[tracy-fuerteventura]

i have a good row of purple sprouting boccoli and about two weeks ago the colour started to change and i thought great have been to see them today and they are flowering what can i do to stop this please help they were looking great x

[Stripey_cat]

Pick off all the bits that are flowering.  Pick off and eat the bits that aren't flowering yet - you want to eat the flower buds before they get too big.  Yours were probably at their best when you noticed the purple buds forming a couple of weeks ago, but if you pick off everything you may get a few more sprouts.

[tracy-fuerteventura]

how big should the heads get mine were only about 3 inches wide ... i thought they would get a lot bigger thats why i left them..also is this a pick and come again crop

[senrab_nhoj]

It doesnt get that big... think more tenderstem broccoli than the big headed "broccoli" you get in the shops (calabrese)

Its definitely cut and get more later

[Stripey_cat]

The central head on each plant will get up to about 3" across, but the side shoots will be much smaller (maybe an inch across).  Generally, picking smaller heads keeps them more tender, although letting them get as big as possible (ie picking them at the last moment before they flower) gives a heavier total yield.  If you grow calabrese (shop-labelled broccoli) this summer/autumn, the central head is larger but the side shoots, again, are quite small.

[Salmo]

It may be that you are too warm in the Canaries. Purple srouting develops its heads very slowly in the UK Spring with 12 degrees by day and 2 degrees by day. Your 20 degrees will make it fly.

[tracy-fuerteventura]

the heat is a definate we have just had a sand storm for 5 days tempreatures of 32 degrees and low humidity do you think that as it has cooled down now that if i take out all the heads i might have a second chance ?