[gowing238]

For the last 3 years i have tried growing calabrese. Start in the greenhouse march/april, move on to 3 then 6" pots then plant out under debry netting.But they always go straight to seed an flower.Think ill give up now if no one got any tips!!!! (calabrese only mind!!! I love my allotment,,,,, specially my shed!!!)

[peapod]

It can be hard to grow!

Greenhouse is OK to start off initially, but if they are in there too long its too warm for them.   Do the usual hardening off as soon as you see two true leaves. Could you direct sow?

Bolting is a sign of stress.  Are you doing something different at the plot? Maybe just expecting them to get on with it once you have put them in? Make sure they are very well firmed in and netted (as you said).

Try not to disturb the main rootball when transplanting into the plot - they hate it.  Water fully when planted and when growing. Add the right nutrients as applies to your soil and dont put any direct solid feed on the foliage or touching the roots as it could 'burn' them.

[Growster...]

There are about seventy-eight million varieties of calabrese/broccoli, Gowing, and we have grown some this year which is totally different from the strain we grew last year.

It is behaving like broccoli - i.e. forming not a top 'knot', but a big spear, and that is superb, but you may be missing this, because they flower very quickly once they're formed!

Try taking of this 'flower' head before it opens too much, (eating it of course), then watching out for side shoots in a week or so's time.

(Actually, I think there are more varieties as well, because every seed manufacturer makes up a new name for a similar veg every three minutes or so, to confuse the customer even more...)!

Oh, and watch out for caterpillars too - they lurk and ocasionally get to the plate if you don't soak the calabrese heads in salt water for an hour or so beforehand. I met up with one halfway through Sunday lunch...

[m1ckz]

i grw sukura this from speedy seed..8 to 10 weeks an i had lovely heads,only about 4 inches across,very tasty,if i tried to get them any bigger they would blow,it was v hot an sunny then,,after the heads where cut a few side shoots came,,i will grow the next year too