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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] CSA Broccoli Question and Fall Planting Questions

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  • From: "cjmaness AT juno.com" <cjmaness AT juno.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] CSA Broccoli Question and Fall Planting Questions
  • Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:52:49 GMT

Allan,
I'm not sure what our broccoli weighed, since most of the weight comes from
the stalk, and we don't cut with a lot of stock. We leave as much as possible
to get the side shoots. We probably make more money off the side shoots than
the whole head. No matter how many times we explain broccoli to our
customers, they still think we sat up all night cutting up their broccoli for
them! It's back breaking work though, snapping off all those little sprouts.
Our average head size was probably around 6- 6.5". In an earlier discussion
about head size, someone (Bob?) mentioned that plant spacing would increase
head size. We have always grown on 18" spacing, but our fall planting we will
go 24" and see if we can get a larger head.

I think, if you over harden off broccoli it can "button" which is the small
head size. I've never had that happen so I don't know for sure. I usually try
and get mine out of the greenhouse a week before transplanting. Sometimes
that works, other years they go straight from greenhouse to field. Honestly I
don't know if it really makes that much difference. I think this year, with
the rather extreme temperatures we kept having it probably helped to have
hardened off plants. Out of the 2000 we put out, we maybe lost 3 to the cold.
This year in particular convinced us that early is the way to go with
broccoli.
We were picking our first broccoli on April 24th. With a market that opens
April 1st, it was nice to have something to go with our asparagus and lettuce.
Carla
Perkins, OK

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