{"product_id":"early-purple-sprouting-broccoli-seeds","title":"Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) Seeds – English Heirloom Since 1793, Cold-Hardy, Sweet Nutty Purple Shoots, Overwinters to 10°F","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMinimum: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e50+ Seeds\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOverwintering Since 1793\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eMost broccoli asks you to race the heat before it bolts. This variety does the opposite, planted in summer to overwinter through hard freezes, then sending up sweet, nutty purple shoots the following spring when little else in the garden is producing. Documented in England since 1793, Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli has stayed in cultivation for over two centuries for one simple reason: it delivers fresh, tender harvest when almost nothing else does.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho Grows Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe cold-climate gardener wanting a genuine overwintering crop for early spring harvest.\u003cbr\u003eThe heirloom seed saver preserving an authentic variety with documented 18th-century roots.\u003cbr\u003eThe four-season grower wanting fresh harvest during the traditional garden off-season.\u003cbr\u003eThe cook seeking a sweeter, nuttier flavor than supermarket broccoli offers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat This English Heirloom Actually Is\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eBrassica oleracea\u003c\/em\u003e var. \u003cem\u003eitalica\u003c\/em\u003e 'Early Purple Sprouting' is a broccoli heirloom documented in England since 1793, grown not for a single head but for numerous small, purple-tinged flowering shoots produced over an extended harvest window. Plants are sown in summer and grow through fall into a hardy, overwintering stalk surviving temperatures down to around 10°F, then bolt into a heavy flush of tender shoots in late winter to early spring as days lengthen. The shoots carry a sweeter, nuttier flavor than standard broccoli, with tender stems needing no peeling. Because it's biennial, harvesting properly means picking the many small shoots as they appear rather than waiting for one large head. Hardy as a biennial in zones 6 through 9.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn the Garden \u0026amp; Kitchen\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eExtended spring harvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pick shoots regularly over several weeks as they appear, prompting continued production.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSteamed or sautéed shoots:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cook tender stems and buds lightly to preserve their naturally sweet, nutty flavor.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOverwintering crop:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grow as a genuine cold-season staple that fills the early spring harvest gap.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeirloom preservation:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grow and save seed to help keep a documented 18th-century variety in circulation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCut-and-come-again harvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Treat like a cutting crop, removing shoots to prompt continued production.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePollinator support:\u003c\/strong\u003e Allow a few plants to flower fully in spring for an early nectar source for bees.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowing Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli Seeds\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStart method:\u003c\/strong\u003e Direct sow or start indoors in early to midsummer for a fall-established, overwintering plant.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTiming:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sow June to July in most climates, timed so plants reach a sturdy size before hard frost.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGermination:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sprouts in 7-14 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Space plants 18-24 inches apart for full growth over the season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSunlight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fertile, well-drained soil supports the strongest overwintering growth.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWatering:\u003c\/strong\u003e Consistent moisture through establishment; reduce as plants harden off.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOverwintering:\u003c\/strong\u003e Plants persist through winter as a hardy stalk, resuming growth in late winter.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHarvest:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pick shoots regularly from late winter into spring once a few inches long.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Reliable to around 10°F once established; a genuinely cold-hardy biennial vegetable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSuccession note:\u003c\/strong\u003e A single planting provides an extended harvest, unlike single-head broccoli varieties.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBefore You Close This Page\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is the broccoli that turns the coldest, least productive stretch of the garden year into a genuine harvest season. Early Purple Sprouting Broccoli has stayed in continuous cultivation since 1793 because it does something few other vegetables manage, delivering sweet, tender shoots through late winter and early spring when the garden would otherwise be empty. Sow it in summer, let it overwinter, and harvest it long after everything else has gone quiet. Grow the broccoli that's proven itself for over two hundred years.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"terramatergardens","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54443210080574,"sku":"11617","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/8836\/7166\/files\/candles-5883.png?v=1789934915","url":"https:\/\/www.terramatergardens.com\/products\/early-purple-sprouting-broccoli-seeds","provider":"Terra Mater Gardens","version":"1.0","type":"link"}