Nine Star Broccoli/Cauliflower

'Nine Star' a perennial broccoli lasting 4/5 years

Other plant names

 

 

Nine Star 

Brassica Oleraceae 

Family Oleraceae

Incredible Vegetables attribute it's origins...
"The plant was originally developed by Charles Curtis from Cambridgeshire who bred it (around 1928)."

Two stories of origin

Backyardlarder.co.uk
"The earliest reference I could find to this vegetable is in The Gardeners’ Magazine 1907. Its development is credited to Mr W. Crisp of Heathfields, Fordham Heath, near Colchester, and it is reported to be a cross between one of the single headed varieties and a sprouting kind. The writer describes a specimen in its fourth year giving nine heads with three of the largest measuring 11, 10 and 8½ inches across. Now that would really be worth growing! "

This is a star plant, with a lovely head like a baby cauliflower and side satellites of sprouting mini heads. The leaves can be steamed like kale.

Planting Nine Star

I managed to get hold of some Canadian seed from Etsy, a company called Small Island Seed Co. The seeds were quick to propagate and I think all seeds were viable. I was quite surprised and then I felt I had too many but I made a plan on gifting some to friends in the spring. I brought big yellow plant labels because I'm planting so many perennials, I decided they need a marker that would stand the years and I could write on them the year they were planted.
I sowed my seeds in pots in the polytunnel in September with my usual mix of fine compost and perlite/vermiculite. I have continued to over wintered them in the polytunnel when I will put them out in their bed in the spring after the frosts.

Growing Guide

Propagate from seeds or the side shoots in the springtime. Sow indoors before the frosts come. Don’t plant where previous brassica have been recently to avoid club root. Mulch the base with manure/compost each autumn as they are hungry plants. 

Don’t let it go to seed apparently it make them die off. However, Anna Kelsey reports that when she tried this the plant happily came back the next year. 

Harvest Guide

Don’t over crop the leaves as it will reduce the size of the heads.

One heads produced in April followed by 5-10 smaller heads from the side shoots.

 

Little Details

Perennial 4/5 years, though some reports lasting just 3 years (Ken Fern).

height 60-90cm and width 60-90cm 

Cabbabge whites and pigeons love them, protection needed.

If damaged they can be cut back to 15-30cm and should recover. 

Hardy to zone 8

 

 

 

Edible Uses

Leaves can be eaten when small and cooked like spring greens..

The heads can be eaten raw or cooked like broccoli or cauliflower. 

 

 

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