[AnneB]

Every year I complain that my early purple sprouting broccoli is late to appear.  Recently I have had to wait until mid April for it.

I was amazed to see when I went to the plot today that a couple of florets are ready already.   I think it must be weather related, nothing else has changed and the seed was from the same packet as last year.   Pleased as it will fill a harvest gap and the bed can be used for something else earlier.

[Salmo]

The early variety, Rudolph, is in full sprout and has been for about 2 weeks. Ordinary PSB shows no signs of producing, but I do not expect that for a few weeks.

[oakridge]

Purple sprouting broccoli I think is one of the 'hungry gap' vegetables.  We really like it very much and we are growing it this year after a gap of some years.

[strangerachael]

I harvested a good sized bag-full for our Christmas dinner 
We didn't get much more for a while but it has been recently producing small amounts regularly and is about to come into full production any time now by the looks of it. I think I planted some Rudolph and some Redhead but I can't quite remember now.

[sunshineband]

Mine has at last "sprouted". It is allegedly an early variety lol

[ghost61]

Same experience here.  Waited months last year, so hadn't bothered looking at the plants this year until I harvested some flower sprouts next to them - blow me, could have had a meal from each plant!  Must be the weather, as I think it's the Sam variety as last year, but no idea what!

[BabbyAnn]

On Sunday I harvested a surprisingly big head of purple sprouting broccoli (Extra Early Rudolph) - usually broccoli are much smaller spears which is why I gave up growing it (much prefer something like calabrese or Romanesco) so I was pleased by both size and earliness as well as a striking deep purple colour.  Also harvested a cauliflower which I wasn't expecting till spring.

[Jackypam]

Last year my psb was 4 feet tall, this year it is 8 inches tall. My own fault for buying a tray of plants this year rather than growing from seed.  Each little plant has one head of PSb on it!   Do you think it was actually supposed to be so small?!😳

[Salmo]

Do you find that varieties of sprouting broccoli are very variable. Rudolph this year is two types from the same seed packet. About half the plants have dark purple florets with long stalks. The others have sort off greenish/blue florets and quite a tight head. What is going on? Mix up at the packeting line or poor quality control on the farm?

[Christine]

Well you definitely have two different things there Salmo. I'd suggest that the problem was earlier than a mix up on the packing line unless someone didn't clean out properly on changeover from one packing to the next.

I'd say that you have done well all the same to have an interesting variety of produce. But a picture and words with the supplier might get you something of a freebie for the next lot of seeds.