Broccoli is a hardy vegetable that develops best during cool seasons of the year. Two crops per year (spring and fall) are possible in most parts of the country, especially with continuous improvement in fast maturity and heat tolerance that extends the life of broccoli through all but the hottest parts of the season. It belongs to the cole crop family (Brassica oleracea), which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi.
Quick Guide to Growing Broccoli
Plant broccoli during the cool weather of early spring and fall. Grow it in containers or an in-ground garden.
Space broccoli plants according to the label (usually 18 inches apart). Choose a location with full sun, easy access to water, and fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 (amend soil with lime if necessary).
Before planting, improve native soil by working in several inches of compost or other rich organic material.
Keep soil moist by giving broccoli plants 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.
Make the most of your broccoli growing efforts by regularly feeding with a continuous-release plant food.
Lay down a thick layer of organic mulch made from finely ground leaves or bark to preserve soil moisture and prevent weeds.
Timing and temperature are critical for successful growth. The ideal growing temperature range is 65 to 80° F.
Harvest broccoli when the center crown is full of tiny, green, tightly-packed buds.
Soil, Planting, and Care
Broccoli needs cool weather, full sun, water, and rich soil. For best success, start with young, vigorous Bonnie Plants® broccoli plants, which will put you significantly closer to harvest than if you were to start from seeds. Plant your broccoli where it will get least 6 hours of sun daily and has fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Mulch will help keep the ground cool and moist. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0 for best growth and to discourage clubroot disease. To be sure about your soil pH, it is best to get the soil tested. You can buy a kit or have a soil test done through your regional Cooperative Extension office. Adjust the pH with lime, if needed, according to the test results.
For optimum growth in your garden, it's important to use a combination of premium-quality soil and plant food to support your plants. Make big improvements your soil by mixing aged compost-enriched Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® All Purpose In-Ground Soil in with the top few inches of native soil. If you're growing broccoli in a container, be sure to choose a pot that is at least 18 inches in diameter (measured across the top) and fill it with Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® All Purpose Container Mix (also enriched with compost) to provide plant roots with just the right environment. Wherever you choose to plant broccoli, you'll also want to feed regularly with a continuous-release fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics® Edibles Plant Nutrition Granules, according to label directions.
Plant at the spacing stated on the Bonnie label. Generally, broccoli plants should be 18 inches apart. If planted in rows, space rows 24 inches apart to give yourself enough room to walk between them, but you can plant two or three abreast in a row to minimize aisle space.
Broccoli likes steady moisture to grow fast and produce good heads, so water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if rain doesn't cover it. You can measure the amount of water with a rain gauge left in the garden. An organic mulch of compost, finely ground leaves, or finely ground bark will help keep the soil cool and moist and keep down weeds. In cold climates, it's the opposite, you may need to plant through black plastic in early spring to help warm the soil or leave the ground without mulch so that the sun can warm it.
Troubleshooting
Broccoli is temperature sensitive. If transplants sit exposed to cold below 40 degrees for a week or two, the chilling injury triggers heads to form way too early. On the other end of the scale, if you plant too late and the weather gets hot, you'll get the same early blooming, so plant your broccoli on time. The ideal temperature for broccoli is between 65 and 80 degrees. For local planting dates, check with your local Cooperative Extension office.
The best way to avoid pest problems is to keep your plants healthy and your garden clean. The main insect pests include cabbage loopers and imported cabbageworms, cabbage root maggots, aphids, and flea beetles. Disease problems include black leg, black rot, clubroot, and yellows. Contact your regional Cooperative Extension office for more information on pest identification and current control recommendations.
Harvest and Storage
When you see a flower head beginning to form in the center of the plant, check its growth every day. Ideally, you harvest broccoli while the tiny buds are tightly closed. If the buds begin to swell or show yellow (the flower petals), cut the head from the stem right away, no matter how small it is, because the opening buds have a mealy texture. After cutting the main head, leave the plant to grow bite-sized side shoots in the axils of the leaves.
Don't be disappointed if your broccoli head is smaller that those in the grocery store; they are usually grown in a friendly climate and with lots of pampering. In areas where spring heats up fast, broccoli heads are often better in fall than in spring, so try again for a bigger head later. Plant in late summer. Heads keep for about a week in the fridge.
FAQs
Can broccoli be grown in the spring and the fall?
Generally, yes, depending upon the variety, the region, and the time planted. Broccoli does best when temperatures remain between 40 degrees and 70 degrees F. It needs to mature during cool periods, so it does well in most areas if planted in late summer to mature in fall. In spring, broccoli is planted early enough to mature during cool weather. Temperatures below 25 degrees F can damage or kill broccoli.
How will I know when my broccoli is ready to harvest?
Generally, you should harvest broccoli when individual buds of the broccoli head are pin-head size, dark green, and tightly closed. If yellow petals begin showing, the head is past its peak quality. After growing a certain variety for several seasons, you will soon know the potential size for heads of that variety. The size of the head depends on location, variety, season, and fertilization. Most homegrown heads are three to six inches in diameter.
Can I grow broccoli in a container?.
Yes, use a container 5 gallons or larger, or at least 18 inches in diameter
After you plant broccoli, do you have to top the plants?
No, that would remove the central head and you won't get the harvest that you expect. However, you would get small side shoots.
My broccoli foliage is developing yellow spots on the upper side with a downy growth underneath. What does this mean?
This is downy mildew, a disease caused by an airborne fungus. Some varieties of broccoli are resistant to this. Foliar sprays of chlorothalonil (Daconil¨) can be used to control this problem. Begin applications at the first sign of the disease and repeat according to label directions.
How can I control worms that get in my broccoli heads?
These are probably loopers or imported cabbageworms that can be controlled with a product containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) such as Dipel¨, a biological-type insecticide. This must be eaten by the worm and is activated in the worm's alkaline gut. The worm then dies slowly from terminal constipation. This takes two to three days, which means the worms are not killed immediately.
My broccoli produced small yellow flowers shortly after I planted it and the heads were tiny. What caused this?
Hot weather is the culprit. The plant is going to seed. Broccoli flowers quickly in temperatures much above 80 degrees. Be sure that you are planting at the right time. Next time, you should cut off the broccoli heads before they form flowers, no matter how small they are.
What causes broccoli heads to become discolored and slightly slimy?
Under certain environmental conditions, such as high temperatures during the initiation of the head, discoloration occurs. This has been observed on some of the hybrid varieties. Planting at the correct time and providing good cultural care usually avoids the problem.
On some of my plants, the stem has a hole that retains water and causes rotting after I remove the main head. What can I do?.
The hole in the stem cannot be corrected now. It is caused by a boron deficiency that is corrected by adding boron to the soil for next year. The rate is one-half pound per 1,000 square feet of a boron product such as Twenty Mule Team Borax. Dissolve it in two gallons of water and spray it evenly over the ground. DO NOT OVER APPLY. Boron toxicity occurs if too much is added, so use only what is required. Don't be tempted to think that a little extra is better
Is it normal for seconday sprouts to be smaller or should we fertilize?
The center head produced by broccoli is always the largest. The secondary heads are about the size of a silver dollar. Side-dressing with fertilizer can increase yields and size of these shoots. Although small, they are just as tasty as the large center head.
A few of my broccoli plants did not produce heads, but look healthy. What is wrong?
If the growing tip of a broccoli plant is injured, it may not head. This is called blindness. The transplant could have been injured in transit, while planting, or by an insect in the garden.
Plant your broccoli where it will get least 6 hours of sun daily and has fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of organic matter. Mulch will help keep the ground cool and moist. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0 for best growth and to discourage clubroot disease.
Plant broccoli in spring or fall.Choose a location with full sun and well-drained soil. Harvest broccoli sooner by using starter plants from Bonnie Plants®. In spring, plant 2 weeks before the last frost; for a fall harvest, plant in summer once the heat subsides.
For spring-planted broccoli, choose a variety with heat tolerance and a short growth cycle (50 to 60 days to harvest). Most grow best as a mid-summer planting for fall harvest.
Tower Tip: Broccoli grows best in full sun. But partial shade can help prevent bolting in warmer months. Ready to plant? Place four to six broccoli seeds in each rockwool cube, and expect them to germinate within about a week.
Broccoli is easy to grow and yields quickly, providing you with a delicious, nutritious crop of blue-green heads, which can be harvested from summer to autumn, depending on when you sowed the seed. Sprouting broccolis are hardy and can can be harvested from March, further extending the growing season.
Water broccoli deeply and infrequently while trying to maintain even soil moisture. About 1-2 inches of water are required per week. Use drip irrigation if possible to conserve water. Applying mulch around the plant also helps conserve soil moisture and reduce weed growth.
Broccoli requires proper irrigation to achieve optimum growth. Water plants daily for the first week to get the crop established. Continue to irrigate broccoli every four to five days, as needed, to keep the plants healthy. Broccoli is a fairly heavy feeder and will require additional nutrients.
Feed both your Broccoli and Cauliflower with a low nitrogen fertilizer when first planting out. For your broccoli, fertilize again when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall, 12 to 15 inches tall, and then when the buds first form. For your cauliflower, fertilize again every 4 weeks.
Broccoli plants can be harvested two to three times for a period of up to three months. The plant first produces a large head in the center of the plant. Once this main head has been harvested, it will grow several smaller side heads for the next several weeks.
Start broccoli seed indoors 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost in spring for spring planting. Start broccoli in the garden in mid to late summer to grow a late fall or early winter crop. In mild winter regions, plant in fall for winter harvest.
Plant broccoli 18 to 24 inches apart in rows that are spaced 36 inches apart. Provide plenty of water during the first week to help establish plants. After establishing, provide water at least every four to five days. Watering may become more frequent as the main head of broccoli develops.
Here's what to avoid planting alongside broccoli: Nightshades. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers seem to have an adverse effect on broccoli in most cases, but this may not always be true in your garden. Cabbage and cauliflower.
Broccoli is a heat-sensitive crop. The critical period for heat sensitivity is when plants shift growing tips from vegetative growth to flower bud initiation. This is about 10 days before the crown is visible. Temperatures above 90°F during the critical period cause injury on the flower buds.
Extreme temperatures will also bring the production of broccoli to a screeching halt. If your broccoli won't head at all, other potential culprits are overcrowding, damage to the root system, or transplanting seedlings too late with roots that are root-bound.
During the daytime, the ideal temperature for the growth of broccoli ranges between 65℉ to 75℉ (18 and 24 degrees Celsius). What is this? This crop can be planted during the fall and spring seasons. So you have the opportunity to grow broccoli in two seasons.
A number of conditions can affect the plant, resulting in a change of vegetative growth early in the plants' development. Additional stressors such as insufficient water, a lack of nitrogen, excessive salt in the soil, pests or disease, and even weed competition may all contribute to broccoli buttoning problems.
Standard hybrid broccolis such as Green Comet will generally take around 70 days from seed to produce a head in fall. If you plant big, robust transplants in your garden in early to late October, you'll be sitting pretty.
No, broccoli doesn't require daily watering. A weekly watering routine works best in most cases. Try to provide your plants with two inches of water every week. Add two to three gallons of water per square foot when it's time for some watering.
Broccoli plants need at least 1 to 1.5 inches of water each week, excluding rainy days, and they demand a regular watering regimen that matches this need. Although it doesn't need to be watered every day, broccoli needs a lot of water for optimal growth.
Growing broccoli is done best in soils that are well-drained with a texture between sandy and clay loam. One of the best broccoli growing tips is to provide a uniform water supply to your plants. You should water the garden in the morning so the foliage is dry before the sun goes down.
Rinse and Drain with cool water every 8-12 hours. On day 3, move your Sprouter to indirect sunlight. Continue to Rinse and Drain every 8-12 hours. Harvest on day 5 or 6, when the leaves are open and most of them are green.
Most varieties of broccoli are ready to harvest between 90 and 110 days after planting from seed. Once you've found that number on the seed packet, add 10 days to it to account for how long it takes the seeds to germinate. Approximate the date when the daily temperature where you live hits an average of about 82°F.
Sow two seeds apiece in holes 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Holes should be spaced 18 inches apart in rows that are 24 inches apart. Keep the area moist with a spray bottle until germination occurs. Once you see sprouts, thin each planting area so that it only has one seedling.
Does broccoli come back every year? Broccoli is a biennial, meaning it grows in the first year and flowers in the second year, however, broccoli plants can go to seed in the first year if they are planted in the spring. There are no varieties of broccoli that come back year after year.
However, for those of us who garden, broccoli is terrifically tasty as well as a trouper in the veggie patch. This sturdy plant begins by giving us a large head which needs to be trimmed and eaten before it becomes a flower. It's important to slice the stem on an angle.
Fertilization. Apply ½ cup per 10 feet of row of a nitrogen-based fertilizer (21-0-0) 4 weeks after transplanting or thinning to encourage vigorous plant growth. Apply an additional ¼ cup of nitrogen fertilizer when the broccoli head is the size of a quarter.
Feed both your Broccoli and Cauliflower with a low nitrogen fertilizer when first planting out. For your broccoli, fertilize again when the plants are 6 to 8 inches tall, 12 to 15 inches tall, and then when the buds first form. For your cauliflower, fertilize again every 4 weeks.
It is grown as an annual, with a life cycle in one year, although it is a biennial plant with a two-year life cycle. Broccoli heads are harvested for consumption and usually have a diameter larger than 2 ¼ inches.
The best way to grow broccoli if you expect hot weather is to make sure that the broccoli plant is well mulched. The hot weather effect on broccoli will only happen if the heat gets to the roots. A thick layer of mulch will help keep the roots cool and prevent the broccoli from bolting.
To harvest, cut under the broccoli head and take some of the stem but leave the plant in your garden. You may get a few more little heads sprouting off of the main stem. Or, if you like, you can wait and let it start to bolt so you can eat the flowers!
Broccoli leaves can be prepared the same ways as kale, Swiss chard or collard and mustard greens. Try them in soups, salads or sandwiches, or even blended into a smoothie.
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