[stompy]

Which one do you grow, or should i say which one do you prefere to grow.
I've always grown callabrese as i was told Broccoli was alot harder to grow as it was quicker to bolt.
We all like Callabrese in or family but having read a bit about Broccoli now i thought, im not sure if im missing out on something. (flavour, texture etc)
Has anyone grown both and if so what were your findings?

[fredhogg]

Haven't grown either before but have set seeds for both, shall see how i get on, iv'e got the clay soil so stand a chance

[tosca100]

Broccoli for me. Not that keen on calabrese and it's always available and cheap. Saying that, I lost all my PSB this year as it was a bit too well grown when hit by the pre-Chritmas snow and ice.

Bought some local PSB today at our farm shop.....£6.75 per kilo! Scandal! :ohm

[Aidy]

Callabrese, found a really good grower and very tasty, so tasty that my 6 year old refuses outright to eat it cooked!!
Ironman from DT Browns.

[stompy]

So is Broccoli just the sprouting type?
I thought it was similar to Callabrese!
I know there's the puple and white sprouting broccoli but as the name sugests thats of the sprouting variety, is there not a none sprouting kind?
Also is purple sprouting broccoli really worth all the effort and the long wait?

[TerryB]

I think Callabresse is sold in the shops as Broccoli.

PSB is it worth the effort?
If you have a large plot and can get it thru the winter, Yes, because it has a great taste and is availble when little else is.

[Stevens706]

I think it is worth the effort, it fills the gap before the other summer veg is ready, it is a long time growing but so do Brussels, savoy cabbage and parsnips.

[stompy]

Thing is i like Parsnips, actually no, i love parsnips, i like brussels too now im all grown up  so i don't mind putting the effort in with those crops.
I did try and grow PSB in my second year, it grew very well and very big, but in if i remember correctly August or September they all bolted.
I never tried them to grow them after that.

[granjan]

Broccoli too for me though sadly I lost mine too this winter 

[stompy]

So let me get this right, Broccoli is only of the sprouting variety, and Callabrese is the only head forming variety?

Is this corect?

[fredhogg]

Correct as far as i know. and by Marshalls seed catalogue..

[iggyboy60]

Stompy,go for F1 varieties of calabrese. I agree that calabrese is a better choice over broccoli,but please avoid the cheap seed called 'Green Calabrese'...its rubbish in my opinion and has produced blind plants when I've grown it before. Fiesta is a good variety and one I would rely on to produce a good head of calabrese for the table

[stompy]

Hi iggyboy60,

I have no problem growing Callabrese, just wondered if Broccoli was any better/different.
I thought that you could get a head forming Broccoli like Callabrese.
But it has become apparent that Broccoli is only of the sprouting variety, not head forming.

I will just keep growing Callabrese and maybe give a few PSB a go again just to see if i can get it through the summer this time 

[Goosegirl]

Now I've got myself confused. I thought calabrese was a posh name for broccoli...mmm. I don't grow PSB or WSB just the green calabrese/broccoli. I love the variety "Corvet" which was widely available but I can only find it at Robinson's Mammoth Onions. I like it cooked slightly soft as it seems to bring out the flavour.

[mumofstig]

according to Wiki
 

There are three commonly grown types of broccoli. The most familiar is a often referred to simply as "broccoli", and sometimes calabrese named after Calabria in Italy. It has large (10 to 20 cm) green heads and thick stalks. It is a cool season annual crop.

Sprouting broccoli has a larger number of heads with many thin stalks. It is planted in May to be harvested during the winter or early the following year in temperate climates. The heirloom variety "calabrese" available in North America is of this type.

Romanesco broccoli has a distinctive fractal appearance of its heads, and is yellow-green in colour. It is technically in the Botrytis (cauliflower) cultivar group.