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Old 23-03-2008, 12:57 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.gardens
Bob Hobden Bob Hobden is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,056
Default what is going on with my broccoli?


"Mr. Green" wrote ...
I'm in central Texas. It's been a fairly mild spring. This is a new garden
I setup this year in the west part of the lawn. I added some organic
matter but he soil still has a lot of clay. The plants get about 6 to 8
hours of full sun. I've kept them well watered. I dont know much about
gardening but I think broccoli should have nice dence edible buds. The
onions in the back part of the picture are doing fine. The broccoli does
not look healthy to me.

I always thought Broccoli was a plant for cool climates. However perhaps
there are now varieties for higher temperatures, not living in such a place
I don't know. :-)

Some have one tight head followed by some little ones and we call these
types "Calabrese", others are what we call "Sprouting Broccoli" (often
purple) and have lots of small heads which keep coming the more you cut them
off. They all bolt to flowers if you leave them though.

Clay is a fertile soil but can be on the acid side, so as all Brassicas like
an alkaline soil check you soil pH (kits are available), it should be more
than pH7 (neutral) and if it's below that it's acid so you need to use Lime
to improve it for your brassicas next year.
BTW Clay is only a problem for you not your plants. :-)

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK