Picking Broccoli

It is difficult to know when to pick broccoli.  The florets start small but continue to grow for a while.  They are ready to pick when they just start to open. 

If they flower you can still eat them, just cook them longer and they will have a stronger flavor.  You can also eat the leaves.  To pick them cut it about 4-6 inches below the floret at an angle. 

 This will allow more of them to grow out to the sides of the original head.  When the heads start getting too small it is time to stop picking them.  You can either eat the leaves or pull up the plants and hang them by the roots in the chicken coop.  According to others chickens are very fond of broccoli.  I was planning on freezing some of these for winter, but we didn't have enough, so we just head a home grown stir fry (ok, we bought local free range chicken, and rice noodles which were not local).