Calabrese flowering - can I still eat the sprouts that haven't flowered?

[joe the gardner]

Hello, first proper post

I probably need correcting first. That which is called Brocolli in the supermarket is really called Calabrese by gardeners? Right?

Anyway, Calabrese is what I planted in April. I have some lovely vigorous plants which have been giving me small shoots of calabrese since July, but nothing like the big thick stemmed "brocolli" you get at the supermarket.

So I decided to wait to see if they would get bigger, but all I am eventually getting is flowers.

I am guessing they have bolted - bear in mind I am a newbie so might not be up with the terminology.

I am I still OK to eat the little shoots that come through before they get a chance to flower, or has the plant basically had its day as food as soon as it starts any flowering?

Any knowledge you can pass on would be lovely.

[Capsid]

Your question was addressed in the last episode of Beechgrove Garden.

BBC iPlayer - Beechgrove Garden: 2013: Episode 14

It starts at 16.10

[cotswold]

I MUCH prefer the SHOOTS - like Asparagus. I do not like the FURRY bits!

I like the old type plants - similar to Tenderstem - which are all shoots. More like sprouting broccoli.

[Bramleyapple]

Hello, first proper post

I probably need correcting first. That which is called Brocolli in the supermarket is really called Calabrese by gardeners? Right?

Anyway, Calabrese is what I planted in April. I have some lovely vigorous plants which have been giving me small shoots of calabrese since July, but nothing like the big thick stemmed "brocolli" you get at the supermarket.

So I decided to wait to see if they would get bigger, but all I am eventually getting is flowers.

I am guessing they have bolted - bear in mind I am a newbie so might not be up with the terminology.

I am I still OK to eat the little shoots that come through before they get a chance to flower, or has the plant basically had its day as food as soon as it starts any flowering?

Any knowledge you can pass on would be lovely.

Hi Joe,

This is the first year I've grown calabrese (you're right , that's it's name ) The large head develops first on top of the plant - some of my heads have been on the small side. After you've cut this the side shoots develop and they are more like sprouting broccoli. Maybe you cut the top heads before they had a chance to get big. It's a bit of a guessing game as you don't want to wait too long and get flowers, pretty though they are! One of my plants had a shoot that was flowering today so I cut it off, threw it on the compost and hope to catch the other shoots it produces while they're still small.

Hope this helps,
Sue

[rustylady]

Cut the flowering bits off Joe, and the plants will produce sideshoots. Don't wait for them to get big, cut and enjoy while they're small and tight.

[Snadger]

If any of the florets do have yellow flowers nip them off as quick as possible because flowereing heralds the end of growth and your mission is to promote growth and keep those florets coming.

(Not like my dozy allotment neighbours last year who harvested the central head, then pulled the plants up!)

[kathyd]

If my shoots only have one or two flowers on them, I eat them anyway - the flowers are perfectly safe and edible . I don't eat them once the whole lot's flowering though!

[GemskiB]

If any of the florets do have yellow flowers nip them off as quick as possible because flowereing heralds the end of growth and your mission is to promote growth and keep those florets coming.

(Not like my dozy allotment neighbours last year who harvested the central head, then pulled the plants up!)

I was close to pulling a couple of mine when I had harvested the central head; I had no idea about side shoots til a colleague told me a out them!

[joe the gardner]

hello again everyone.

thanks for your help.

Anything that was clearly flowering was committed to the compost heap over the weekend.

Anything else that looked vaguely calabrese shaped was committed to the company of boiled potatoes, sauteed onions and a cheese sauce.

tasty!

I'll be keeping an eye on the plants for those tasty little sideshoots and trying to nab them before they flower.

[Angeldon]

If my shoots only have one or two flowers on them, I eat them anyway - the flowers are perfectly safe and edible . I don't eat them once the whole lot's flowering though!

I used a whole flowering head and some leaves together with home grown spuds to make calabrese and new potato soup at the weekend - it was delicious

[vikkib]

I've only ever grown overwintered PSB broccoli before, never summer sprouting or calabrese so them going to flower so quickly has been a real shock! I've got to be far more on my guard which means far more time with my head buried uder debris netting being swarmed by confetti like white fly!

[kathyd]

I've only ever grown overwintered PSB broccoli before, never summer sprouting or calabrese so them going to flower so quickly has been a real shock! I've got to be far more on my guard which means far more time with my head buried uder debris netting being swarmed by confetti like white fly!

That's my main issue with debris netting vikki - you can't really see properly through it can you, so you tend to miss a lot of what's going on underneath... Not sure what the answer is to be honest - think I prefer scrabbling round on my hands and knees with my head under the netting to hand picking hundreds of caterpillars if I leave it uncovered though... I now tend to throw all the netting back from the long side of the bed so I can see properly (and remain upright at the same time ), because I find it pulls back quite easily with only me doing it.