Is my sprouting broccoli beyond saving?

[Russel Sprout]

Hi all

It's my first year of gardening after a long hiatus, and I'm learning a lot (loads of which is thanks to you guys).

One of the things I've learnt is that standard garden netting is not sufficient to keep butterflies away from brassicas! I now have some scaffold debris netting and will swap the existing stuff for this. What I wondered though is whether the sprouting broccoli in the photos is too badly damaged? Or can it be saved if I put the new netting on this weekend (and pick off any caterpillars that are on there now?)

As ever - huge thanks

Max

[lottie dolly]

yes i would give the another lease of life,but,you do need to be very thorough with the search for the little criters,they do start of very tiny and so can be missed,at first looking,maybe take off the lower damaged leaves,and cut of the badly eaten ones a couple inch away from the stem,as the sprouts will emerge from the leaf joints,you will need to be vigilant for a while,make sure you look on the underside of the leave especially,as thats where they lay the eggs,just hope am not telling a chicken how to suck eggs.

[bario1]

They will definitely bounce back.

[Russel Sprout]

OK, I'll give it my best shot. I'll get the caterpillars off and put the new netting on today. Not teaching me to suck eggs at all - in fact, all advice is warmly welcomed

Thanks for the replies.

(PS - I might be back later with some more general sprouting broccoli questions).

[Muddy_Boots]

Hi

It will deffo sprout back as mine last year was far worse, just pick off the critters and either relocate them elsewhere (mine went over my fence onto the railway embankment next to my garden), or squash them. I use a pond netting from the pound shop which works and stitch it 4 together with hot glue which is water proof to make one big net that is butterfly proof and at £3.96 is disposable but my first one has lasted 3 years so far.

[Russel Sprout]

Hi

Back again with those questions...

I've read that you need to cut off the florets if they are flowering. The only florets I have had so far are weedy, small and on very long stringy side stems, and they have almost instantly flowered. So...

1. If I do need to cut off the flowering florets, at what distance from the stem should I do it? Does it work like cut and come again, or once I have cut is that it?

2. What can I do to help my broccoli have more substantial florets?

Any other general tips would also be most helpful.

Many thanks

Max

[bario1]

Usually the first floret is the big one at the top of the central stalk... you cut this off when it's the size of a tennis ball, and the plant throws out a load of secondary florets from the joints between the stalk and the leaves.
If your plant is already throwing out these sideshoots, it may be because it's got overly stressed by the caterpillar attack... not sure what that would mean for eventual production though? You shouldn't be seeing any flowering activity until Winter/Spring (depending on variety).