Broccoli brings matters to a head today

Kerry A. Thompson

Picking our own lunch is so much fun. We've been watching our first head of broccoli as it's been growing larger over the last few weeks. When we've had gardens in the past, we kept waiting for a grocery-store-sized head of broccoli and waited too long to pick it. Today, the broccoli looked like it was the perfect size (about the size of two handfuls), so Tom brought it in for lunch. Its petite size made a delicious appetizer for two, cut up and eaten raw with ranch dressing. Apparently broccoli plants like their soil in the 65- to 75-degree range, so mulching and cool water are said to help you grow broccoli in warmer weather without it "bolting" (going to flower) too soon. We will need to use those tips in growing the rest of our broccoli to enjoy more appetizers soon.