This time of year I start my search for purple broccoli in the bedding plant section of the nursery. This is one of my favorite winter vegetables for several reasons. This unusual broccoli is different from the regular green varieties with the heads. It is purple, takes up a little more space, and has numerous small heads. Flower buds, stems, and leaves have a delicious nutty flavor, especially after a winter freeze. When cooked, the purple fades and everything turns green. Purple broccoli is a long-lived broccoli that is a little different from regular broccoli when grown. Here’s what you should know:
IT TAKES TIME: It takes a few months from planting the seedlings to harvesting, usually about 200 days before pruning begins. This means that a planting now will bear fruit in late winter next year. It is worth the wait. The plants will continue to bear fruit for many weeks, well into spring.
IT GROWS TALL: These cute little purple broccoli seedlings in the six-packs will grow tall and wide when fully grown. Plants average about 3 feet tall and about that wide when buds first appear. It’s best to plant this broccoli in an area sheltered from the wind or to prop it up, as the plants can topple over in a storm or wind. Large tomato cages work well.
LOW MAINTENANCE: As soon as the rainy season begins, mulch the bed with rice straw. One of the greatest advantages of fall/winter broccoli is that it does not have pests such as aphids and cabbage worms, which can sometimes make the heads and leaves inedible.
LONG HARVEST: Each time you cut off the heads of purple broccoli, new ones will grow. This is an inexpensive crop. Although it takes up space, you can harvest for several weeks.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager of the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has written a gardening column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. You can reach her at 707-834-2661 or [email protected].
