I was out looking at my broccoli yesterday and noticed it had started to change colour slightly. I started a post with a picture on garden web to ask when you should pick broccoli and sure enough it needed to be pick. I was told I should have harvested 5 days ago and I must say I agree. The heads had not actually started to flower but it was getting very close and the heads had started to loosen a bit. They still were very tasty, just not as firm as usual.
I just harvested the center head and left the plants in. They all have very tiny buds starting between the stem and leaf joint that will turn into mini broccoli heads within a few weeks. Once I harvest these I will then compost the plants and hopefully by then my transplants will be ready to fill the empty space.
I think next year I will try a little different strategy for my brassica's. This year I planted 8 broccoli, 4 brussels sprouts and 2 cabbages with a second broccoli crop pending. Next year I am going to forgo the cabbage all together, hold off on the brussels sprouts and plant 14 broccoli plants in early spring. Then when this time of year rolls around I can harvest the broccoli and then replant 10 broccoli plants and 4 brussels sprouts for the late crop. I have read that it is better to plant brussels sprouts later so they develop in the warm days, cool nights of late summer and so the frost can hit the plants well the sprouts are still some what young.
I have also harvested some of my romaine lettuce, they have about 50% of there growth so I pulled some up so there is more room for the remainder to develop. I will follow up in a day or two with a recipe for homemade caesar dressing & croutons.
