A really, REALLY stupid question about Calabrese...

[citizentwiglet]

but one that none of the 'experienced' gardeners in the community garden could answer, either....

I have four plants, all of which are getting nice single heads ready for picking. When I cut this head off, what happens? Is that the end of the plant, or does it grow more? If it grows more, how long for? If it doesn't grow more, why does anyone bother growing it?

I said it was stupid.

[Odsox]

It does depend on the variety a bit, but most calabrese plants will produce loads of spears from each leaf joint, and keep on doing it for as long as you keep cutting them ... but they do get smaller and smaller until it's no longer worth the trouble.
Just leave them for a couple of weeks after cutting the main head and see what they do.

[Green Aura]

And you can eat the leaves too, twiggy, so they're not a complete waste of time and space.

[Moonwaves]

I don't think that's a stupid questions at all. Will be very useful to konw if and when I ever actually get myself an allotment/garden.

[red]

yeh we always get a second crop.. and third too, mini spears

[grahamhobbs]

Last year we got our first 'head' the last week of June and after a couple of weeks kept producing spears until the middle of December when the weather stopped it. This was variety Sakura, other varieties did not produce spears so much.

[citizentwiglet]

That's brilliant, thank you. The heads look awfully cute (can a vegetable look 'cute'?), I think I will shed a tear when I mercilessly decapitate one next week for Sunday lunch.......

When I cut it, should I cut a cross in the stem, does anyone know?

[Odsox]

When I cut it, should I cut a cross in the stem, does anyone know?

No, not necessary.
That is for cabbages, and that's debatable anyway, as a cabbage will readily sprout side shoots without resorting to cutting crosses on the stem.