Quick Reference
When to Start |
For a summer crop start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost. For a fall harvest direct seed in late May
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Crop Rotation |
Avoid planting in the same spot that any member of the cabbage family grew in the previous year.
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How To Plant |
Plant seeds 1/4" deep in rows spaced 18" apart
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Spacing and Support |
Plants should be placed 18" apart in staggered rows. Broccoli does not need to be supported.
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When to Harvest |
Harvest when main broccoli head is dark green and fully formed. Continue to harvest side shoots for remainder of season
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Storage |
Will stay good for a week or 2 in the vegetable crisper. For long-term freezing works best.
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To be honest, we suck at growing broccoli, so take all this with a grain of salt. Hopefully this is our year and we can come back and re-write this section this fall. Two years ago we had some strong healthy plants with perfect broccoli heads forming until some worms decided to move in and completely devoured them before we had a chance to stop the massacre. Last year we put them in a spot where they had too much shade and never quite got to the point where they were growing any bud clusters. This year we plan to start them a little earlier in the spring and in a spot where they should see full sun all day. To be continued...
When To Start |
Broccoli is a cold tolerant plant late in the season, however it does need warm soil to get started. You can safely plant your seeds whenever you want, but they will only germinate and grow when the soil reaches a certain temperature. Seeds will germinate when the soil is between 68-80 degrees, and optimal growing temperature is 60-65 degrees.
If you're hoping for an early harvest you'll need to start your seeds indoors. Give yourself 6-8 weeks before your last frost date to get them started. If you can be a little more patient and wait until the fall to harvest, you can plant your seeds directly in the garden after the last frost date, typically late May. Don't wait too long though, the earlier you can safely start them outside, the better. |
Crop Rotation |
Avoid planting broccoli in the same spot that any member of the cabbage family grew in the previous year.
Click here to read about crop rotation and why it is so important It's important to not only avoid planting the same crop in the same spot 2 years in a row, but you also have to avoid plants in the same family as they typically draw on the same nutrients and have issues with the same pests. Click here to learn more about plant families and find a chart showing which ones are related. |
How to Plant |
Direct sow seeds right into the garden when the time comes. Seeds should be planted about 1/4" below the surface.
If you started your plants indoors and will be transplanting them, be very careful not to disturb the roots. Plant your seedlings about 2" deeper than they grew in the container indoors. |
Spacing and Support |
Plant seeds or transplants every 18" in rows spaced 18" apart.
If you have multiple rows in the same bed, plant them in a staggered pattern to allow the maximum growing space for each plant. Broccoli should not need a support, but if it does grow extra tall and thin something like a tomato stake would work fine. |
Harvesting |
Pretty much when the main broccoli head looks like the ones in the grocery store. A head of broccoli is actually a tightly bunched up cluster of really tiny flower buds. If you see any of those beginning to bloom and show yellow, its time. Ideally you would harvest before it gets to this point. Just cut the entire head off at the base of the stem.
But don't pull that plant out of the ground just yet. In many cases your broccoli plant will continue to produce smaller side shoots until the growing season finally ends. If you can stay on top of these and continue harvesting before they flower, you can enjoy fresh broccoli all fall long. |
What to do with way too many of them |
Freeze them. Nobody is going to get too excited about frozen broccoli, but there is just something special about pulling out a bag of frozen summer in the middle of the winter. Its a great reminder of the hard work of the past and what is yet to come once the snow finally melts. It also tastes a million times better than those awful processed bags of 90% stems you find in the freezer isle. Its an easy side dish in a pinch or something to toss in stir-frys or soups.
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