Store Purple Sprouting Broccoli Seeds in a dry, cool place for up to five years. Once the flowers have bloomed and produced seed pods, let them dry and carefully remove them from the plant. Broccoli will cross pollinate with other members of the cabbage family such as cauliflower, and isolation of at least 1/4 a mile is recommended to prevent cross breeding. Seed Saving: Allowing broccoli to produce seed will take an entire growing season, and may require digging up the plants for the winter or mulching them well. Side shoots will continue to develop along the stem, and can be harvested as well the plant will keep producing as long as weather conditions are favorable. Harvest them while they are still tight, and before the tiny buds begin to open cut them with the stems attached, since these are also edible. Harvesting: The first small heads of broccoli should be ready to harvest in early spring, about 220 days after planting. Mulch helps discourage weeds and regulate soil temperature, and several applications of fertilizer or compost will also be needed. Growing: Keep the young plants watered and remove weeds carefully. For companion planting benefits, plant broccoli with herbs, potatoes, or onions avoid planting it with tomatoes or pole beans. For direct sowing seeds, plant these purple sprouting broccoli seeds 1/2" deep and 12" apart in full sun and rich soil, after the last expected spring frost thin them to 3' apart. Shortly after the last frost, prepare the ground with organic matter or fertilizer when the seedlings reach about 6" tall, plant them 1-2' apart in rows 2-3' apart. The best way to keep birds out of the garden is to be working there, or have dogs or cats working there, but of course this isn’t possible for all daylight hours.Sowing: Purple Sprouting Broccoli Seeds grow best in cool weather, so starting the seeds indoors 5-6 weeks before the last expected frost will ensure a faster crop. Attract insectivorous species with nesting boxes and feed them in severe winter weather. For most of the year birds eat enormous numbers of pests and should be actively encouraged. You only want to keep certain birds out of the garden at certain times. However if you don’t explain this to them very clearly, they will probably just eat it in addition to the seedlings. Some people suggest putting out a little old seed in the paths for birds to eat, so they won’t bother the crop. You can also make individual wire cloches. Grow these Purple Sprouting Broccoli seedlings for tasty purple heads of broccoli in late winter before other crops appear. To simplify this you could make some wooden frames covered in bird netting or chicken wire, Make these the same size as the bed and just drop them on. Purple Sprouting BroccoliBrassica oleracea italica Wow, a beautiful highly productive and much sought after broccoli variety. This is a pain to erect and deal with, but don't neglect it. If birds disturb your seed beds, you will probably have to net them, otherwise you may lose the whole planting. At my last garden they got so bad I had to net 3 ft tall plants. They also love Brassicas and in winter they may strip whole plants. In my garden the quail are looking for tender green foliage all summer (I never get the succulent weed Purslane in my garden, because they eat it all). Many birds relish the tender growth of new seedlings and this can be a big problem in early spring when other foods may be scarce. Smarter birds wait until the newly germinating seeds show themselves above ground and then pull them out and eat them. Some birds will dig around in the soil to find newly planted seeds (this often explains why the seedlings just never appear). Though many birds are important predators of garden pests, some will eat your precious crops. Birds and vegetable gardens have an ambivalent relationship.
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