Vegmonkey and the Mrs.

The Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli we planted back in March is still growing, somehow surviving a battering from the wind and an invasion of cabbage white butterflies - it should by rights, be dead. However, it will hopefully produce spears around February time. Considering our small space though, it’s a lot of nothing over a long period of time.  So this is the plan for next year

Summer Purple - Sow March to April.  Harvest June to October (this is very early!)

Rudolph (sometimes spelt Rudolf) - Sow March - May. Harvest Nov to Feb

Cardinal - Sow April to May. Harvest March - April

This way we can have an early variety for eating June onwards, and a maincrop that can be grown in a large pot and transplanted in late August time, and can grow into the space previously occupied by the first plant. The third variety (Cardinal) will be planted out in the next bed, Legumes, as by the time the broccoli needs the space, all of the beans, peas and sweetcorn will be coming to an end, which it means we can have broccoli all the way from June to April….and not pay those extortionate supermarket prices. That’s 10 months a year!

During the summer, we will have to cover the brassica bed with either a large frame covered in enviromesh or fleece this year to protect it a little better.

We planted about 10 seeds of Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli (2 c 1 l!) back in April in the Brassica bed. They grew nicely, so we thinned out a few and gave them away. We left 3, which is really 2 too many for the metre square space they are in. However, they have grown nicely and are now ‘uge! They have taken a bit of a battering by the wind lately and have had to be staked to stop them falling over, but just to take the weight…no string or ties. As this is ‘early,’ it will start producing tasty florets around March time. The ‘later’ variety starts, as the name suggests in April.

As the Brassica bed will be used next April for the carrot, parsnips, leeks and onions, it will need to be clear, so that will probably mean sacrificing the plants before they have finished producing.

To compensate for this next year we will be planting ‘Extra Early Rudolph’ next April so it will be ready by Feb and we’ll have it for a lot longer!

The perils of trying to grow all year round in a small garden are huge! I’m not looking forward to trying to get the manure into the maze at the base of the plants in a few weeks!