Wednesday, February 3, 2010

tiny broccoli production mystery solved

While I was at Boggy Creek Farm this morning, I asked owner/farmer Carol Ann about my current puney broccoli production, making sure to tell her that the leaves were big and healthy but the buds were tiny.

When I explained I'd planted it from "Di Cicco" variety seed, she immediately raised her eyebrows and told me Di Cicco is an heirloom variety that only produces little bitty buds like mine, not big beautiful heads, ever. So I'll go ahead and harvest my "precious" tiny Di Cicco buds now and seed "Packman" (early-maturing hybrid with big yields) next time.

9 comments:

Annie in Austin said...

What a story, Iris! Isn't it funny how hard we gardeners work at figuring out what we're doing wrong, when so often it is nothing we did!

Good luck with the next batch ;-]

Annie at the Transplantable Rose

BTW I've kept my bay plants in containers up near the house wall rather than in the ground and they seem okay so far.

Iris said...

Annie--Thanks for the potted bay advice! And yes, I had to laugh when Carol Ann told me my broccoli variety WAS behaving as it should.

Anonymous said...

Wow - wonder if that is what is going on with my micro cauliflower.... The more I learn the more I realize I don't know. Thanks for sharing!

Iris said...

Deb--You're welcome! Now that you mention it, I should check my cauliflower's seed packet and see if it's another of the puney producers.

Leslie said...

I bet it was good to know that it wasn't something that you were or were not doing that caused the small heads. What a good resource you have at Boggy Creek Farm.

Iris said...

Leslie--The folks at Boggy Creek Farm are an invaluable resource and just GOOD people! I'm very grateful to know them.

Unknown said...

Hey!I've been meaning to get in touch because I think we live near each other. I love your front yard sans grass and I would l0ve to hear your veggie tales!

Iris said...

Hey Ellie-- Sorry I'm so late coming across your blog! Feel free to email me.

Kathleen Scott said...

The good news and the bad news.

Sounds like you did everything right and it produced up to it's potential.

My CSA farmer tells me broccoli and cauliflower leaves from home/organic gardens are good eating too so maybe you've got more than you thought.