[Brassica Blaz]

hi everyone,
 last year i grewsome very successful broccoli.it was planted out in late april and was ready in early august .(to early for me really when all you want is a refreshing salad).it was my fault but i got a bit excited and was chomping on the bit(as you do in spring).idealy i would like to be harvesting  it in the autumn time.i'm sure there are a lot of experts out there in the brocc department.could anyone give me some advice on it please.i read that it wont survive the winter so ive got to get the timing right.does later planting slow plant growth down more or is it a mixture of things?

[8doubles]

I`m not a brocoli expert but purple sprouting broccoli has always been harvested in the spring as far back as i can remember, sow march to may and harvest feb to may the next year.
 PSB is the only one i grow apart from one attempt at summer broccoli raab which bolted to seed before it got 9" high.

[viettaclark]

I think you get 2 types of psb, early and late but I'm b.....d if I can tell the difference! Reading my seed packets..... Late says plant mid to late spring, harvest late winter/early spring, the early packet says plant May to June harvest late winter/early spring. It must be the difference in planting time and actual length of growing season then.
You must have planted Early too early!

[mumofstig]

The 'broccoli' you buy in the shops is actually calabrese, and this is autumn harvest.

My calabrese Belstar was sown at the end of may for harvest at end of september/october.

Suttons do Srouting Broccoli (Calabrese) Autumn Spear to sow April/may for harvest sept - November.

[Loubs]

It'll depend on the variety you choose. I've got a PSB called "Summer Purple", which is sown Jan-Mar, and harvested June-Oct.

Will follow it on with a couple of other varieties sown later in the year, as I'm hoping to be able to crop one of my favourite veggies at least 9 months of the year!

[Goosegirl]

I love calabrese and grow "Comet" which I sow in March then transplant and harvest in June, There are different varieties which cover summer and autumn, plus PSB and WSB, then nine-star perennial, and then Romanesque types which look like a lime green spinning top. I have to say that I prefer it cooked slightly soft rather than crunchy as the taste really comes out more. 

[strangerachael]

Many veg-growing books (and maybe some seed packets) tell you how many weeks from sowing to harvest. According to my book (I won't mention the name because it isn't by a certain someone... ) time to maturity for calabrese is 10 to 15 weeks, so work out when you want them to be ready and count back...

[DD.]

Ahem.....

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/sowing-harvest-vegetable-chart.php