Broccoli 'Purple Sprouting Early'

Purple Sprouting Early is an open-pollinated broccoli variety with attractive purple florets. It produces a small central head with many additional side-shoots with tender florets throughout the growing season once the main head is picked. 14 to 16 weeks to harvest. Each packet contains 120 heirloom seeds.
Broccoli 'Purple Sprouting'
Broccoli 'Purple Sprouting'
Price Per Packet: $ 2.50

Growing Advice

Photo by Christian (CC BY 2.0).

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea Italica Cultivar Group

Common Name: Broccoli 'Purple Sprouting Early'

Family: Brassicaceae

Origin

Purple sprouting early is an English heirloom broccoli variety.  Because of its English origin purple sprouting early will grow best and produce larger heads when grown in cooler climates of Australia.

Culinary Uses

Purple spouting broccoli florets are not only highly decorative but also very tasty with little bitterness and a tender texture.  The raw florets add a wonderful purple colour to salads.  Broccoli florets can also be steamed, stir-fried or diced and added to soups.  The stems are actually sweeter than the florets so be sure to harvest plenty of the stem when picking broccoli heads.  Broccoli that has been left on the plant too long are still perfectly edible, even if the flowers have started to open, although they'll be less crunchy.  Broccoli leaves are also edible, they make a great green leafy vegetable and have a kale-like taste although they're stronger in flavour so are best cooked.

Growing Tips

Purple sprouting early broccoli grows best in a full sun position, however gardeners in warmer climates may prefer to plant it in a lightly shaded location to reduce heat stress during hot days.  Purple sprouting early broccoli has excellent frost resistance, in fact it'll actually makes it taste sweeter.  Broccoli plants are heavy feeders so require a fertile soil rich in organic matter to grow well.  If your soil is sandy, heavy with clay or pale and lacking in organic matter place down a layer of compost or well-rotted manure prior to planting broccoli.  To support the early leafy growth required to eventually provide the energy for broccoli florets to develop you should top dress around your broccoli seedlings with a nitrogen-rich organic fertiliser such as blood and bone a few weeks after planting.  Water broccoli plants regularly, allowing them to dry out for too long will cause stress and make them bolt prematurely resulting in smaller heads.  Mulch around broccoli plants to help retain soil moisture and keep their root systems cool.  Broccoli plants can sometimes suffer from brassica club root disease which deforms the roots and inhibits the uptake of soil nutrients.  Club root disease is more likely to occur in loose, open soils and you can reduce its incidence greatly by compacting your growing soil before planting broccoli.  The best way to compact your soil is by walking over it before planting and by firming down around any seedlings after planting.  Cabbage white butterfly caterpillars are a major pest of broccoli and other brassica plants.  To control them spray a commercially available organic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) solution over all leaf surfaces and florets regularly according to the label instructions.  Bacillus thuringiensis is a selective bacterial bio-control agent that targets the digestive system of caterpillars preventing them from eating and eventually killing them.

When to Sow

In cold and mountainous regions of Australia sow purple sprouting early broccoli seeds during Spring.  In temperate regions of Australia sow purple sprouting early broccoli seeds from mid Summer through to late Autumn, growing during cooler temperatures will allow the stems and heads to develop more sweetness.  In subtropical regions of Australia sow purple sprouting early broccoli seeds from mid to late Autumn.  Broccoli is unlikely to grow well in the tropics.

How to Sow

Sow purple sprouting early broccoli seeds 6mm deep.  Space purple sprouting early broccoli about 35cm apart to provide enough room for leaf and root growth, allow airflow between plants and avoid competition for soil moisture, nutrients or light.  Purple sprouting early broccoli can be sown direct or started in punnets.  Seedlings started in punnets that have become leggy should be planted deeply to support their stems and prevent them toppling over in strong winds.

Germination Time

Purple sprouting early broccoli seeds germinate quickly and consistently with most seedlings emerging 7 to 10 days after sowing.

Time to Harvest

Purple sprouting early broccoli takes from 14 to 16 weeks to produce their first, central head.  Once the main head is harvested don't pull out the plants as this is a sprouting variety that will continue to produce smaller side shoots, greatly extending the cropping period.