Purple Sprouting Broccoli

cowslip2

At this time of year we are usually tucking into this lovely vegetable, but I am beginning to
wonder if the return is worth the effort. I realise, in this country, we cannot achieve those large heads available in supermarkets. Has anyone grown a variety that produces a worthwhile crop, I wonder. Lots of varieties, but most seem to only produce small shoots for a week or two.

Dovefromabove

Could you be confusing two different vegetables?  The large heads of broccoli found in the supermarket are Calabrese.  You can grow it in your garden 
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/Calabrese

Purple Sprouting and White Sprouting broccoli are from the same family, but different types and will never ever grow as big as Calabrese. 
https://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/broccoli-seeds-summer-purple-pid1963.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMImOKz7q7q2gIVy7vtCh3FrwJ5EAQYBCABEgLAuvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Whenever I've grown a few plants of purple sprouting broccoli it's always produced loads and loads of lovely tender spears from very early spring through until about now.  

Purple Orange

I found that if I pick the centre 'head' it produces lots of side florets. Bit like a hydra.

Skandi

I finally managed to get three plants (from 8) to survive the winter, one of them is probably going to produce around 700g of broccoli, the other two are being slower! For me it's not worth it to grow, tried three years in a row and only managed to overwinter them once, must be right on the hardyness limit here.

Blue Onion

Even when mine cropped, they were always bitter and ruined the stir-fry. 

Dovefromabove

Very puzzled here ... I've always found it a doddle as long as I'm able to fend off the caterpillars and pigeons and stop the East Anglian gales from blowing it over. 

cowslip2

Most interesting answers and ideas, thank you. Yes Dove, I follow you. I don't think I have ever grown Calabrese. I have been growing sprouting broccoli to follow on from sprouts, I think it is known as the "hungry gap". I now look forward to the pea season! How we live and learn. 

raisingirl

They are very big plants so I don't grow many - two this year. I usually grow 'Claret' which is a late variety - it's in full production now, has been for maybe 3 weeks. I'm struggling to keep up with it at the moment. I should think it'll start to peter out in another 2 or 3 weeks unless it gets away from me and starts to flower - then they stop producing quite quickly IME.
I grow a few types of winter kale and I find this late PSB picks up as the kale begins to bolt and tides us over until the peas start to produce