Organic Broccoli Purple Sprouting Early

roccoli: Purple Sprouting Early
Brassica oleracea
Approx. 250-350 seeds per gram
Purple sprouting broccoli for harvesting in early Spring takes a year from planting to harvesting but it is certainly worth the wait.
The succulent spears are ready around March and April when little else is cropping in the garden. The delicate flavour and obvious health benefits of the spears lift the spirits and the taste buds after all that winter. The plants will reach nearly a meter in height and spread.

Purple Sprouting Early is the most popular broccoli for garden use and for growers who want a valuable crop to sell during the lean months of early spring. The succulent purple spears are produced in abundance from late-March onwards. This is our own selection and is early (though not as early as some of the more modern cultivars) it crops over a long period and can’t be beaten for taste.

How to grow:
Sow the seeds in April or May in a seed bed in a shallow drill. Allow 15 cm between drills. Thin to 7 cm between the plants as they grow and then transplant in summer when the plants are about 15 cm tall.
To transplant lift the plants carefully with a fork. If the ground is dry give the transplants a good soaking first. Dig a planting hole in the growing site and plant the transplants quite deep – even up to the first leaves is fine.
Sprouting broccoli likes to be well-watered.
The bit we eat are the green stems and purple flower buds. Harvest before the buds open revealing the clusters of yellow flowers.
Keep picking and the side shoots will follow after the main shoots are cut.
Pests and diseases:
The seedlings will be prone to slug damage so you may need to protect them with an environmentally friendly slug killer.
Brassica attract cabbage white butterflies and their caterpillars can cause huge damage to plants. Use a barrier to protect them. Netting with enviromesh is the best method we have found.