[Jome]

In the spring I bought what I thought was broccoli plants and stuck them in an area where my first early potatoes had failed (I think blackleg got them) They've since been doing really well and early this week I noticed they've been forming small crowns, now I was under the impression these would not appear until the winter. I've lost the name of the variety and have never grown broccoli before so I don't know whether I should leave them to grow into bigger crowns? I'm concerned that they are bolting due to the dry weather as the crowns are a little brown in colour.  I did a quick search on here and wonder if they might be Calabrese as I think they mature in the same season. Can anyone shed light on this and advise me to the best way to treat them to encourage a good crop and prevent the flowers from opening?

[peapod]

If broccolli or calabrese flower then they have 'bolted'.  Cut these flower heads off now and leave then to carry on producing side shoots.  These will carry on cropping for a while yet

[mumofstig]

There are broccoli (aka calabrese) plants that will be ready for harvest at most seasons of the year. So make sure you read the harvest notes on the packets/labels

If you have flower buds now, you can't stop the flowers opening, just pick them and eat them before they open, and wait for more small sideshoots to form, just as peapod said

[Jome]

Thanks all, I looked at the label today and the variety is 'marathon', I think it's a quick maturing variety. There are no flowers yet, just the crowns, what I really wanted to know is if I leave them, will they bulk out to a proper sized broccoli head? (at the moment they are the size of a golf ball), the plants are only about a foot tall.

[mumofstig]

Harvest for Marathon is mid July and August, so they are doing what they should.
You have to judge it right so that you pick the heads just before the flowers open.....whatever size they happens to be.

You will get more of these smaller heads once you have picked the first ones 

[peapod]

Be prepared for much smaller heads that you find in the supermarket 

[Jome]

oh thanks, I'll pick them soon then! great

[sunshineband]

and look out for caterpillars right inside the heads... we had added protein to our first pickings     

I'll be soaking the next lot in salty water, not just rinsing them