I don't think they can behave as perennials because when they reach the flowering stage, even if you cut off the flowers, the plant is still in the reproductive mode and will keep trying to flower. The seeds seem to take forever to mature - mine started flowering in March and just now are all the seeds mature. The seeds pod (though not a true pod) will begin to turn yellow and then brown. I've read that they will not mature after removing from the plant. Once the seed pods turn brown, they will crack open very easily if touched and the seeds will burst out. The seeds all begin to mature at about the same time, it takes about 3 weeks for all seeds to be dry, with the earliest flowering ones coming first. I haven't tested the germination of any of the seeds I saved yet. I will try a couple of the plants in the fall. I will have mystery plants though as I had Jade Cross E hybrids and Long Island Improved (open pollinated) flower at the same time and a few broccoli plants flower. The plants produce a very large amount of seed; I haven't counted but I can see thousands of seed from the small amount I harvested so far and I have about 10 plants total.

These were not just a few aphids! They were covering the plants and down into the leaves of the buds! Yuk! I sprayed before pulling because there were so many and I didn't want to shake them (live) all over the rest of the garden! I think they've already hit my new broccoli. I've never HAD aphids in the 6-7 years I've been vege gardening. What I have now is chard, some snow peas, some late green beans, I'm just pulling up the tomatoes, some broccoli and I have lettuce and beets ready to plant. Do aphids bother any of these, or should I shut down the garden for the winter?

The sharp spray of water is a very effective and does not require lugging a hose around, any pump sprayer will produce that sharp water spray. Was a good, reliable soil test done on the soil before planting? Were any of these simple soil tests done with that soil? Structure. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. A good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer you soil will smell. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy. Is your soil clay, sand, loam, gravel? What is the level of organic matter in that soil, the humus level?

I just started my seeds, and the plants set out in early July will stay compact until mid-August. I use single stakes, but don't tie the plants to them until they start to elongate, usually around Labor Day. Most plants will show a tendency to lean in a certain direction, and I place the stake on the support side. Like DDirt, I use cloth strips. We get a lot of wind in the fall and early winter, and plants that curve or fall over don't produce nearly as well as those that stay upright.