The Modern Victory Garden

This is my first year with any cole crop, so I have broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower,brussels sprouts....luckily they seem to have been enjoying our cool wetweather!  I'm not sure....if I can do a first-harvest of the broccoliyet?  The head isn't that big, but it somehow still looks like it's'ready.'  Even the Master Gardeners I know that grow it, only can tell mewhen you can tell you've waited too LONG.  What's your advice?  -- Ineasier news, while the Romaine might get 'bigger,' it definitely looks like Icould start cutting off some leaves!  And you do cut, not rip, right? --the BT on the cole crops appears to be keeping danger away.  And it'sreally so easy -- I made up a gallon spray bottle, and keep it handy, so that'shalf the battle.  I'm spraying about once a week because of the rain -- isthat still enough, with all this dampness?

Wellthere is one other thing I'm disheartened about -- none of the cabbage islooking like cabbage yet -- just big beautiful LEAVES.  Is that right? (Thatno head is forming yet).  This first-time with a crop is perplexing!!

You will get to be an old hand at cole crops and they are a perfect crop for our area.   Good for you making up the spray bottle of Bt and keeping it handy for regular use.   Once a week is excellent in rainy weather - I go two weeks during the dry season.     Now... for your questions:

Broccoli is good to eat any time you have florets formed - whether big or small.   I usually watch the tightness of the flower buds in the head and when it just starts to loosen up abit - that is when it really is best to harvest.   Wait much longer and you will get a bit of flowering (which does not hurt anything but does not look as yummy).   The only risk you have is that you cut a head that if left could turn into a really large main head.   If I am in doubt - I harvest.!   You will get side shoot production from most broccoli varieties that will continue to provide you with florets for quite a while even after the central head has been removed.   On lettuces, I always cut - use a serrated sharp steak knife for most of my harvesting chores.    I harvest lettuce young and often - don't have lots of trouble with bitterness that way and baby lettuces taste so much better to me.   On the cabbages... you can relax!   cabbages grow by creating a large swirl of outer leaves and some loose inner leaves (at first).   Soon you should see the inner leaves begin to kind of curl and grow i towards each other and then the head begins to form.   For  late and mid season varieties that can take quite a while.   I am growing a Savoy cabbage variety this spring and it is just now looking like it might start forming a head in the near future.  

It sounds like you are doing great!

Thanks Laura!  we had some of the lettuce last night, and I am reeeeallly tempted to hit the biggest broccoli, too.....