[ellied]

I usually manage PSB, sprouts, curly kale etc but am always hopeless when it comes to decent size heads of calabrese and broccoli is one of the things I eat most by choice so it would be nice to grow rather than buy it this time.  I also don't do well with caulis so I assume there is something generic about what I'm feeding (3-4yo rotted horse manure off straw deep litter) or when in the 4 year cycle it is applied, or maybe it's just the cruddy weather and Fife's growing season plus having no polytunnel, but any hints as to how to get a decent green broccoli head, or smaller prolific ones?  Is there an idiot proof variety I could grow that would help? 

[MAK]

Not sure if this helps but I planted calabrese in virgin soil with no added manure or compost last May. I cut out the first central growing head and have eaten multiple side florets. They survived the snow and I have more to pick although the foliage makes me think that I should pull them up after cutting some heads for the freezer.
Sorry but I bought them off the market just to give them a try. My PSB did not crop despite them growing into mini trees ( I had to stake them up) they did not survive a 3 week period of -15 to -20 we had in Feb 2012.
I did not appreciate that calabrese stayed in the ground so long and gave such good repeated crops for such small plants ( compared to PSB that is). 6 plants should do you.

[Fleecewife]

I don't like calabrese     but you can now grow a summer PSB - Bordeaux and Santee I think are the varieties.  We lost all our winter kale, psb etc last season too.
 
A new brassica I have been growing is Brukale Petit Posy - which produces little bunches of very tasty kaley leaves but all the way down the stem like a Brussels sprout.
 
Caulis are notoriously difficult to grow if you have less than perfect conditions.  If you choose an appropriate variety and plant them very close together (about 6" apart) in a block, you get lots of small heads, each one big enough for a meal for one.  They seem to be easier to grow than giants, which can refuse to grow if they get the least setback at any point .  I decided that here they are just too much work, and then they are all ready at once so get wasted     Anyway I prefer psb with all it's leafiness as well as the flower buds.
 
For calabrese, the variety you grow can make a big difference, especially when you live somewhere cold and wet 

[deepinthewoods]

to get big broccoli, you must leave 3ft+ space for each plant. grow them quick, with no stunting.

[ellied]

Thanks - the 3' space is where I've gone wrong then, I'd tried taking the central one out and leaving it in to grow, but  my beds aren't that big and I tend to grow too many seeds for the space and hate chucking them   Maybe one in the courgette space from last year might be more productive then, will give it a go, thanks again