Broccoli is a cool-season crop, growable in spring or fall, with potential for continual harvest if timed right. A cabbage-family member, it’s rich in vitamins.
Planting Broccoli
- Germinates in soil as cool as 40°F.
- Needs full sun, moist, fertile, slightly acidic soil. Work in 2–4 inches compost or thin manure layer.
- Spring: seed or transplant 2–3 weeks before last frost. Transplants: subtract 10 days from “days to maturity.”
- Fall: seed 85–100 days before first fall frost. In warm climates, fall planting is best. Seed mid–late summer in most areas.
- Plant seeds ½ inch deep or transplants slightly deeper.
- Space 12–24 inches apart in rows, 36 inches between rows.
- Space for side heads: 12–24 inches apart.
- If overseeding, thin to 12 inches.
Care
- Fertilize 3 weeks after transplanting.
- Consistent moisture via regular watering, especially in drought. All varieties need moisture.
- Don’t wet developing heads when watering.
- Roots shallow—don’t cultivate. Suffocate weeds with mulch.
- Mulch keeps soil temps down.
- See more broccoli care tips.
Pests and Diseases
- Flea Beetles
- Aphids: curling leaves indicate sap-sucking. Spray soapy water on all leaf surfaces.
- Downy mildew: yellow patches from moist weather. Keep leaves dry, ensure air circulation. Buy resistant varieties.
- Cabbage loopers: small holes between veins = green caterpillars. Check undersides. Hand-pick or use Bacillus thuringiensis. Floating row covers after planting through harvest prevent caterpillars.
- Cabbageworms: treat as loopers.
- Cabbage root maggots
- Whiteflies
- Nitrogen deficiency: bottom leaves yellow, spreading upward. Apply high-nitrogen (low phosphorus) fertilizer or blood meal.
- Clubroot: quick wilting, gnarled misshapen roots. Remove entire plant gently, don’t compost. Raise soil pH >7.2; may need soil sterilization.
- Woodchucks
Harvest and Storage
- Harvest when head buds are firm and tight, before flowering. If yellow petals appear, harvest immediately.
- Best taste: morning harvest before soil heats.
- Cut heads with ≥6 inches stem.
- Cut main stalk at slant, 5–8 inches below head.
- Side shoots continue developing after main head harvest—weeks of yield, sometimes spring to fall if summer not too hot.
- Refrigerate up to 5 days; dry thoroughly if washed before storing.
- Blanch and freeze up to 1 year.
- More harvest tips.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Green Goliath’: heat-tolerant, side shoots mature for harvest.
- ‘Green Duke’: heat-tolerant, early, great for Southern gardeners.
- ‘Calabrese’: prolific Italian heirloom, side shoots, good for fall.
- ‘Flash’: fast-growing, heat-resistant hybrid, good side shoots, great for fall.
- ‘Paragon’: popular in Canada.
Wit & Wisdom
- 1 oz broccoli = calcium of 1 oz milk.
- Broccoli is incredibly healthy—reacquaint yourself with its benefits.
Recipes
- Broccoli Quiche
- Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
- Firecracker Beef
