Getting some ready to go in the freezer.

Anybody else put up broccoli?

Is there a better way?

You letting it sit in salt water to get the worms out of it?

No, we leave the worms in for protein.

Did you grow it yourself? My curiosity is killing me.

I did not, took it in trade for some tomato plants.

Float it in water and see what happens or not.

I don’t float it, I submerge it, 30mins per the instructions.

Don't freeze much till fall, it's much better then. Have 36 plants out now but most of that will get ate fresh. If you never grown fall broccoli you should give it a try. Mike

Thanks, hobbietrapper.

You’re welcome.

Nice heads of broccoli, I am working on staggering my plants. I do two rounds about 3-4 weeks apart with plants. This year I will start some seeds in lat July and will try to get some October broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and cabbage. The kale crops do well with shorter days and cooler weather.

Bryce

I have a question for those in the know... My broccoli bolts on me every time. I get a long tall stem and a small bud that goes directly to flower ?

Not sure if its my soil, or the long daylight we have in Alaska ?

Yukonjeff… some of my summer broccoli bolts like that if I don't pick it soon. Seems like a stretch of hot weather here makes it happen. More often than not I get a good crop but I prefer to plant it in July after I dig up my potatoes and eat it in the fall.

After I cut the heads off I leave it in the ground and get a regrowth of small heads that taste great.

My wife and I love stir fry so we eat a lot of it. Had it today for lunch in fact.

Pete

What is your process? Is blanching necessary for broccoli?

Wash, soak in brine 30 mins, rinse, steam 5 mins, immediately in ice bath and rest 5 mins, bag and freeze.

That can vary by cultivar. I know that pacman is highly promoted but I despise it for its tendency to button up at the first sign of stress.

I have to use early varieties since we go from a few weeks of spring to blast furnace summer almost overnight.

Those white cabbage butterflies will start coming around shortly after broccoli heads out. Those little green worms that hatch from their eggs can all be killed by spraying on a naturally occurring bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (spelling?). Several companies make this concentrated product that you can mix with water and spritzer on each broccoli plant. One is called Thuricide. Safer also makes a similar product. No chemicals, you can eat it without harm. I spray it about once a week until I pick them. Never a worm anymore. I cut up the heads, blanche for about 2 minutes and then freeze. I find that if I plant plants that are too big, they think it is time to start producing a head before there is sufficient leaf and root system to grow a large head. Plants can take 27-28 degrees and still do fine even though it may discolor a few lower leaves.

Thanks Guys . I threw in more seed this year. See what happens.

Hot soil temps will cause broccoli to bolt. Plant as early as you can, provide shade to lower soil heat or mulch so you can keep soil temps lower. Once soil temps reach 80 degrees the plant wants to bolt or flower and if that happens early you won't get the nice large head(s)

Bryce

We planted it one year and it did great. the problem was the worms. Worms in it everywhere. Even after soaking it and blanching it we still had worms. I gave up and we just buy it when we want it. One of my few gardening failures.