Hey Fellow Floridians - Year 2

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by maxjohnson

I wonder if I will ever get the brocolli heads to sprout. I get big plants, but no heads. I started mine out in December, I wonder if that is too late for Florida or how many months it need to grow them before it get too warm by April. Also if the variety play a big part.

maxjohson,
When you say you started them in December does that mean from transplant or seed. If seed it probably still is early if from transplant it is probably getting a bit late. I certainly wouldn't think it is too early now in terms of heat. Getting late in May could be an issue, it can be here. And yes much depends on variety. For starters with Broccoli, especially in Florida, it's safe to say you always should be using a hybrid variety. Broccoli is generally loosely termed as early, mid or late. I stay away from late varieties and generally favor shorter date to maturity varieties. Two varieties that have worked well for me in Ctr Florida are Packman and Premium Crop. Packman 50 dtm and Prem Crop 58 dtm. If you would like to look for other varieties that have shown to work in Florida you might Google "Broccoli Trials Florida". It would be interested to know what variety you are using to determine if that is a factor in this case? Another issue is what are you growing them in? In the past I tried to grown Broccoli and Cauliflower in native soil and though I could grow plants I had very little success growing decent heads. I currently grow in Raised Beds and compost with much more success. A third question is what have you done in regards to fertilizing the plants? My methods are probably a bit lacking in this area but I do regularly fertilize with 10-10-10 garden fertilizer which is readily available in either of the big box home improvement stores. Broccoli is know to be a heavy feeder and appears to like a fair share of nitrogen. Also regular watering appears very important. If you haven't fertilized in a while it may be good to give them a shot especially with nitrogen.
With a bit more information it may be easier to get closer to what can help you with more success with Broccoli.
Cheers,
Larry

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Larry - Thanks for posting the broccoli pictures the other day. I think having the raised bed full keeps the plant upright reaching for the sun. Next summer, I am going to do this. I'm giving up on the asparagus so that will free up 2 more raised beds. Plus I have 3 raised beds that I used for bok choi, strawberries, this year they were place holders for tomato plants (elevated the tomato plants).
My raised beds are in a horseshoe and probably the best real estate for sun exposure. They use to be really productive. The open part has wooden pallets. I put a couple of tomato containers there; now even elevating them more from the wooden pallets.
Efisakov - If space is a premium, choose broccoli; I've grown both in prior years, and the purple cauliflower was fast but with any cauliflower you get 1 head and that's it. Takes the same amount of space as broccoli which keeps making side shoots. We can buy fresh cauliflower at the supermarket and it is decent. Larry is the broccoli guru.

Barb
Thanks for the compliment even though guru might be stretching it. I think you're right in that when you space broccoli close together all the interior plants become dependent on the surrounding plants for support. I have no proof but I think this also causes the stems to become thinner, in that they don't have to get bigger to deal with wind and their own top heavy weight. It appears to me that having thinner stems allows for greater density of broccoli plants and can result in greater yields.
All the best,
Larry

[efisakov]

I felt that I was falling behind with the time of starting broccoli from seeds, no time to shop on line. My local stores had 2 varieties and both relatively late. The shortest season was Waltham. I will start them tomorrow. Any recommendations on seed starting. I have tomatoes and peppers under the lamp, no space tor the broccoli. Will windowsill work?

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by efisakov

I felt that I was falling behind with the time of starting broccoli from seeds, no time to shop on line. My local stores had 2 varieties and both relatively late. The shortest season was Waltham. I will start them tomorrow. Any recommendations on seed starting. I have tomatoes and peppers under the lamp, no space tor the broccoli. Will windowsill work?

I don't have experience growing broccoli other than in Zone 9b and I haven't grown Waltham 29. However it appears to me that Waltham is on the early side so it may work for you before it gets too hot. Broccoli will germinate at lower temperatures than tomatoes or peppers so your method may be ok, however, if you had a starter heat pad to put under the tray it would probably help with germination. Others have better seed starting methods than I. I go on the cheap. I fill 3 1/2 inch square cups with compost. Next I stick my thumb down in the center of the compost and make a large hole which I fill with seed starter then I plant my seed in that. It works for me with broccoli. Try to get the plants hardened off in the sun as soon as feasible to hurry them along. Also when the plants have developed a bit you might want to give them a little shot of starter fertilizer which can also hurry them along.
Good lucik,
Larry

[efisakov]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

I don't have experience growing broccoli other than in Zone 9b and I haven't grown Waltham 29. However it appears to me that Waltham is on the early side so it may work for you before it gets too hot. Broccoli will germinate at lower temperatures than tomatoes or peppers so your method may be ok, however, if you had a starter heat pad to put under the tray it would probably help with germination. Others have better seed starting methods than I. I go on the cheap. I fill 3 1/2 inch square cups with compost. Next I stick my thumb down in the center of the compost and make a large hole which I fill with seed starter then I plant my seed in that. It works for me with broccoli. Try to get the plants hardened off in the sun as soon as feasible to hurry them along. Also when the plants have developed a bit you might want to give them a little shot of starter fertilizer which can also hurry them along.
Good lucik,
Larry

Thank you, Larry. I am going to try my best. I do not have heat pad. Will figure something else. So excited to grow something new.

[maxjohnson]

Originally Posted by Zone9b

maxjohson,
When you say you started them in December does that mean from transplant or seed.
Larry

Nevermind, I read up romanesco reviews and it seems to be 100-150 days, I think I might transplanted them sometimes in January so they have sometimes to go. I guess I picked the worst variety, people seems to have trouble getting success with this particular one as well. I have seen romanesco heads sold at farmer's market once in South Florida, but they are small in size.

[JaxRmrJmr]

Originally Posted by kayrobbins

University of Florida has a new Florida Fresh app that lets you enter your zip code to find out what vegetables you can plant. I am going to download it today and try it out.
http://news.ifas.ufl.edu/2016/02/fin...ida-fresh-app/

I just downloaded it. Haven't played with it yet, though.

[fromminou]

Glad to see you have a Floridian thread, I am going to dive in. Again thank you

[Barb_FL]

Marsha - When you are spraying for Fungus, etc, how many gallons are you using for your 43 EB + miscellaneous plants?

This is the most consistent I have been with spraying using your organic Spray for Fungus, Bateria, Catepillars formula. I have not added the Dipel b/c catepillars have not made themselves known yet.

We have not had any rain in 4 weeks; but everyday I still need to pick off leaves/branches from plants. The dwarfs are really the biggest offender.

I have been using 2 gallons worth. I don't have any dwarfs in EBs; some in the HD SWC buckets.

---
Can someone tell me what is going on with these leaves? Plant is Lucid Gem; I have 2 LG plants; both super productive; neither was bushy; but the one with the larger fruit looks really bad even though there is a lot of tomatoes set. It is only taking/needing 1/2 Gallon of water per day.

Here is the picture:

[Barb_FL]

Kay/Marsha - This is a photo of leaves from a Dwarf Plant; they were normal and large at one point; but was getting grey mold(?); I cut them all off before taking the picture. One other thing the plant was bright green.

The 2nd photo has nice normal leaves; getting a little beat up b/c of the constant wind we've been having for days now. Wind is especially strong today.

[Zone9b]

Originally Posted by Barb_FL

Can someone tell me what is going on with these leaves? Plant is Lucid Gem; I have 2 LG plants; both super productive; neither was bushy; but the one with the larger fruit looks really bad even though there is a lot of tomatoes set. It is only taking/needing 1/2 Gallon of water per day.

Barb,
I'd like to help but I don't really know much about tomato diseases. It doesn't look like Early Blight though.
Larry

[efisakov]

It looks like Powdery mildew.

[JaxRmrJmr]

Originally Posted by efisakov

It looks like Powdery mildew.

Yep, I fight it every year with my squash. That's what it looks like to me also.

[kayrobbins]

Barb, sorry I have not been keeping up with Tomatoville for a while. I have been trying to get 30 chile peppers planted and my raised beds had a lot of tree roots from the neighbors tree. Digging those out was exhausting. I also had to step up over 100 peppers into gallon pots. I will be selling those at the herb festival the first weekend in April. I sure will be glad when they are gone.

I looked at UF's tomato disease article but nothing looked like your pictures. With your spraying of Marsha's formula it does not seem like you should be having powdery mildew especially with the lack of rain.
http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/...o-Diseases.pdf

I also checked an app on my phone, Tomato MD. It has great pictures of all tomato issues. Nothing looked exactly like you pictures. It probably would have helped to see the leaves you cut off. I honestly don't know what the problem is.

[ginger2778]

See, that's what I think too Kay. Barb, if you have bern spraying regularly, and we haven't had much rain, I dont see how it could be mildew. Copper takes care opf that. I think someone splashed/ had airborne from our high winds, some kind of chemical such as bleach or acid. Looks like that from the splotchy stems.