I just saw a video of you from years ago talking about your dream of having an epic homestead. It's so amazing to see your dream come true! Wonderful job!!!!
i had some broccoli plants two years back that bolted early. instead of tossing them, i transplanted them to the pollinator garden to see what would happen. they looked pretty with their tiny yellow flowers & the bees loved them, so i left them & have been treating them like the other perennial blooming plants ever since. zone 10b magic!
I love bees and understand their fragility and value, although I just want to remind everyone to have as great of a variety of native flowering species as possible if you can afford it. There are countless moths and other insects that are plant-specific pollinators and are often underserved by gardeners.
Back in the UK we only grew cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli. Never the green stuff. That wasn't really around back when my parents bought the land in mid 1960s. We grew brussels and various cabbages as well. My Dad had taken over his dad's council allotment as a young man so knew the secret was firm ground. Purple sprouting broccoli is a far superior animal to calabrese. A delicate taste. The flower heads are looser. Anyway here in S Spain I have tried ro grow it in a big tub in my tiny patio. Sadly for me the flowers bolt really quickly in the hot climate ( currently in March 19 in the daytime.) But I have left the plant growing for 3 years so the insects can gorge. Plus some cabbage white butterfly caterpillars denuded it of leaves in February.
I can absolutely vouch for bolted cauliflower being good for pollinators...I have yet to successfully harvest broccoli or cauliflower myself, but a couple of years ago, I started a bunch of purple cauliflower and had a good amount of plants. I waited too long to harvest (kept waiting for the heads to size up, but they didn't) and the heads turned into tons and tons of tiny flowers...like in this video. The bees LOVED them and were all over them. So I would say, even if you fail at growing food for yourself, you still can grow food for the pollinators. 🐝
@@sandrajohnson9926 Hopefully. We are getting snow again this weekend. It's been a bountiful winter, and we are thankful for the water, even though it presents challenges as well.
Thanks for the info on broccoli and cauliflower! I planted some last year and was thrilled that the heads finally grew. I also planted cabbage. I made 32 pints of the best sauerkraut. I hope I get more answers to problems by getting to watch your programs.
Nice video. Thanks. I have an extra tip for when harvesting the head of the Broccoli. Try to cut it at an angle. That way water flows off and that reduces the risk of rot in the stem. I live in the Netherlands where temperatures and humidity can be perfectly balanced for rot and mold. I also eat the leaves of the plants as a snack wile tending the garden. Love the content.
This was so fascinating and insightful! It just makes me appreciate how much work goes into producing my favourite veggie 😋 Would love to be able to grow my own sometime soon
Extra tip for those living in colder climates: if it's still not warm enough by the time you need to transplant the seedlings outside, place an empty glass jar upside-down over each plant, it will act as a mini-greenhouse. Or you can build a "greenhouse lid" to cover the entire lot, out of plastic foil stretched over a simple wooden frame (some 4-6" wide pieces of plank nailed together in a square will do just fine).
Thanks! I find the struggle with our springs to be the unpredictable temperatures. It’s not unusual for temps to swing from 60s to all of a sudden being in the 80s, though we never know when we might have an unusually cool or hot spring.
I'm using cloches that I bought at the dollar general and they even have a vent ontop for air circulation if it gets to hot over top of my broccoli. I'm in N.Y zone 6a and have the same problem with crazy weather.
Ive been looking for videos because im at the start of autumn and want to get ready for winter. Ive had 0 luck in the past, and knowing how many times you've mentioned struggles in the past with brassicas, I genuinely feel more confident now knowing that its worked for you lol
Love it, I'm sitting here in Scotland struggling to grow peppers and tomatoes and you're over in San Diego struggling to grow broccoli, why is the challenge part of the fun in gardening?
The bee's really do love it! Plus get true to life seed, when there's no kale, collie or cabbage flowering at the same time, to cross polinate.. Can do your own broccoli sprouts fad! 😂😂
This was timely and confirms what I had heard. I'm in west central Florida and I planted in Dec - too late. The plants have matured, but no heads are forming on my cauliflower or brussel sprouts. I had heard from another Florida grower that I have to start plants about October 1st. So I will pull these plants out and restart then. I did get lucky with starting tomato seeds in my garage in December. I'm harvesting cherry tomatoes right now.
Cauliflower is a heavy feeder too... a good dose of nitrogen when it's getting close to curd production can send it soaring, it also likes consistent watering. Good luck! Cauliflower can be quite finicky 👍👍
Central florida here too and I've grown plenty planting after that time. Problem is this year and the last we got hit with crazy hot temps early on and the cold didn't start till late. I usually plant from oct to dec to stagger harvests. All my broccoli and cauliflower are bolting now thanks to the crazy heat wave we just had and are providing pollinator attraction at least until I replace them with something else. If you like tomatoes check out everglades tomatoes they are native to florida and will produce all summer when everything else is dead. They are tiny, but pack a lot of flavor.
@@FoxTenson I believe it. Not a cold enough winter. Going to plant Jolene tomatoes from Johnny's as they are hybridized for blooming and fruiting in heat.
Can y'all do a video talking about where you've gone to learn all of this information? I know a lot of it is experience, but knowing when to harvest produce is one of the hardest parts for me. Love the videos!
Definitely the crops I have the most trouble growing. Almost gave up on them, but now yet! I’m going to experiment with new timings, following other more experienced gardeners in my area. I did grow them successfully once, when I started gardening. It’s that beginner luck! Never came back 😢
Keep trying and figure out what works for you, and you’ll begin seeing some good harvest. Since you have previously had trouble, the key is paying close attention and ensuring you do it right from seed all the way up to harvesting. Broccoli are also light sensitive, so they will want less light/heat then your other veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Anyway I hope you have success this gardening season !
Thank you so much for putting this out for us. I have struggled with both & now perhaps I will have some success. We are in zone 9b SW Arizona & it does get TOO HOT for Brassicas. Now I will start seeds INSIDE in late September, wait for those 4 to 6 leaves then plant them in the garden late October or early November & pray for success the following year. Again, THANK YOU. Judi
I’ve been buying botanical garden seeds for years and looking at your videos for years and never put the two together that that’s your seed company lol. That’s wonderful!
One of my dream is to move to San Diego, so watching your vid just makes me feel so happy. Broccoli is super tricky, in Arizona. I just uploaded a short about Romanesco Broccoli fail... started from seed but grew long and wired color! But then one of the 6 Romanesco is growing perfect!! They are all planted from seed exact same day!!!! The only difference is the successful one was in sunny spot where other 5 was in bit more shade... hmmm
well said in terms of the timing. I live in 9B north of Orlando and I got a good harvest this year (first year) only because el nino cooled it down here. I started seedlings just before the end of the year, harvested in May. Almost gave up on getting heads so started eating the leaves which are delicious - akin to collards. Later this year I too will start them in October.
Since I'm still learning, my brocolli bolted and I let it flower. Now I have pods. When the pods turn brown and dry up, I will pick them and use the seeds next year!
I gave up on broccoli here in southwestern ontario, our spring can turn to summer in a day and i've never been able to harvest a broccoli. No luck trying a fall crop either. So I support the local farmers market for it :D when they bolt though the flowers are beautiful and oh man do the pollinators love it. We were talking about growing some this year just so it could bolt and have a pollinator party.
I put next to no effort into my garden in Canada and I have no issues growing these types of things lol. Plant it. Water it when I remember too. Always have a full garden.
Thank you I've watched many gardening videos because I believe no matter how good you are at something you can always learn. I learned something a it plant timing
Can you please do a video about the reasons behind brassica's turning purple and not being a purple variety? I grew Georgia Champion collards they were doing great. I did a the cut and come again method and when the next leaves came in they were turning purplw. These seeds were direct sown in October, zone 9b, raised beds.
thank you for making my day.... im a "starter" and in first year of trying (first year of even trying to having a decent overal harvest of various vegetables) ... i harvested all my 8 broccoli seedlings i sprouted(not sprouting broccoli, but the calibrese variant), even was able to harvest the main head and later on secondairy heads from each plant + many .... many ...many leaves ;) (ow ...and my heads were twic, three times as big ;) ) ... .so thank you for the video, and really appreciate youre honesty ;) ... and you still have so much to teach me, so dont be worried ;)
Wow! I can't believe tuc is alive and healthy. When i started watching this channel my mom's dog was a puppy, many dogs have died since, some dogs are fighters (even if they are not so healthy)
I know what you mean! When we lived in Murrieta, I grew broccoli in the winter, but failed to know that I should have surrounded my broccoli with some kind of cage to keep critters from munching it all. I went to work one day and had watered the water in the morning, broccoli looked great! Came home and the flowers were all gone!! I was bummed. Will try again here in my Texas garden. Thanks for your channel and info!!
I'm in PA. I fail at all brassicas because of the bugs 🐛 I bought big spools of tulle, I'm hoping if i can cover them soon enough that those white/yellow moths/butterflies won't be able to lay their eggs.
I haven't tried broccoli since 2014 and it didn't go well, but I have some seeds started so let's see how it goes. I'm in NY so hopefully I didn't get them going too soon for the frost
As a first time gardener these tips will come in handy next winter when I make my second attempt at growing broccoli. I got a couple heads this winter and the bees got the rest. 😅 Thank you for all the tips and tricks Kevin!
Tried broccoli and cauliflower in zone 7a last spring and everything was going great until it got hot very early and abruptly. Plants started bolting and I couldn't do anything about it. I think I'm going to try a fall planting this year. Just have to look up when to start the seeds and when to transplant.
It’s been hard to grow brassicas here (E TN 7a) in the spring. This February it was in the 70s and 80s (warmer here than CA!) so the brassicas would have bolted. It’s supposed to be a cold rest of March so it might be a good time to plant soon.
Okaaaaay, you've changed my mind! I actually did not plan for a brassica bed this year because the last three years have been less than stellar (and those aphids drive me nuts). But as I have two "spare" beds in the garage, I shall find a spot and set one up for my broccoli, cauli, cabbage and kohl rabi. Thanks for setting me straight!
Yum, I definitely time my cruciferous seeds wrong in my zone 9b garden! one of these days I'll get it right.. I love how your new flying friends gather on the power lines behind you about a minute into the video, by the way!
Thanks for the info. I always had a totally failed first Broccoli which were just long sprouts too in summer/fall but I always just cut the plant down and then in winter when it was freezing, that same plant gave me a beautiful, compact broccoli haha
Just transplanted 2 types of broccoli, cauliflower and kale this past weekend. Got half under ag-fleece, half exposed to the elements. Going to see how well things go. Zone 7a
I was just about to try to get in a crop of broccoli before the heat hits in the SF Valley. Thanks for saving me the frustration, I'll wait until October.
I was going to avoid planting brocoli this year for those reasons exactly. I was starting them way too late and they would get hit by heat and just grow as flowers, but now you are giving me some hope... alright I'll just try one ot two then 😅
Thank you for the info. I live in San Diego county also. Hopefully my broccoli does well I just put them in my small garden. Last year the critters got to my seedlings so trying it again. If all I get is leaves well, they are wonderful too.
I live just NW of LA and currently have my garden in the north side of my house, and I have been trying to grow a winter garden with broccoli and lettuce but I think it's not enough sun. It's up against a white vinyl fence and I was hoping that would add enough light. Spring is good as it gets full sun, but the temps quickly turn to blistering heat, so it's a challenge!! I got one 2" head and removed it as I heard if you do that you will get more. But I think the plants may be starting to bolt already! Plant is tall with short leaves. I think I need more fertilizer. It's been hard to take care of the garden with all the rain!
With our psycho weather in SE TX my broccoli and cauliflower regularly bolt prematurely. Thinking of sticking with cabbages. We'll see. Maybe I'll try broccoli again.
Excellent tips. I have been doing the cauliflower blanching & tying leaves over the head with twine and after that harvesting in 1 week, works very well. Broccoli, I struggle with as I’m also in SoCal & maybe too hot, not so much this year but definitely in past years have had very small heads or bolts quickly!
i like the 6-8 week tip of not having them in the heat at that time. That means I need to start seeds aug 1st, germinate at aug 6th and then hope that end of sept doesn't bring any last minute heat waves!
I've seen a paper of biological (organic) gardening resarch regarding damage control: apparently interplanting cornflowers between varieties of the cabbage family helps to reduce the damage done by cabbage flies.
I'll give them a try again this year, last time I tried cauliflower it was a really wet summer and they started to rot in the ground. I've always had my broccoli bolt really early, possibly too much sun (zone 2a so LOTS of sun in the summer). I'll try it in the shade or in a container so I can move it in and out.
Great advice on the young ones and what they look like when they are too old to transplant. The hardware stores always have the big plants for people to buy. I haven't grown this in years. Maybe I'll start some seedling. I usually get my share from the farm I keep bees.
This is my first year giving broccoli and cauliflower a try. The snails are enjoying it and I'm waiting to see if it forms a head, but I think I may have planted too soon. It has been super hot here in Eastern Washington.
I keep trying to get my timing right. My cilantro started bolting in February because it was in the 80s for several days here on the west side of Houston. I tried some different brassica varieties that do better in warmer climates, but I don't think it worked out this year. I started some in the fall and another batch inside over winter... I will try again next year
Very interesting!! Thanks If you miss the opportunity to harvest the head of cauliflower or broccoli, you can always allow it to go to seed and harvest those for the next growing season.
6 to 8 weeks towards last frost for starting your starts then getting your starts in the ground for them to enjoy the colder climate. Got it, I also heard that Cauliflower in particular can keep on growing even as low as 10F as well. Wonder if you could as a result grow these as winter crops in milder frosting zones?
Last winter my cauliflower grew through 20° nights but then we got a really cold snap that dipped to 0 and it killed them off but they can definitely take a bit of cold that even the brussel sprouts couldn't.
I'm also in zone 10b San Diego and I've been able to harvest broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage from December through May. I grow them in an Earthbox and plant two of each which mature at slightly different times and provide a continuous harvest of brassicas. I also found out that there are heat resistant verities. I wondered how India has cauliflower all year long and that's why.
Thank you for the video. I'm not sure that I understand the comment regarding purple seedlings. "Walk away and reset? Are you saying start over? I'm winter sowing for the first time and not sure what to do. I did see a few purple leaves on my broccoli.
I totally made the mistake of leaving the small cauliflower in the plant too long. I live in East County E.C. CA, and I noticed my cauliflower growing this weird flowers from the plant. So, I missed harvesting the plant on time. Plus I planted it in February. Thanks to this video I will definitely keep on eye on my next plant. Question can you eat the leaves of the plant?
I'm in 9B, I bought a bunch of brocoli starts like OCT/NOV and planted them outside, I just harvested 6 of 20, the other 14 are flowering. I think the starts I got from the hardware store were too mature when I planted them
Had a broccoli I bought as a starter, kept producing through the winter freezes! Last year got great growth from seed, but never flowered! I am in Western Wa state, and my kale & spinach kept going thru winter freeze, but my numerous broccoli plants in different locations did not flower! Grrrr
I got one or two really nice heads of broccoli in the fall here in NC, but I still have yet to get a good cauliflower head... trying again this spring I am sure I will eventually get it right haha
I’m in 7b & grow cauliflower and broccoli every year. I never get any thing but leaves. But I just keep growing them because the leaves taste great. We eat them like cabbage!
I am 2 seasons into growing a dozen broccoli and loosing ⅔ of the primary crop because they all are ready to harvest at the same time and the rest bolt within a day or two in area 9B sacramento.
The camera work on this video is incredible 🤩 I started more broccoli, against my better judgement because I've never been successful, but maybe THIS time it will be different! 😂
Learned a nice phrase this week that applies to growing broccoli: maintain the momentum of the plant. If you wait too long, the plant has lost its momentum and that's kind of it.
Interesting that you say that you grow it across the cooler seasons in San Diego, but that's not usual for other zones. These are mostly considered cool season crops in Australia. Time to plant is now (autumn). The climate where I am (Melbourne, southern Australia) is probably not that different to where you are.
My personal fave way to eat broccoli, esp Chinese style: 1. Pick tender leaves or my fave - the young-ish tender side shoots with 2-3 sets of leaves attached. 2. Wash and blanch them in a pot of boiling water with a dash of oil added to the water (any oil except for olive, never use olive oil in Chinese cooking), for 2-3 mins (just until the green of the leaves and stem darken but not so long that it starts to go brownish. 3. Fish them out of the water and arrange the stems on a plate (can ice bath them but I find broccoli doesn’t need it unless I’ve left it to boil for too long). 4. Heat a generous amount (think Jamie Oliver amount) of oil (veg/canola etc - not olive) on the stove. Don’t need it super hot, if it starts smoking then take it off the heat and let cool a bit). Add a teaspoon or however much you like of chopped/crushed garlic, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar (optional), a dash of soy sauce. The oil will start spitting so work quickly (or combine that seasoning in a separate bowl and pour it over the broccoli, then pour the hot oil directly on top of the seasoned broccoli - it’ll make a cool ‘tsss’ sound). You basically want the oil and seasoning to end up poured over the broccoli. And dig in! Sooooo delicious. Even my veg hating children will occasionally eat it (which is saying something).
we finally got our broccoli to grow last season, and it was almost time to harvest, and then we had a really hot day and it just spurt out and went too far. so devo!
I have grown broccoli for 2 years now (partially successful in zone 9B) in a late fall start to harvest in February. See my post elsewhere to see why I was only partially successful. 😂😢😅
I'm in zone 8b and planted out my broccoli starts on November 11th last year, just finished harvesting about 2 weeks ago. They grew great even through the freezing weather we had this year.
I figured out an easy way to grow them. I grow microgreens instead of plants in the garden and like them better. Can crop all year long instead of just in garden season. ❤
I’m in zone 9a (central Texas) and had issues with both cauliflower and broccoli this year. I planted them in early to mid November (before our first frost) but both have ended up bolting on me. Luckily I was able to catch the broccoli while it was still edible but it wasn’t a nice big head like I was expecting. In my experience I have found that they will bolt if 1) they get too much water and 2) if it gets too hot. In a Texas winter it will be 50°F one day and 80°F the next. At this point I don’t really know how to prevent them from bolting if we get several 80° days in January…
I just saw a video of you from years ago talking about your dream of having an epic homestead. It's so amazing to see your dream come true! Wonderful job!!!!
Thank you Agape :) it's thanks to people like you who watch and enjoy our vids :)
Yes I love seeing people manifest their dreams into reality. It lifts my spirit so much. 🥰 Such a beautiful thing.
That is awesome
Same. I remember him starting his gardening channel and now look, @epic gardening, has his own empire going 👏👏
i had some broccoli plants two years back that bolted early. instead of tossing them, i transplanted them to the pollinator garden to see what would happen. they looked pretty with their tiny yellow flowers & the bees loved them, so i left them & have been treating them like the other perennial blooming plants ever since. zone 10b magic!
Awesome. Feed the bees!
I did the same. It was my main pollinating plant. I also just used the leaves
Try letting some carrots bolt as well. The flowers are so pretty and the bees love them.
I love bees and understand their fragility and value, although I just want to remind everyone to have as great of a variety of native flowering species as possible if you can afford it. There are countless moths and other insects that are plant-specific pollinators and are often underserved by gardeners.
Back in the UK we only grew cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli. Never the green stuff. That wasn't really around back when my parents bought the land in mid 1960s.
We grew brussels and various cabbages as well. My Dad had taken over his dad's council allotment as a young man so knew the secret was firm ground.
Purple sprouting broccoli is a far superior animal to calabrese. A delicate taste. The flower heads are looser.
Anyway here in S Spain I have tried ro grow it in a big tub in my tiny patio. Sadly for me the flowers bolt really quickly in the hot climate ( currently in March 19 in the daytime.) But I have left the plant growing for 3 years so the insects can gorge. Plus some cabbage white butterfly caterpillars denuded it of leaves in February.
I can absolutely vouch for bolted cauliflower being good for pollinators...I have yet to successfully harvest broccoli or cauliflower myself, but a couple of years ago, I started a bunch of purple cauliflower and had a good amount of plants. I waited too long to harvest (kept waiting for the heads to size up, but they didn't) and the heads turned into tons and tons of tiny flowers...like in this video. The bees LOVED them and were all over them. So I would say, even if you fail at growing food for yourself, you still can grow food for the pollinators. 🐝
@epicgardening Is this real?
Here you are harvesting, and in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, we are growing seedlings indoors to put out whenever our 10+feet of snow melts.
How long does that take? That's nuts!
I hope by June you can plant.
@@sandrajohnson9926 Hopefully. We are getting snow again this weekend. It's been a bountiful winter, and we are thankful for the water, even though it presents challenges as well.
We all have different climate challenges!
@@epicgardening would a climate and light controlled growing system work well for brocolli? Like an indoor aeroponics farm for example
Planting in late fall in So Cal and placing A LOT of blood meal under the plant works wonders!
Thanks for the info on broccoli and cauliflower! I planted some last year and was thrilled that the heads finally grew. I also planted cabbage. I made 32 pints of the best sauerkraut. I hope I get more answers to problems by getting to watch your programs.
Nice video. Thanks. I have an extra tip for when harvesting the head of the Broccoli. Try to cut it at an angle. That way water flows off and that reduces the risk of rot in the stem. I live in the Netherlands where temperatures and humidity can be perfectly balanced for rot and mold.
I also eat the leaves of the plants as a snack wile tending the garden.
Love the content.
This was so fascinating and insightful! It just makes me appreciate how much work goes into producing my favourite veggie 😋 Would love to be able to grow my own sometime soon
Extra tip for those living in colder climates: if it's still not warm enough by the time you need to transplant the seedlings outside, place an empty glass jar upside-down over each plant, it will act as a mini-greenhouse. Or you can build a "greenhouse lid" to cover the entire lot, out of plastic foil stretched over a simple wooden frame (some 4-6" wide pieces of plank nailed together in a square will do just fine).
Thanks! I find the struggle with our springs to be the unpredictable temperatures. It’s not unusual for temps to swing from 60s to all of a sudden being in the 80s, though we never know when we might have an unusually cool or hot spring.
I'm using cloches that I bought at the dollar general and they even have a vent ontop for air circulation if it gets to hot over top of my broccoli. I'm in N.Y zone 6a and have the same problem with crazy weather.
Ive been looking for videos because im at the start of autumn and want to get ready for winter. Ive had 0 luck in the past, and knowing how many times you've mentioned struggles in the past with brassicas, I genuinely feel more confident now knowing that its worked for you lol
I couldn’t get either one of those to grow for me. Maybe with your tips I may try again. Thanks
Love it, I'm sitting here in Scotland struggling to grow peppers and tomatoes and you're over in San Diego struggling to grow broccoli, why is the challenge part of the fun in gardening?
LOL we all want what we can't have in this life
I always let some of my broccoli go to flower in the spring. The bees LOVE it.
The bee's really do love it! Plus get true to life seed, when there's no kale, collie or cabbage flowering at the same time, to cross polinate..
Can do your own broccoli sprouts fad! 😂😂
This was timely and confirms what I had heard. I'm in west central Florida and I planted in Dec - too late. The plants have matured, but no heads are forming on my cauliflower or brussel sprouts. I had heard from another Florida grower that I have to start plants about October 1st. So I will pull these plants out and restart then. I did get lucky with starting tomato seeds in my garage in December. I'm harvesting cherry tomatoes right now.
Cauliflower is a heavy feeder too... a good dose of nitrogen when it's getting close to curd production can send it soaring, it also likes consistent watering. Good luck! Cauliflower can be quite finicky 👍👍
Central florida here too and I've grown plenty planting after that time. Problem is this year and the last we got hit with crazy hot temps early on and the cold didn't start till late. I usually plant from oct to dec to stagger harvests. All my broccoli and cauliflower are bolting now thanks to the crazy heat wave we just had and are providing pollinator attraction at least until I replace them with something else. If you like tomatoes check out everglades tomatoes they are native to florida and will produce all summer when everything else is dead. They are tiny, but pack a lot of flavor.
@@FoxTenson I believe it. Not a cold enough winter. Going to plant Jolene tomatoes from Johnny's as they are hybridized for blooming and fruiting in heat.
4:42 This version is actually *preferred* in other cultures because the texture is WAY better than a huge rubbery ball. Try it.
In zone 5b here, put transplants in last week of May or first week of June. Get nice heads and then alot of shoots.
Timing is everything ✨️
Can y'all do a video talking about where you've gone to learn all of this information? I know a lot of it is experience, but knowing when to harvest produce is one of the hardest parts for me. Love the videos!
Definitely the crops I have the most trouble growing. Almost gave up on them, but now yet! I’m going to experiment with new timings, following other more experienced gardeners in my area.
I did grow them successfully once, when I started gardening. It’s that beginner luck! Never came back 😢
Keep trying and figure out what works for you, and you’ll begin seeing some good harvest. Since you have previously had trouble, the key is paying close attention and ensuring you do it right from seed all the way up to harvesting. Broccoli are also light sensitive, so they will want less light/heat then your other veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers. Anyway I hope you have success this gardening season !
Thank you so much for putting this out for us. I have struggled with both & now perhaps I will have some success. We are in zone 9b SW Arizona & it does get TOO HOT for Brassicas.
Now I will start seeds INSIDE in late September, wait for those 4 to 6 leaves then plant them in the garden late October or early November & pray for success the following year. Again, THANK YOU. Judi
I’ve been buying botanical garden seeds for years and looking at your videos for years and never put the two together that that’s your seed company lol. That’s wonderful!
One of my dream is to move to San Diego, so watching your vid just makes me feel so happy. Broccoli is super tricky, in Arizona. I just uploaded a short about Romanesco Broccoli fail... started from seed but grew long and wired color! But then one of the 6 Romanesco is growing perfect!! They are all planted from seed exact same day!!!! The only difference is the successful one was in sunny spot where other 5 was in bit more shade... hmmm
well said in terms of the timing. I live in 9B north of Orlando and I got a good harvest this year (first year) only because el nino cooled it down here. I started seedlings just before the end of the year, harvested in May. Almost gave up on getting heads so started eating the leaves which are delicious - akin to collards. Later this year I too will start them in October.
Since I'm still learning, my brocolli bolted and I let it flower. Now I have pods. When the pods turn brown and dry up, I will pick them and use the seeds next year!
I gave up on broccoli here in southwestern ontario, our spring can turn to summer in a day and i've never been able to harvest a broccoli. No luck trying a fall crop either. So I support the local farmers market for it :D when they bolt though the flowers are beautiful and oh man do the pollinators love it. We were talking about growing some this year just so it could bolt and have a pollinator party.
I put next to no effort into my garden in Canada and I have no issues growing these types of things lol.
Plant it. Water it when I remember too. Always have a full garden.
Thank you I've watched many gardening videos because I believe no matter how good you are at something you can always learn.
I learned something a it plant timing
Already shared this video with someone I know who struggled and could not get broccoli to grow. Hope this helps them.
Can you please do a video about the reasons behind brassica's turning purple and not being a purple variety? I grew Georgia Champion collards they were doing great. I did a the cut and come again method and when the next leaves came in they were turning purplw. These seeds were direct sown in October, zone 9b, raised beds.
thank you for making my day.... im a "starter" and in first year of trying (first year of even trying to having a decent overal harvest of various vegetables) ... i harvested all my 8 broccoli seedlings i sprouted(not sprouting broccoli, but the calibrese variant), even was able to harvest the main head and later on secondairy heads from each plant + many .... many ...many leaves ;) (ow ...and my heads were twic, three times as big ;) ) ... .so thank you for the video, and really appreciate youre honesty ;) ... and you still have so much to teach me, so dont be worried ;)
I am late to the party. I just learned you acquired Botanical Interests, as I am about to place an order with them. Congratulations Kevin 👏👏👏
Appreciate your business!
i JUST put some broccoli and cauliflower sprouts into our beds a few days ago. These are great tips! cant wait to see how they turn out!
Wow! I can't believe tuc is alive and healthy. When i started watching this channel my mom's dog was a puppy, many dogs have died since, some dogs are fighters (even if they are not so healthy)
I know what you mean! When we lived in Murrieta, I grew broccoli in the winter, but failed to know that I should have surrounded my broccoli with some kind of cage to keep critters from munching it all. I went to work one day and had watered the water in the morning, broccoli looked great! Came home and the flowers were all gone!! I was bummed. Will try again here in my Texas garden. Thanks for your channel and info!!
I'm in PA. I fail at all brassicas because of the bugs 🐛 I bought big spools of tulle, I'm hoping if i can cover them soon enough that those white/yellow moths/butterflies won't be able to lay their eggs.
I look under the laves for the grubs and get rid of them.. Otherwise mine would look exactly the same😂
I haven't tried broccoli since 2014 and it didn't go well, but I have some seeds started so let's see how it goes. I'm in NY so hopefully I didn't get them going too soon for the frost
As a first time gardener these tips will come in handy next winter when I make my second attempt at growing broccoli. I got a couple heads this winter and the bees got the rest. 😅 Thank you for all the tips and tricks Kevin!
Tried broccoli and cauliflower in zone 7a last spring and everything was going great until it got hot very early and abruptly. Plants started bolting and I couldn't do anything about it. I think I'm going to try a fall planting this year. Just have to look up when to start the seeds and when to transplant.
Yeah, the fear of starting them too late or too soon when trying a fall planting is definitely real.
Growing my first crop of broccoli, these tips are helpful.
It’s been hard to grow brassicas here (E TN 7a) in the spring. This February it was in the 70s and 80s (warmer here than CA!) so the brassicas would have bolted. It’s supposed to be a cold rest of March so it might be a good time to plant soon.
Okaaaaay, you've changed my mind! I actually did not plan for a brassica bed this year because the last three years have been less than stellar (and those aphids drive me nuts). But as I have two "spare" beds in the garage, I shall find a spot and set one up for my broccoli, cauli, cabbage and kohl rabi. Thanks for setting me straight!
Yum, I definitely time my cruciferous seeds wrong in my zone 9b garden! one of these days I'll get it right.. I love how your new flying friends gather on the power lines behind you about a minute into the video, by the way!
UK zone 8, I planted my Broccoli last summer and am now harvesting sprouting broccoli.
Thank you for stating and clarifying your zone in this video!
Thanks for the info. I always had a totally failed first Broccoli which were just long sprouts too in summer/fall but I always just cut the plant down and then in winter when it was freezing, that same plant gave me a beautiful, compact broccoli haha
I needed this video. Got my first cauliflower but broccoli was dismal.
Excellent tips. Thanks for another great video.
Just transplanted 2 types of broccoli, cauliflower and kale this past weekend. Got half under ag-fleece, half exposed to the elements. Going to see how well things go. Zone 7a
I was just about to try to get in a crop of broccoli before the heat hits in the SF Valley. Thanks for saving me the frustration, I'll wait until October.
I was going to avoid planting brocoli this year for those reasons exactly. I was starting them way too late and they would get hit by heat and just grow as flowers, but now you are giving me some hope... alright I'll just try one ot two then 😅
Thank you for the info. I live in San Diego county also. Hopefully my broccoli does well I just put them in my small garden. Last year the critters got to my seedlings so trying it again. If all I get is leaves well, they are wonderful too.
The Broccoli leaves are good too! You cook them like collard or mustard greens. I freeze them and pull them out as needed to add to a meal.
We did great with broccoli. We grew it from December to March. Just harvested in zone 8a.
Tying the leaves is very important and the reason is that the sun will damage the heads forming on cauliflower if you don't.
I live just NW of LA and currently have my garden in the north side of my house, and I have been trying to grow a winter garden with broccoli and lettuce but I think it's not enough sun. It's up against a white vinyl fence and I was hoping that would add enough light. Spring is good as it gets full sun, but the temps quickly turn to blistering heat, so it's a challenge!! I got one 2" head and removed it as I heard if you do that you will get more. But I think the plants may be starting to bolt already! Plant is tall with short leaves. I think I need more fertilizer. It's been hard to take care of the garden with all the rain!
With our psycho weather in SE TX my broccoli and cauliflower regularly bolt prematurely. Thinking of sticking with cabbages. We'll see. Maybe I'll try broccoli again.
Best year for me too. I think cold n wet year has helped I am in S.D
Excellent tips. I have been doing the cauliflower blanching & tying leaves over the head with twine and after that harvesting in 1 week, works very well. Broccoli, I struggle with as I’m also in SoCal & maybe too hot, not so much this year but definitely in past years have had very small heads or bolts quickly!
I think this year was the best because the weather actually cooperated. I literally had no grey aphids. Nice and cool equals good Brassica’s.
Thank you Epic Gardening
i like the 6-8 week tip of not having them in the heat at that time. That means I need to start seeds aug 1st, germinate at aug 6th and then hope that end of sept doesn't bring any last minute heat waves!
I just subscribed to your channel! Love the information you provide here!
I have a garden every year but you never stop learning new techniques!
I've seen a paper of biological (organic) gardening resarch regarding damage control: apparently interplanting cornflowers between varieties of the cabbage family helps to reduce the damage done by cabbage flies.
I'll give them a try again this year, last time I tried cauliflower it was a really wet summer and they started to rot in the ground. I've always had my broccoli bolt really early, possibly too much sun (zone 2a so LOTS of sun in the summer). I'll try it in the shade or in a container so I can move it in and out.
Great advice on the young ones and what they look like when they are too old to transplant. The hardware stores always have the big plants for people to buy. I haven't grown this in years. Maybe I'll start some seedling. I usually get my share from the farm I keep bees.
This is my first year giving broccoli and cauliflower a try. The snails are enjoying it and I'm waiting to see if it forms a head, but I think I may have planted too soon. It has been super hot here in Eastern Washington.
I keep trying to get my timing right. My cilantro started bolting in February because it was in the 80s for several days here on the west side of Houston. I tried some different brassica varieties that do better in warmer climates, but I don't think it worked out this year. I started some in the fall and another batch inside over winter... I will try again next year
Very interesting!! Thanks
If you miss the opportunity to harvest the head of cauliflower or broccoli, you can always allow it to go to seed and harvest those for the next growing season.
6 to 8 weeks towards last frost for starting your starts then getting your starts in the ground for them to enjoy the colder climate. Got it, I also heard that Cauliflower in particular can keep on growing even as low as 10F as well. Wonder if you could as a result grow these as winter crops in milder frosting zones?
Last winter my cauliflower grew through 20° nights but then we got a really cold snap that dipped to 0 and it killed them off but they can definitely take a bit of cold that even the brussel sprouts couldn't.
Both of these will tolerate mild frosts for sure
@@oldbear6813 That absolutely make sense and I sure the sudden HARSH drop is really done them in too. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. :)
@@epicgardening Awesome thank you so much for this and sharing your valuable insights on these crops for sure. :)
man im in the san bernardino mountains. we had 8 feet of snow that just now melted away, we never even got a chance to grow spring plants.
Thank you for sharing. 😊.
I was just out harvesting broccoli 3 days ago it was so delicious✨️💛
I'm also in zone 10b San Diego and I've been able to harvest broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage from December through May. I grow them in an Earthbox and plant two of each which mature at slightly different times and provide a continuous harvest of brassicas. I also found out that there are heat resistant verities. I wondered how India has cauliflower all year long and that's why.
I just came across this and is the perfect synchronicity 🤗😁 thanks so much! I'm not in your zone but was such perfect info I can build on for here💖💖
Great advice! I wish I had seen this years ago so I didn't have to discover the timing on my own with a lot of wasted plants. Thanks!
Thank you for the video. I'm not sure that I understand the comment regarding purple seedlings. "Walk away and reset? Are you saying start over?
I'm winter sowing for the first time and not sure what to do. I did see a few purple leaves on my broccoli.
Yes, I meant start new seeds
@@epicgardening I was afraid that was what you meant 🥴... Thank you!
I totally made the mistake of leaving the small cauliflower in the plant too long. I live in East County E.C. CA, and I noticed my cauliflower growing this weird flowers from the plant. So, I missed harvesting the plant on time. Plus I planted it in February. Thanks to this video I will definitely keep on eye on my next plant. Question can you eat the leaves of the plant?
When it starts to flower it’s so lovely and sweet. Not bitter.
I'm in 9B, I bought a bunch of brocoli starts like OCT/NOV and planted them outside, I just harvested 6 of 20, the other 14 are flowering. I think the starts I got from the hardware store were too mature when I planted them
Thanks for the tips! I didn't know the bit about the leaf coloring - most helpful!
Had a broccoli I bought as a starter, kept producing through the winter freezes! Last year got great growth from seed, but never flowered! I am in Western Wa state, and my kale & spinach kept going thru winter freeze, but my numerous broccoli plants in different locations did not flower! Grrrr
I got one or two really nice heads of broccoli in the fall here in NC, but I still have yet to get a good cauliflower head... trying again this spring I am sure I will eventually get it right haha
I’m in 7b & grow cauliflower and broccoli every year. I never get any thing but leaves. But I just keep growing them because the leaves taste great. We eat them like cabbage!
I am 2 seasons into growing a dozen broccoli and loosing ⅔ of the primary crop because they all are ready to harvest at the same time and the rest bolt within a day or two in area 9B sacramento.
The camera work on this video is incredible 🤩 I started more broccoli, against my better judgement because I've never been successful, but maybe THIS time it will be different! 😂
I've learned so much in this video, thank you, Kevin!
Thank you so much! I have struggled with these exact crops. 😑 perfect timing as we’re planting seeds right now
Learned a nice phrase this week that applies to growing broccoli: maintain the momentum of the plant. If you wait too long, the plant has lost its momentum and that's kind of it.
Interesting that you say that you grow it across the cooler seasons in San Diego, but that's not usual for other zones. These are mostly considered cool season crops in Australia. Time to plant is now (autumn). The climate where I am (Melbourne, southern Australia) is probably not that different to where you are.
My personal fave way to eat broccoli, esp Chinese style:
1. Pick tender leaves or my fave - the young-ish tender side shoots with 2-3 sets of leaves attached.
2. Wash and blanch them in a pot of boiling water with a dash of oil added to the water (any oil except for olive, never use olive oil in Chinese cooking), for 2-3 mins (just until the green of the leaves and stem darken but not so long that it starts to go brownish.
3. Fish them out of the water and arrange the stems on a plate (can ice bath them but I find broccoli doesn’t need it unless I’ve left it to boil for too long).
4. Heat a generous amount (think Jamie Oliver amount) of oil (veg/canola etc - not olive) on the stove. Don’t need it super hot, if it starts smoking then take it off the heat and let cool a bit). Add a teaspoon or however much you like of chopped/crushed garlic, a pinch of salt, a pinch of sugar (optional), a dash of soy sauce. The oil will start spitting so work quickly (or combine that seasoning in a separate bowl and pour it over the broccoli, then pour the hot oil directly on top of the seasoned broccoli - it’ll make a cool ‘tsss’ sound). You basically want the oil and seasoning to end up poured over the broccoli. And dig in! Sooooo delicious. Even my veg hating children will occasionally eat it (which is saying something).
Thank you for explaining from South Africa
from the picture looks like they bolted, both are cool weather crops
we finally got our broccoli to grow last season, and it was almost time to harvest, and then we had a really hot day and it just spurt out and went too far. so devo!
Leaves are tasty too!
Great video! My Wife and I are growing Broccoli for the first time our self this.
I’m in zone 9 I need to look up when I should plant I love them both and I’d love to have some cabbage too😊
I have grown broccoli for 2 years now (partially successful in zone 9B) in a late fall start to harvest in February. See my post elsewhere to see why I was only partially successful. 😂😢😅
I'm in zone 8b and planted out my broccoli starts on November 11th last year, just finished harvesting about 2 weeks ago. They grew great even through the freezing weather we had this year.
Such great tips thank you. Solves last years problems too!
I figured out an easy way to grow them. I grow microgreens instead of plants in the garden and like them better. Can crop all year long instead of just in garden season. ❤
I’m in zone 9a (central Texas) and had issues with both cauliflower and broccoli this year. I planted them in early to mid November (before our first frost) but both have ended up bolting on me. Luckily I was able to catch the broccoli while it was still edible but it wasn’t a nice big head like I was expecting. In my experience I have found that they will bolt if 1) they get too much water and 2) if it gets too hot. In a Texas winter it will be 50°F one day and 80°F the next. At this point I don’t really know how to prevent them from bolting if we get several 80° days in January…
Chinese broccoli has really great heat tolerance for L.A. 10b. Can’t wait for my Epic lined grow bags to arrive!