Nine Star Perennial Broccoli

[jayb]

My plants are doing there first winter, so far they are looking very healthy but only the one main stem, I was hoping they might bush up a bit early on. Looking forward to these starting to crop, I had wondered if they might be quite early this year as it's been so mild to date.

Took this picture earlier today of one of the plants, hoping to take some cuttings if they start to branch. The leaves have a cauliflower look to them.

Anyone else grow or growing them?

[Galina]

Not yet - but I managed to get a packet of seeds from Pennards. What is the spacing you use, the plant looks big?

I am growing (I think - lost label, only one plant survived first winter two years ago) 'Asparagus kale' from HSL. With white flowers. This is producing shoots with florets now, but not tight florets like cauliflower. Still what a boon and long before PSB!
I detached and rooted a couple of shoots last year and hope they will come through winter. The shoots were a bit small, as it was an afterthought last year. But the technique of rooting side-shoots (learned from the perennial Daubentons) is a useful one. Hope it works for you for making more 9-star perennial plants. Probably best to start quite early in spring and not delay taking shoots for rooting.
If you like to get a few more 9-star seeds, I'll happily add some to your seed envelope .

[jayb]

I planted them at the same spacing as PSB, depending on how they do/taste I might start a few plants this spring. I'd have the option of saving for seed then. I'm also thinking Nine Star x PSB (I think I'm growing Claret this year) might be a fun combination though Claret is an F1 which might be unhelpful!

It's been a funny old year I had calabrese still producing outside in December, I've some red cabbage still standing - normally any not picked would have rotted. I had wondered if the PSB would have started to flower early this year but no sign so far. Lucky you though, your Asparagus Kale shoots sound delish!

Thanks for the offer of seeds but I still have some seeds in the pack (from Pennards too,) they are a few years old now but germinated ok last year.

[betony]

Wow, how on earth did you get seeds from Pennard's? They seem to be continually out of stock when I visit the site. I can't find seed anywhere, all other stockists who usually sell them are also out of stock.

Btw, this is my first post, go easy on me

[Galina]

Welcome Betony!, nice to meet up :-)
I think I was lucky and it was early enough in the season. I ordered in early December and there were still seeds available then. I think Victoriana do (or did) plants as an alternative. I have a faint recollection that Brown Envelope Seeds from Ireland also did them at some stage. Victoriana take pre-orders: https://www.victoriananursery.co.uk/..._N_Come_Again/
Maybe the others will also let you know when they have stock again.

[jayb]

Hi Betony, great to have you join
They are from a few years ago and I think I was just lucky. I was keeping an eye out for some for a friend in Canada and grabbed a couple of packets when I spotted them. I may have had a spare pack but I likely put it into a seed swap.
I’m planning on sowing some a bit later this spring, not sure of the germination, but I might end up with a few spare seedlings if you haven’t found any seeds by then?

[betony]

Hi Betony, great to have you join
They are from a few years ago and I think I was just lucky. I was keeping an eye out for some for a friend in Canada and grabbed a couple of packets when I spotted them. I may have had a spare pack but I likely put it into a seed swap.
I’m planning on sowing some a bit later this spring, not sure of the germination, but I might end up with a few spare seedlings if you haven’t found any seeds by then?

Thanks for your reply and sorry for the delay in responding; for some reason I completely forgot about this forum I'm still having no luck finding anywhere with seed in stock. I may take you up on your kind offer soon.

[jayb]

Thanks for your reply and sorry for the delay in responding; for some reason I completely forgot about this forum I'm still having no luck finding anywhere with seed in stock. I may take you up on your kind offer soon.

Good luck

[jayb]

At last, some progress-



This one is the furthest ahead, the others are still a little way off heading up. But that's no problem, I'd rather they are a bit staggered.

[Hector1]

I've got some arriving in August

[jayb]

Great, seeds or plants?

[Hector1]

Plugs I am beyond pleased to be getting this plant

[jayb]

Know what you mean, I'm getting drooly in anticipation for the first pickings

[Galina]

Some of my plants. I gave them so much space (or so I thought) but they need quite a bit more space than regular cauliflowers. Hope they will make their first winter ok.

[jayb]

They were looking great with you, how are they doing now?
I'm afraid I left all of mine go to seed so they died. I did manage to save some seed, which I've started off a little earlier, I'm not sure to the purity...

I've also sown the last of my 9 Star seed, hoping I get enough through to adult to save them all for seed.