Beginner Gardening: Broccoli questions from first-timer, 0 by Farmerdill

Farmerdill wrote:
1. Broccoli can be picked as soon as the heads are big enough for use. Obviously you get a larger yield if you wait until just before the yellow flowers start peeking out. Flavor is optimum just when heads began to get a little more loose due to the buds separating. Drop off is not dramatic and they are perfectly good even with a few flowers showing.

2. Buttoning occurs when the plant is stunted early. It usually happens in the seedling stage. Causes can be cold damage, but most often from poorly cared for or overage plants. It is amazing to see folks buying cauliflower and broccoli plants at the garden centers that have already buttoned. When you transplant you need a young tender plant. If it has started a head in a tray or little pot, that is all that you ever going to get. They are very unforgiving.
Fall crop is winding down now.