Broccoli Seeds needed?

[gary350]

I'm not sure what you call small, but I consistently grow broccoli 8-inch heads or more and they always resprout again to provide more after cutting, cabbage heads 5 to 6 pounds pretty normal, cauliflower about the same slightly less, Brussels are either buckets full or none, Kohlrabi about the size of potatoes, turnips much larger than potatoes, and radish like you have never seen (Daikon).

Having said all that...I grow for taste and nutrition. These veggies have incredible taste...nothing like typical store bought junk.


How about a couple of pictures...I've got many more:

View attachment 117689

I can't grow 8" heads in TN, fall is too short, winter is too long & too cold, spring is too short. We can't eat 8" heads it goes bad before we can eat it, that is why I grow 6" head. TN winter weather is a roller coaster up down up down 80°f for 2 days in Feb makes several things bolt. 7 years in a row 80% of our onions bolted. I'm not growing onions ever again in TN. I probably never grow tomatoes again.

When I lived in Phoenix AZ area west side winter growing season was Nov 1st to March 30. The last 2 weeks of Feb. seldom got below 28°f. I grew an 18 lb. Napa cabbage once in AZ. I have never been able to grow Napa in TN 0° freeze will kill it and above 60°f makes it bolt.

This spring our garden will be 7 rows of corn, maybe. Nothing else. Maybe some water melons. No, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, beans, or anything else. Old age has made it more work than I can do.

 

[Meadowlark]

One of the joys of gardening to me is figuring out how to grow veggies in your own climate. Every climate is different and poses different sets of challenges.... most of which can be overcome.

Onions for example...when I first started decades ago, they bolted most of the time. The bulbs I did get were small. I could not grow large bulbed onions only Egyptian type walking onions. Improved soil led to less bolting and increased size. Variety selection led to superior bulb genetics. Fall direct seeding in organic laden soil led to almost zero bolting and huge bulbing onions. Storage techniques improved by order of magnitude to where I have a year around supply of onions for my family. I harvest well over 200 pounds of bulbing onions annually along with 1000s of green onion thinnings.

Potatoes...in the beginning I was beset with terrible scab problems, horrible Colorado beetle infestations, significant rot, failure to store, small size, etc. Figured out when and how much composted manure to use. Figured out how to grow without synthetics and with organics. Figured out how to better prepare seed for planting. Figured out how to have annual supply with a spring crop and fall crop. Figured out the best varieties for my climate. I have not seen the Colorado potato beetle in over 15 years. Harvest well over 400 pounds annually with two crops each of red and gold potatoes.

Corn...started out bug, worm-infested, weed overwhelmed mess whose ears were few in number and barely edible around the bug damage. Seemed hopeless at first. Figured out how to raise corn without synthetics and with organics. Figured out best variety for this place. Figured out how to have fresh corn continuously from May to November. Now my corn is highly prized. Ear worms are virtually gone and what is left I know how to eliminate without any chemical "cides". I'm right now growing the 5th corn crop of this season. Well over 45 dozen ears of fresh corn per the growing season most all of which is consumed fresh.

I could write a similar paragraph about every veggie I grow and could also expand considerably on the above paragraphs to illustrate learning your climate. Figuring out what works and what does not is not only fun but critical to being able to supply over 90% of the veggies a family consumes.