Broccoli not producing heads

What went wrong with my broccoli? I planted seeds in early March and they just grew and grew huge leaves but no heads! They are in plenty of sun with plenty of composted manure and 10-10-10 applied to whole bed. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

I don't know what zone you're in but mine bolted in late February or early March. I suspect that by the time yours got large enough to head, it was already too warm and the daylight too long. Broccoli is a heavy feeder but many plants won't do right if they're too well fed. I always put in my plants from mid October to early December since they're very hardy. This year I'm going to plant several varieties for early - late production.

Homers; Broccoli should be heading now in North Carolina. If your plants are large and vigorus, it is a matter of time. Hopefully, you will not hit heat limits before that happens. Broccoli tends to pack it in when 100 degree temps arrive. A major problem in the south is folks planting a main season cultivar. It just gets too hot too fast for an 80 -90 day cultivar. I don't even try one that takes longer than 65 days for spring planting. All of mine were set at about the spring equinox, Blue Wind has been harvested , now picking good sideshoots, Bonanza also harvested but has ns not had time for side shoots, Currently harvesting main heads of Gypsy.

i would think you would want to have transplants plants of Broccoli in the ground in March. So seeds would need to be started end of January. But I've never successfully grown broccoli.

Homers & Feldon30,
I planted broccoli and cole crops for the first time last fall. I sowed seeds and planted seedlings the week of Thanksgiving break. I planted in 5-gallon buckets, using seedlings I bought from a local feedstore. I think it was a Green Comet? variety. My broccoli grew wonderful green foliage for almost 55 days. I would've given up on 'em if they hadn't been so healthy. Then, one day, waaaaaaaay down inside of the greenery, was a little speck of green!

I grew 4 beautiful heads of broccoli, which I did NOT promptly cut away to encourage side shoot growth. It got hot overnight and, 3 outta four bolted..

Be a bit more patient. Keep watering and feeding, and loving em...

P.S. That's a quarter for scale in the pics!

This message was edited Jun 10, 2009 11:42 AM

Thank you all for your help! You are all so smart!! It looks like I should have started the seeds earlier. I will try again in the fall.

On a side note: Where do I go to put down my zone? I am in zone 7b.

Click on "my tools" at the top of the page and then click on "preferences". I hope that's right. It will be a big help for others when trying to offer advice.

Thx twiggybuds-I changed my time zone-hope that works!

I set out my broccoli transplants 25 days after sowing. I think it helps to get them in the ground while they are small.

Right now my broccoli is making great and tender heads......set out April 17th here in central Indiana. I raise more than one variety to both spread out the season and to see which ones are better.

Spring broccoli is bug free here, but fall broccoli is a real battle with bugs.

My broccoli is heading, but the heads are disappointingly small. I suspect this may be generally true of early varieties.

Most of the early maturing broccoli have large to very large heads, Packman, Blue Wind, Early Dividend to name a few.

I grew Early Dividend last year and was very happy with it. Couldn't find the seeds this spring.

I have Everest, Marathon, Triathlon, Coronado, Packman, and Patriot. All are doing well.

Farmerdill
Are any of those you mentioned heirlooms?

NO

Finally!! I saw 1 small head way down below those giant leaves-still...a little disappointing! Thanks for all the imput!!

I had a problem with my broccoli too. It sprouted really tall with tiny broccoli heads and then yellow flowers. My cauliflower has nice leaves but no cauliflower heads. I bought these plants and put them in the beginning of April. We have had strange weather this year. More rain than usual and earlier than normal hot and humid days with really cool days. I am going to try again in the fall

Wisdomskr, if you haven't pulled your cauliflower, and they haven't bolted from your heat, and you can spare the space for awhile longer, let em keep going. You might get a surprise in the next week or two -- I sure did! Linda

I will be patient. The cauliflower is still compact. I noticed the cauliflower and the broccoli at the Amish Market wasn't looking very good either. I will take your advice and let you know.

This thread might benefit from some temperature ranges that broccoli and cauliflower can survive. I think broccoli laughs at light frosts. Cauliflower slightly less so. I suspect some folks planting too late. Although every year is different. No matter when I planted this spring, I would have not gotten a good crop of either broccoli or cauliflower. Cold and wet, then hot as heck.

Feldon, I'm still harvesting side shoots (most 2-3 inches across) on the broccoli, but the cauliflower has been gone for a while. The last cauliflower head to form was not good because of the heat. The broccoli is fading fast though, and today further inland is supposed to be over 100*. We've had hot then cool and then hot again weather.

Feldon30 and Calalily,
I spent some time reading up on Uncle Bob's Houston Planting guide, and looks like Zone 9a plants broccoli and cauliflower out around mid-Sept to mid-Oct from seeds. I planted 7" seedlings from Wabash Feed Store during Thanksgiving week. They grew roughly 55 days of foliage, then, like clockwork, produced heads. And, yes, they LIKED the little mini-freezes (well, down to around 35). I woke up expecting mush, and they were just standing at attention, saluting the sunshine!

I grew them in 5-gallon eBuckets.

Linda

Oh yeah, broccoli, sugar snap peas, snow peas, etc. just laugh at our frosts. :)

We haven't had a frost since 2004. Most of the zone maps put us in 9B, but the FSA office said we're zone 10A. I planted the broccoli Nov. and Jan. I picked half a dozen side shoots today and will probably pull up the plants tomorrow.. I'll sow tomato seeds in about two weeks for fall tomatoes and then again in October for winter tomatoes. We even grow bell peppers in the winter.