Purple Sprouting Broccoli

[oxbowfarm]

So I am trialing this Purple Sprouting Broccoli. Just planted out 110 plants yesterday. I decided to try it after reading this pdf from UNH cooperative extension. extension.unh.edu/Agric/Docs/BroccoliSheet2010.pdf
I figured that if it worked for them in the hoophouse I could probably overwinter it under my low hoops. The sheet was a little fuzzy about spacing so I ended up planted three rows of it at 12 inch, 18 inch, and 24 inch spacing with 18 inches between the rows. This may be a bit too tight overall but I am not going to devote too much low hoop space to an experimental crop. I've got plenty of space for the low hoops over the winter but I am limited by how much hoops and plastic I have.
Does anyone know anything about Elsoms? I am trying to figure out how you even get seed from them, the appear to be a wholesale seed house from the UK. I ended up buying a packet of
"Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli" from Territorial, only later did I notice that High Mowing had a named variety for sale.

Anyone grow this already? Any tips and tricks? I am taking a flyer on it and hoping it will produce some nice broccoli for me in April. That would be ideal. My main concern is that it would end up producing in March under the low hoops because I have no markets to sell to in March. Only time will tell.

[robertb]

Purple sprouting is big; I plant mine three feet apart. Early Purple is one of the old traditional varieties; there are several modern named varieties on sale here. You might well get bigger heads from them, but see how it goes.

[bonsaioutlaw]

How did your EPSB do this year? I sowed some back in March hoping for a late summer crop. I planted mine on 18 inch centers in a four foot wide bed. I now feel as if they may be too close together.

[oxbowfarm]

Pretty much a total failure... We harvested some for soup and stuff but many of the plants died at the end of March when we had had several weeks of unseasonably warm weather followed by many nights in the mid-teens. All my seed project and overwintered brassicas had started bolting to flower and were severely frost-bitten. The EPSB was very badly damaged. I also dont think the plants were planted soon enough to get to full size and vigor before winter. I will try it again this year.

[johno]

It seems like I read somewhere that it is does better grown as a fall crop.

[bonsaioutlaw]

It rained for the first time in a about a month last night. I hilled them up with four inches of compost right before the last rain. I am probably going to have to support them soon. It's unconventional, but I have decided to "florida weave" them, crossing on each plant.

[diane]

I sow mine in August, except I don't have to sow very often. I cut off the huge stalk that produced in February and March, and new shoots come up for the following year. I've had plants keep going for years. The current plants I think are four years old.

[richardw]

Didn't realize they could grow for years ive grown them in the past but found them prone to Aphids early in spring

[bluelacedredhead]

Third time is a charm. I tried to germinate them in the spring with no luck, and again a month ago. Never saw so much as a shoot. Before I tossed the few seeds that were left, I figured I would try them in the house. Didn't get a great germination rate but I have 4 little sproutlings. But now it's getting to be too late here for transplanting outdoors. So my question is, could they survive overwinter in a cool basement (62F) with a bit of southern exposure light, to be transplanted Early Early Spring once they've achieved some size? There is a wide ledge on the one basement window for plants (previous owner was a horticulturist). I used it last year for some geraniums that I didn't have room for upstairs and they actually bloomed (weakly, but they bloomed).