, and low and behold, it didn't. It did grow. It was a beautiful plant. My 80 days for harvest came and went, and I saw no broccoli. Now I know why. It takes much longer than that, probably especially in the fall. Nonetheless, I am inspired, and will try again soon, maybe start my seeds mid March.(?)
ReplyDeleteHmmm.
ReplyDeleteThat might be a broccoli worth keeping seeds from. Looks tasty though---which creates a conundrum doesn't it?
Looks good enough to eat.....mine aren't anywhere as far on as yours...a taste of things to come. Great post.
ReplyDelete