Thursday 6 April 2017

Purple Sprouting

There's not huge amounts to choose from at this time of year in the garden. 
I still have a few leeks left, lots of chard, nettles (hey their edible, they count!) and my love that is - purple sprouting.
Lets be honest, this is not an easy vegetable to grow. I've described it before as the "footballers wife" of the vegatble world.
It's high maintenance, a heavy feeder, in the plot a long time, every insect wants to eat it and every pigeon from miles around can see it and wants to land on it all winter. 
And every year I think it's not worth the effort, until I eat some. Truth be told, I just love the stuff, my one daughter even eats it raw straight out the garden, I'll often find her snacking off the plant! And there is so little else at the moment that I'd be really lost without it. 

So will I be growing it next year? 
Yep! 
And will it cause me so many problems that I think it's not worth it? 
You can bet on it! 
But come April next year I'm sure I'll feel the same as I do now! 

Who else loves purple sprouting? 

What veg do you grow that's loads of trouble and only worth it when you get to eat it?

13 comments:

  1. Your 'footballers wife' description made me laugh Kev. I think we struggle most with cauliflowers. They are very difficult to grow.

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    1. Cauliflower just isn't worth it in my mind, takes up so much room and something ways goes wrong. I've grown some lovely ones in the past but I've given it a rest for the last few year's.

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  2. Hahaha excellent description. Do you have next years in already? I can't wait to harvest this lot but I didn't get it in until the end of the season last year so I'm not sure what will happen. Only have 3/4 plants (questionable as #4 is unsure if it wants to thrive).
    Did you ever watch River cottage back in the day? They did a hot sauce (as in warm, not cold, rather than spicy) to use to dip your PS broccoli in - I am so going to try it!

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    1. No not in yet, not to the end of may I guess. J lived river cottage, it has quite a bit to answer for really! I'm going to look that sauce up now!

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    2. *loved not lived although I guess I do live it!

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  3. I've never tried it.
    Would keeping it under fabric help with the pests and pigeons?

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    1. Yes! Although it makes it harder to check on it.

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  4. Is this related to the broccoli raab I bought a seed packet for yesterday? I've never grown it before, it says I direct sow it?
    As far as finicky veg, I LOVE pimento peppers but have terrible luck. Each one tastes like victory!

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    1. It is but this one takes a long time to crop (like 300 days to maturity I think)

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  5. That's a lovely plant I've never seen before. Must tell my daughter in law the chef about it. We're eating our first spinach here in Illinois and dying for more sun to dry out garden spaces, Can't wait to get digging!

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    1. It's an amazing plant, and really tasty. Chefs go mad for it over here.

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  6. Since two days ago my last remaining Winter veg' is Swiss Chard (which I love).

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    1. I have load of swiss chard but never know what to do with it.

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