Naomi, what varieties do you have?

Broccoli (as in the hardy sprouting broccoli, not green calabrese) takes a long time to grow. It is a big plant which has to stand winter weather, so it needs to be quite substantial before the cold comes. They are sown in the spring and early summer so they have time to develop. Depending on the variety, they crop from mid-winter right through into spring. There are also a couple of new varieties which will produce sprouts in late summer and autumn, but traditionally this is when we would be growing calabrese.

Calabrese plants are smaller, quicker growing but not hardy. We normally sow from spring onwards. The latest sowings are usually around midsummer, to get a head in autumn.