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Re: Spring in the Pac NW

(Sheila -- I've copied this note to veg list -- hope you don't mind. 
The question was:

Is there some special treatment for broccoli to ensure a good crop of
side-shoots?  I never have many.  I have grown Green Comet, Packman, and
Green Goliath.  I am thinking that the secret may be having many plants,
as each produces only a few shoots.)



Hmmm....  don't know the answer to this.  I always plant "hybrid
broccoli blend" rather than any single variety, so that I am sure to get
a wide variety of maturity dates. The mix contains Southern Comet,
Everest, Packman, Green Valiant and Shogun.  Some plants never produce
any side shoots which may be related to variety.  If the variety is bred
mainly for market production (like Packman) then the side shoot volume
will be low.  Other varieties can produce side shoot in volumes that
exceed that of the original head.

The problem may also be that the plants run out of a vital nutrient. 
You might consider beefing up the soil with a slow-release fertlizer
like a mix of soy meal and kelp meal in a 2:1 ratio.  A handful of this
well-mixed into the soil under the transplant should solve any nutrient
deficiency, although this mix is low in Phosphorous.  If you don't lime
your soil then you may want to mix up soy/kelp/lime in a 4/2/1 ration. 
Brassicas take a lot of calcium (but they give it back when you eat it). 
I always fertilize my brassicas with a soy/bone/kelp/lime mix of
4/2/2/1.  We are very deficient in phosphorous here, thus the bone meal.

If the plant ripens in mid-summer the side shoots may not produce as
heavily, because they try to go directly to seed.  You are in cent N.Y.
IIRC, and the summers can be rather hot compared to here.

When you cut a side shoot, cut the stem down at the leaf axil.  If you
cut it near the top each "round" of side shoots will be progrssively
smaller.  Peel the stems and eat them too.  I like the stems better for
Asian style cooking anyway.

Just some ideas...

Steve


Michael D. Cook wrote:
> 
> At 05:45 PM 2/11/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >Also try planting some brocolli in July for autumn harvest.  Then leave
> >the plants to produce side shoots all winter, at least until the temp
> >drops below 20 deg F.
> 
> Hi, Steve.  Is there some special treatment for broccoli to ensure a good
> crop of side-shoots?  I never have many.  I have grown Green Comet,
> Packman, and Green Goliath.  I am thinking that the secret may be having
> many plants, as each produces only a few shoots.  But if each should
> produce many, I must be doing something wrong.
> 
> Sheila Smith
> mikecook@pipeline.com
> Z 5/6
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