Broccoli

I planted some broccoli early June from 2in starts and they are growing great, getting big, but they don't seem to be ready to produce anything, they look like they are ready to go to seed. They leaves now are all covered with seed pods. Please Help!!

Hi Alicerl, can you believe I live in Scotland UK and my Broccoli has done the exact same thing, I just pulled mine out the ground today, I put it down to the really bad weather we have had this year, very cold but damp, not a lot of sun, even my Calliflowers have got some desease or problem as the white florets have gone a pinkish shade, look like they are about to go to seed also, I have grown veg for years and never had such a poor season, cant help you with this right now, but soon as I find out what has caused this I will let you know, I am just so fed up about it as last week they were looking great, today, lovely yellow flowers, no nice green broccoli heads, even my tomato's inside the greenhouse are Just flowering now, so I feel sure it is a weather problem for me. Good luck, WeeNel.

Not sure that I understand your dilemma. Broccoli, You eat the flower buds, so they are supposed to go to seed. You are just supposed to pick them when the bud clusters are tight and before they flower. If they have flowered cut the flowers off and most cultivars will develop sideshoots. If you have one of the sprouting broccolis they form mostly small multiple side shoots.

Hi Farmerdill, I agree with you that it is the floret that you eat with broccoli and cauliflower etc, but the prob seems to be that for mine, (and I have grow these for years) the florets were not ready to cut and eat, a week ago, but within the week of hellish weather, the florets have all gone to flower, huge big OPEN yellow flowerheads, the cauliflowers white florets have a pink tinge to them and are opening even though they are still too small, these are normally not ready till season ends and are used as Autum/winter veg, not the broccoli, we pick and eat as ready all summer, never had this happen before, cabbage, Brussel sprouts all ok so far, I cut a cabbage yesterday and the soil was as dry as a bone, yet we have had inches of rain fall for days at a time over a period of weeks, in my next bed, the carrots, parsnips, beetroot and onions are all just fine, been picking the carrots as a way of thinning, the beetroot almost ready as is the onions, so this is not a normal siuation for me here in Scotland. hope this helps you understand the problem better. thanks WeeNel.

about 2 wks ago, the plant had little tiny starts of the flowerets and now all of those are gone and in place of those are a bunch of string bean like pods full of seeds. My question is should I just let it go and see if they develop the flowerets to eat or just pull them up.
Thanks for all the insight so far.

Alice, That is called "buttoning". Both cauliflower and broccoli will do this when stressed. sometimes when the plant is 6 inches tall, you will get the little dime size button. The plants are through at that point. Sometimes the retailers keep their plants too long and I have seen them selling plants that have already buttoned. A big reason I start my own plants. Broccoli, just maybe, if the plants are big and healthy, cut off those seedheads and hope for sideshoots. If the plant is scrawny pull them.

thanks for all the info, very helpfull!!!

Hi alicerl, Dave is right about the buttoning stage and I also grew mine from seed, but I have had the same trouble as you as I said befor, I did cut the oper yellow flowering heads of mine last week and some have got little button side shoots that I will watch like a hawk, but I think mt probs have been such hot and cold conditions, my plants dont know if it is summer or winter, hence the reason they have run to seed so quickly, I have done these veg for years as did my dad before me so I have a wee bit experience, but this year would put you off gardening all together never mind just veg plots, hey, thats what gardening is all about so they tell you when we start, but after forty years, this is new to me, but the prob I feel sure is the fluctuating temps and the dry then stormy wet weather has deffinately been the worst I have ever known and lasting so long, will try again next year and see if I can do better. maybe even do cloches for protection against the elements eh. Good luck with all your woe's, hope it all works out for you. Weenel.