[hubballi]

I have some purple sprouting broccoli that is almost ripe for picking. I planted them out last spring. Once they have been harvested is that it or do I leave them to produce another crop for next year ?

Thanks.

[celjaci]

once it's finished cropping ie remaining sprouting flower shoots are too small to bother with, the plants are pulled out and composted.

There is a perennial variety Nine Star Perennial Broccoli which pruduces a large cauliflower head followed by smaller side shoots. If all the flower heads are harvested it will live to produce another year. Grew it years ago found it rather strong tasting - does anyone grow it now?

[compostqueen]

I'd cut the main heads and then let the side shoots grow and harvest them as they appear.  You can leave the plant to go to seed, it gets gorgeous yellow flowers on it and the birds will like it.  If you're a tidy gardener then compost it

I'm not mad on the Nine Star stuff which I grew last year. It looked a mess and didn't produce anything remotely edible looking. Maybe I was just unlucky

PSB is really expensive in the shops and well worth growing.  It's easy to grow from seed too which helps.  So good for you 

[Ropster]

Topic, hijack,

I have some purple sprouting , how do you tell when its ready ?
the stuff from the shop is long stalks with purple on the end, mihe has purple but not on long stalks, just fort of grouped quite tight up the stalk ?

[Stripey_cat]

The main head is often rather short; the side-shoots that come later may be longer (but probably still shorter than the shop ones).  If it looks plump and tempting, I'd pick it now: you don't want the flowers to actually start opening.