A gathering place for vegetable gardeners & allotmenteers

Perennial Cauliflowers

Hi All,

Just Wondering If anyone here grows or is thinking about growing the above mentioned veg. There was a article in grow your own magazine this month about this veg, and it has intrigued me somewhat.

I've looked on the internet and found varying yield stats ranging from 8-9 heads per plant right up to one guy getting 39 on one plant in a season.

Any info from anyone growing them would be appreciated.

Gaz.

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Permalink Reply by Neil J on November 13, 2009 at 1:21pm: -------Hi Gary,
This is in fact Nine Star Perennial Broccoli. I have grown it several times in the past. Myself I have usually had up to 10-12 heads on each plant. One large centre head that was like a nice smallish cauli and the others like very full broccoli shoots.

Very small shoots similar to ordinary broccoli can continue to form, but they cannot be classed as a cauliflower head. The secret though is to keep picking them as they come, it keeps the plant perennial.

Lifespan is about 3 years, then the plant gets really ropy. It does go through a stage of looking rough after cropping, but a little organic fertilizer picks it up again.

Make sure the ground is well limed with garden lime, to ensure that it does not develop clubroot, and when they have been removed, don't grow any Brassica family for around 4 years to be safe.

Seeds can be found at Chiltern Seeds
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Permalink Reply by Gary on November 13, 2009 at 10:00pm: Thanks Neil.

I thought it was broccoli, so thanks for confirming that. I'm always on the lookout for veg that you don't just pull up after just one season so this one sounds like a winner.

Gaz.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Lesley Richards on March 11, 2010 at 10:44pm: Hi there,

Just joined the site and noticed your question re perennial cauliflowers. I think we must have read the same article in 'Grow your own' and it is cauliflowers (not broccolli). I sent off for some plants (you can't buy the seed for these in the UK), I think they were £1.35 each. They are called 'Cut and Come Again' cauliflowers and you can get them from www.victoriananursery.co.uk It says they should produce ten or more heads per plant each year for up to 5 years and are totally frost hardy (which is a real plus as I'm growing then in NE Scotland!) I'll also be growing the Nine Star perennial broccoli for the first time this year so it was great to hear Neil's experience of that.

Hope this helps
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Permalink Reply by Neil J on March 13, 2010 at 6:13pm: --------Hi Lesley,
I am not sure why Victoriana states that they cannot sell the seed because of the EU. Chilterns are out of stock for 2010, but Thompson & Morgan have got them in for sale, so they cannot be off the EU register.

Keep on buying them everybody as it will mean it's worth seed stockists to keep them registered. Nine Star is a great variety and will produce caulis where some people fail with the real thing, so to speak.

Good luck with them for this year, Lesley.

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