I don't think there is much more to be had from poor old "Rudolph"!
The best bits of "Early Purple Sprouting" have also gone, but if you look under those big leaves, you'll see that there are still some worthwhile spears.
This is the same plant, with the big leaves removed.
Here's a closer look:
Yesterday I took down the "Rudolph" plant. The main stalk of a broccoli plant is big and tough. The secateurs weren't big enough for the job; I had to use the loppers.
I know from experience that if left whole, the big stalks decompose very slowly in the compost bin, so what I do is chop them into 6-inch pieces and smash them with a heavy hammer to break them into smaller bits.
The only part of the plant that doesn't go into the compost-bin is the root. This goes into a bag for eventual transfer to the Municipal Tip.
My other two plants will both yield one more small harvest before they go the same way. In a month's time I will sow the seeds for next year's crop, and the cycle will start again.
There certainly were a lot of spears under those leaves! I removed the broccoli stalks last year, chopping them off with loppers like you, but left the base & roots over the winter. I'm hoping all the freezing/thawing will make the roots easier to remove when I prep the bed in a few weeks.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! You really get your money's worth from the PSB!
ReplyDeleteI tried growing it but it was a disaster...next time I'm going to copy you and try growing the same varieties you grow.
Still a nice harvest to come
ReplyDeleteLooking at the stalk by the loppers helps me realize how tall the plants get! I chop my broccoli stalks like you do before they go on the compost pile, but I never thought about smashing them first. That is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteFunny how many of us end up figuring out the same solutions, I chop up the stems also unless I happen to be doing a session with my chipper/shredder. The c/s makes short work of shredding the stalks but it isn't worth the effort to haul it out and fire it up for small jobs. I just leave the roots in the soil, when I remove the stalks I drive a spade down around the plant close to the stalk which chops off the roots.
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