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Bountiful Broccoli

July 8th, 2015

I’ve been growing broccoli for many years, always growing different varieties and seeding them every couple weeks to extend the harvest. Yet I always seem to end up with all my broccoli coming on at the same time. This year, I was intrigued by the ‘All Season Blend’ broccoli from Renee’s Garden. There are three different varieties in one see packet, perfect for those of us who don’t want to buy three different packets and for those of us that don’t want to be seeding broccoli every three weeks for two months.
Renees garden broccoli
Here you can see the three varieties as they currently stand in my garden. I’m harvesting the first variety now, the second will be ready just as I’ve finished with the first, and there are a few of the late seasons that are just starting to show tiny heads.
broccoli 1 (1)
broccoli 3
broccoli 2 (1)
Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with this seed. I’ll be adding it to my must buy list from Renee’s every year (along with ‘Catalina’ spinach). I just seeded more for a fall crop and I expect to have the same success with them as well.

Do you grow broccoli? Do you try to plant in succession or grow different varieties for a longer harvest?

3 Comments to “Bountiful Broccoli”
  1. Nebraska Dave on July 8, 2015 at 6:51 am

    Susy, I tried broccoli a couple years ago and it just didn’t do well. The heads were teeny tiny little ones and the bugs ate them. I haven’t tried to grow any since then. The plants were giant and grew to be as tall as my head but no real broccoli heads.

    Radishes were like that for me this year. The tops grew huge but the radishes were almost non existent. The ones that were big enough to each were super hot. They were just regular red ball radishes but I suspect the extremely rainy weather may have had something to do with that.

    Have a great broccoli harvest day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  2. Brian S on July 8, 2015 at 8:46 am

    Your broccoli looks great! I tried growing broccoli in two locations this year – one is in full sun and the other gets a lot of shade. The broccoli in the full sun bolted rather quickly. Have you had this experience? It seems like growing in the shade may be a better approach for me, as those are forming nice little heads. It seems like there’s always something new to learn and experiment with in the garden.

    Reply to Brian S's comment

    • Susy on July 8, 2015 at 1:54 pm

      I think it partly depends on your climate, how hot it gets. Afternoon shade would be beneficial if you live in a very hot climate, shade cloth might be a good option as well.

      Also, the type of soil and moisture will affect how they head up and how quickly they bolt. Variety plays a part in bolting as well, newer hybrids typically can withstand more heat without bolting.

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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