Broccoli flowers (flashback!)
No real farming action today, but here’s an alternate entry from 2-Oct-2007—never let a perfectly serviceable post go to waste!: On my way to seed saving, I tend to let things go to seed! Here, the secondary shoots in a bed of Early Dividend broccoli have exploded, the tiny green beads turning into a gently rolling sea of miniature flowers on long thin stems. Unfortunately, the eventual seed from this hybrid variety wouldn’t be reliable…but it’s a step in the right direction! Also going to seed around the field: lettuce, radish, cauliflower… There’s some cleaning up to do. :)
Tags: broccoli, flowering, seed
Somewhat related posts: • Broccoli vs cauliflower • Simpson Elite • First cuts • Flowers galore • Flowers on my mind…
Somewhat related posts: • Broccoli vs cauliflower • Simpson Elite • First cuts • Flowers galore • Flowers on my mind…
Love Apple Farm said,
December 8, 2007 @ 9:23 pm
We like to leave a few things go to flower just for the bees, and the chef who likes to use the buds and blooms. It’s interesting how most of the flowers from these vegetables, like cauliflower, taste really good. I also had a half bed of purple cauliflower go quickly from harvest-size to flowering before I had a chance to cut it all. That was a really hot couple of weeks in mid October for us here in California. Gardening in climates that easily change from cold to hot can be a challenge. My winter crops sometimes don’t know what to do when we have 80 degree temps in January, and then the next week we don’t get above 50 (during the day, of course). Love the photo.
Love Apple Farm said,
December 8, 2007 @ 9:30 pm
That’s such a fun video! I had a smile on my face the whole time. Have you seen the vegetable orchestra one on youtube? http://www.youtube.com/user/vegetableorchestra
Mike (tfb) said,
December 9, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
Cynthia, that was…entertaining! Afterwards, I went to the veggie orchestra’s web site and read through the whole Q&A section—yet another unusual thing you can do with your life! :) I also checked out your blog. It sounds like an incredibly cool set-up with the restaurant. You know what I’d really like to read about? How you manage all the tomato varieties for the stand. I mean, on one hand, it’s common sense, but in the middle of the main season, it seems to me like an incredibly big task to harvest even a dozen varieties, make a separate info card for them, keep them sorted, and talk about them in any reasonable amount of time. I’ve grown at least 50 varieties every season (tops was I think around 70), though only 6-12 each of most, but never actually harvested more than half a dozen for separate presentation. Mostly I mix ‘em, or sort by general type, and list all the varieties together… But thinking about that can wait for a while. :) Oh, and biodynamics is still largely a mystery to me, I think I get the general principles, but the day-to-day I’m not clear on…
Kevin said,
December 10, 2007 @ 12:31 pm
I feel so selfish every time I visit this blog. Leave broccoli to the bees!? NEVER! Broccoli in the south only lasts until May, but every side sprig gets eaten. The bees shall have none of it!
To be fair, they are getting fed on the flowers of squash, beans, tomatoes, peppers, watermelon and possibly even possibly okra by that time. They’re not starving :).
Hey, do bees swarm corn tassels up north too? Or is that just a southern thing?
Mike (tfb) said,
December 12, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Hey, Kevin: Hmmm, I don’t grow much corn, but I haven’t noticed bees on the corn. And there’s a beekeeper (sells honey) less than half a mile away (he’s the red barn and buildings in the distance you see in all of the long shots). I’ll keep an eye out next year when I try again…