Purple sprouting broccoli sown in May fills the hungry gap
Short answer
Sow purple sprouting broccoli from mid-April to early June, in modules or a seedbed, and plant out from late May to mid-July. It grows all summer, stands through winter, and crops from late winter to May, just when little else is ready. Stake the plants and net them against pigeons.
Purple sprouting broccoli sowing calendar
From the VegLog crop library. Change the frost dates to match your garden.
Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.
- Sow indoors
- mid-April to early June
- Sow outdoors
- mid-April to early June
- Plant out
- late May to mid-July
- Harvest
- late December to mid-May
Spacing, depth and good neighbours for purple sprouting broccoli
Sow purple sprouting broccoli from mid-April to early June. Plant it out from late May to mid-July, let it grow all summer, and it stands through winter to crop from late winter until May.
That timing is its great value. It’s ready in the hungry gap, the stretch from March to May when the winter crops are finishing and the spring sowings aren’t ready yet.
Sowing
Sow 1.5 cm deep, two seeds to a module, and thin to the stronger seedling. You can also sow thinly in a seedbed outside and transplant later. Seedlings appear in about a week.
May is a good month for most varieties. Choose a mix of early and late varieties to spread the harvest:
- Early varieties, such as Rudolph, can crop from around Christmas.
- Late varieties, such as Claret, crop into April and May.
Planting out
Plant out when the young plants are 10 to 15 cm tall, from late May to mid-July.
- Choose a sunny spot with firm soil. Don’t dig just before planting; tread the soil instead.
- Plant 60 cm apart, in rows 60 cm apart.
- Plant a little deeper than they were in the pot, and firm each one in hard.
- Water well, then cover with fine netting.
Nasturtiums and dill grow well nearby. Keep it away from strawberries. Plant it where no brassicas grew last year, as part of a crop rotation.
Summer and autumn
Keep the netting on. Cabbage white caterpillars attack in summer and pigeons strip the leaves in winter. Water in dry spells, especially in the first month.
Plants grow to about 90 cm. In autumn, draw soil up around the stems and tie each plant to a strong stake before the winter gales. A plant that rocks loose in the wind crops poorly.
Picking
Cut the central shoot first when it’s about 10 to 15 cm long and the buds are still tight. Side shoots then grow along the stem. Keep picking every few days. The more you pick, the more shoots it makes, for about eight weeks.
Pick before the yellow flowers open. Once they do, the shoots get tough and the plant stops making new ones.
Common problems
Pigeons. Leaves stripped to the stalks in winter. Net plants all winter.
Caterpillars. Holes in leaves in summer. Keep the netting closed and check for eggs.
Clubroot. Stunted plants with swollen roots. Rotate beds and lime acid soil.
Wind rock. Loose plants after a gale. Stake and firm them.
Kale is the other hungry-gap staple: see when to sow kale. Set your own frost dates on the purple sprouting broccoli page.
Questions people also ask
When is purple sprouting broccoli ready?
Usually from February to April, with early varieties starting around Christmas and late ones running into May. It's ready when the shoots are about 10 to 15 cm long and the flower buds are still tight.
Why does purple sprouting broccoli take so long?
It needs a cold winter to trigger the shoots, so it sits in the ground from summer to spring. That's why it takes up space for most of a year.
Can I grow it in a small garden?
It takes about 60 cm each way and stays in for most of the year, so it's best in a bigger plot. In a small garden, two or three plants still give a good spring crop.
Dates set to your own frost dates
VegLog works out sowing and planting times for your town, then reminds you when each job is due.
