Odd broccoli growth

[thomas.r.silverman]

Hello,

I'm relatively new to vegetable growing.

My broccoli has grown in an odd fashion. It was purchased as a 4" plant, it's in a 5 gallon fabric container. Organic potting soil with added compost, 3 - 2 - 2 granular fertilizer, mulch layer, and regular watering.

The days have got a lot hotter here in zone 10 quite suddenly so I'm not sure if it's that? I'm not sure what broccoli looks like when it bolts? I'm not seeing any flowers.

Many thanks,
Thomas

 

[Pepperhead]

Seems like a ton of flowers are almost ready to show themselves, although i've never grown broccoli, it looks a lot like bolting for other plants to me.

 

[marlingardener]

Thomas, broccoli is a cool weather vegetable. Yours is ready to set flowers and will not make broccoli heads. You might try planting it in autumn next time. Here in zone 8b Texas, we plant broccoli starts in October for harvesting in December, and again about now, late February or early March, for harvesting in May/June.

 

[deckman22]

I've never seen broccoli do that. guessing it bolted or not enough nutrients in the container to support the plant. I've always planted them in dirt, never got the same results in containers.

 

[roadrunner]

Yeah, I'd say they're feeling stressed from too much heat -- I just noticed you're in zone 10b and it looks like the broccoli is planted against a wall that heats up from the sun, making a double whammy for a cool-weather plant.

 

[goatherd]

Yep it's 'bolted' or gone to seed.

The heat is probably your problem.

I do, myself, have a problem with broccoli, as it tends to make a tiny head and then bolt.

Because of that I favour growing Cauliflower, which makes lovely big firm heads, including 'Brocoflower" which is green cauliflower and makes a nice big firm head much like broccoli should be.