PSB.... thoroughly confused....!

[Jessiebean]

I am in the Southern Hemisphere where it is apparently Summer here (currently having days of 6c-19c on average and windy and rainy) my PSB is still shooting from last year.. does anyone know when I should start my next lot? I can't figure it out for the life of me what with the weather and long growing period!

[Bowlander]

I'd start some off in modules now. However, I'm no expert - this year my PSB flowered when the plants were 6 inches high, the year before rabbits ate them all!!

[Millymollymandy]

I'm confused too! Do you mean you harvested from it last year then left it in place? In which case maybe it is perennial rather than biennial and there's no need to ever sow it again..... how wierd - I'd just enjoy it if I was you!

If it's any use, I usually sow mine in about July and plant out in August but others in the UK do it earlier - I don't because before that any brassicas get massacred by flea beetle and I have a long enough growing season for it to work that way. Then harvest time is about March or April then I pull it out early May after the bees have had their fill of the nectar in the flowers. That would make it about December or January sowing time for you I guess.

[Jessiebean]

I am still eating shoots from my plant which matured in Spring, the one I planted last year- I don't know how long they are supposed to sprout either!

[Millymollymandy]

Oh I see..... thought you meant it had shooted last year and was shooting again this year.... well if your weather stays cool then it will shoot for a long time - hot weather means it will go to seed (flower) in no time at all. Trying to grow PSB in the hotter Aussie states would be nigh on impossible I would think - I tried once when we lived in a place that turned from winter to summer very quickly and got about 2 shoots before it all burst into full flower.

Just enjoy!

[Odsox]

In answer to your question on sowing, I sow mine in early May which would equate to your early November ... so about now would be good.
As MMM says, the cooler the weather the longer it lasts, although eventually the spears will become so spindly and wiry that they won't be worth eating, however cool it is.