Saturday 9 March 2019

It's PSB time again!

Purple Sprouting Broccoli (PSB) is one of my favourite vegetables. I grow some every year.


This is not a crop that will appeal to impatient gardeners who want "instant gratification"! It takes approximately 10 months to grow (depending on the variety). I usually sow mine in May or June and harvest it the following March / April. I always say that it's worth the wait though, because it is a vegetable that deteriorates rapidly after picking, and shop-bought PSB is usually a disappointment.

Last year we had a bit of a glut of PSB, so this time I have been a bit more restrained and only grown three plants - one each of three different varieties, in order to extend the cropping season.


The one that is going to be ready first is "Rudolph".


The spears are still a little on the small side, so I plan to leave them another week or ten days before harvesting any.


Coming along after that is "Red Arrow".


And finally there is "Early Purple Sprouting". It's ironic that one with a name like that should be the last to mature! This variety has a big central main head. You can see it in this next photo, although it is still greenish-yellow and hasn't yet turned purple.


These days you can get varieties of PSB that mature in Summer or early Autumn, but I don't go for these. The real reason is lack of space. There are so many vegetables that I want to grow in the warmer months that it doesn't seem justifiable for me to plant Summer PSB, since the more traditional over-Wintering types can make use of space which otherwise might be unused, at a time when there are fewer options to choose from.

Having said that PSB takes a long time to grow, which might sound like a criticism, I feel that in its defence I should add that once established it needs very little care, which many will see as a big advantage. I always tie mine to wooden stakes to support them against Winter gales, helping them to avoid root-rock, but with only three plants to worry about that's a 5-minute job. As Winter draws to a close and cropping-time approaches, I give my PSB plants a top-dressing of general-purpose fertiliser (Growmore, in fact), which gives them a boost at the most vital point of their lives. Not long to wait now...



7 comments:

  1. I think that we may actually have some PSB this year. Our plants have produced the first ‘sprouts’.

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  2. Thanks for this as it has answered some of my doubts about this crop. Last summer in the midst of the dry weather I think I pulled some out thinking they had failed as they did not seem to be doing anything. Got some seed in now and will be more patient.

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  3. One of my favourite vegetables and as you say Mark, well worth th wait. Like your succession!

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  4. What a wonderful blog...I too am a psb lover but didn't grow any last year....I love the fact that you have something with a it of sparkle to harvest as the days start to warm up and get longer!!
    I feel for you on the labelling front...I have made these errors in the past and not known what I'm planting where....I use the plastic ones too...I haven,t bought any in years though as they are good year after year...I write on mine with pencil and then just rub it off to re-use again and again.
    You are much further on then me with your chillies...I only sowed mine yesterday...but that's about usual for me and I always get a good crop.
    I've never tried onions from seed...I always get opinion sets from the allotment shop...they have a great selection at a great price and went in last autumn with the garlic and broad beans and have all germinated really well!!

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    1. They always say that onions grown from seed are less likely to bolt - and that fits my own experience. In 2017 I tried some red ones from sets, and at least 50% of them bolted. Good luck with the chillis!

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  5. So pleased you are continuing to blog...been reading you for about 3 years and dreaming of my own "Good Life".....I finally moved to the north Pennines last October and am about to embark on growing veg for the first time. Exciting. Be prepared for questions...sorry! Haha!

    Best wishes

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    1. Thanks for your kind words, Karen. I wish you every success with your veg gardening endeavours. I'm happy to answer questions whenever I can!

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