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Growing Broccoli
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Broccoli
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Broccoli
Broccoli is a sun-loving, cool-season crop that is best grown in the spring or fall. It’s also incredibly healthy and has been dubbed the “crown jewel of nutrition.” Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest broccoli in the garden!
Broccoli is worth growing for its nutritional content alone. This cole crop is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is a good source of Vitamin A, potassium, folic acid, iron, and fiber.
Once you harvest the main head of a broccoli plant, it will often keep producing smaller side shoots that can be enjoyed for months to come.
Planting
When to Plant Broccoli
- Broccoli is cool-season crop, so it should be planted in early spring or late summer for the best results. High mid-summer temperatures will stunt its growth, so the goal is to get broccoli to mature before or after high temperatures are expected.
- Broccoli seeds are capable of germinating in soil temperatures as low as 40°F (4°C), but warmer soil is preferred and will greatly speed up development.
- For spring plantings, broccoli may be started indoors or outdoors a few weeks ahead of your last spring frost date:
- Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date.
- Sow outdoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost date, or as soon as the soil can be worked.
- For fall plantings (best in warm climates), sow seeds outdoors 85 to 100 days before the first fall frost, when soil and ambient temperatures are high. Or, start seeds in late May.
Preparing the Planting Site
- Broccoli requires a site with exposure to full sun (6 to 8 hours per day). Lack of sunlight may produce thin, leggy plants and subpar heads.
- Plant in a bed of moist, fertile soil that drains well.
- Soil pH should be slightly acidic, between 6.0 and 7.0.
- To increase fertility before you plant, in early spring, work in 2 to 4 inches of rich compost or a thin layer of manure. (Learn more about soil amendments and preparing soil for planting.)
How to Plant Broccoli
- If starting outdoors, sow seeds ½ inch deep and 3 inches apart. Once seedlings reach a height of 2 to 3 inches, thin them so that plants are 12 to 20 inches apart.
- If you started seeds indoors, plant transplants that are 4 to 6 weeks old (and have 4 or 5 leaves) outdoors, 12 to 20 inches apart, in holes slightly deeper than their container depth.
- Space rows of broccoli 3 feet apart. (Closer spacing yields smaller main heads but more secondary heads.)
- Water well.
Care
How to Grow Broccoli
- Plants thrive outdoors in 65°F to 70°F (18° to 21°C) conditions.
- Fertilize broccoli three weeks after transplanting seedlings into the garden. Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer.
- Thin when plants reach 2 to 3 inches tall.
- Provide consistent soil moisture with regular watering, especially in drought conditions. Water at least 1 to 1 ½ inches per week.
- Do not get developing broccoli heads wet when watering, as it can encourage rot.
- Roots are very shallow, so try not to disturb the plants. Suffocate weeds with mulch.
- Mulch will also help to keep soil temperatures down.
- Use row covers to minimize pests.
- To promote the growth of a second head after the first has been harvested, maintain an active feeding and watering schedule.
- If bottom, then top, leaves turn yellow, add blood meal.
- Learn more about taking care of your broccoli plant.
Pests/Diseases
- Aphids: Curling leaves may mean that the plant’s sap is being sucked by insects. Apply soapy water to all sides of leaves whenever you see aphids.
- Cabbage loopers: Small holes on the leaves between the veins mean small green caterpillars are present. Look at the undersides of the leaves. Hand pick if the problem is small or control with Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural, bacterial pesticide. Use a floating row cover just after planting through harvest to prevent caterpillars.
- Cabbage root maggots
- Cabbageworms and other worm pests: Treat same as loopers.
- Clubroot: Quickly wilting plants may be due to this fungus in the soil. The entire plant, including all roots and root tendrils, must be gently dug up and removed. If the roots are gnarled and misshapen, then clubroot is the problem. Act quickly to remove the plants so that the fungus doesn’t continue to live in the soil. Do not compost the plants. Raise the pH of your soil to above 7.2. You may need to sterilize your soil, too.
- Downy Mildew: Yellow patches on leaves are usually caused by moist weather. Keep leaves as dry as possible with good air circulation. Buy resistant varieties.
- White rust
- Whiteflies
- Nitrogen deficiency: If the bottom leaves turn yellow and the problem continues toward the top of the plant, the plants need a high nitrogen (but low phosphorus) fertilizer or blood meal. Blood meal is a quick nitrogen fix for yellowing leaves.
Harvest/Storage
How to Harvest Broccoli
- Harvest broccoli in the morning, when the buds of the head are firm and tight, just before the heads flower.
- If you do see yellow petals, harvest immediately, as the quality will decrease rapidly.
- Cut heads from the plant, taking at least 6 inches of stem. Make a slanted cut on the stalk to allow water to slide away. (Water can pool and rot the center of a flat-cut stalk, runing the secondary heads.)
- Most varieties have side-shoots that will continue to develop after the main head is harvested. You can harvest from one plant for many weeks, in some cases, from spring to fall, if your summer isn’t too hot.
- Learn more tips on harvesting broccoli.
How to Store Broccoli
- Store broccoli in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- If you wash before storing, make sure to dry it thoroughly.
- Broccoli can be blanched and frozen for up to one year.
Recommended Varieties
- ‘Green Goliath’ is heat-tolerant with giant heads and prolific side shoots.
- ‘Green Duke’ is heat tolerant and an early variety that’s especially good for Southern gardeners.
- ‘Green Magic’ is heat tolerant; freezes well.
- ‘Calabrese’ is an Italian heirloom with large heads and prolific side shoots that will mature for harvesting. Great for fall planting, too.
- ‘Flash’ is a fast-growing, heat-resistant hybrid with good side-shoot production once the central head is cut. Great for fall planting, too.
- ‘Paragon’ has extra-long spears; excellent for freezing.
Wit & Wisdom
- Originally, broccoli was eaten for its stems.
- Early Roman farmers referred to broccoli as “the five green fingers of Jupiter.”
- Once you’ve gotten broccoli down pat, why not try growing one of its relatives? See our Growing Guides for cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, rutabaga, kale, and turnips!
Recipes
Cooking Notes
One ounce of broccoli has an equal amount of calcium as one ounce of milk. Learn more about the amazing health benefits of broccoli.
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Reader Comments
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Broccoli shoots
I live in Upstate NY, Zone 5. I harvest the broccoli heads late June/early July. Since then the weather has gotten quite warm, 85-90 degrees for several days. I have left the plants in the garden - is there a chance I will get side shoots once the weather cools off? The plants don't look stressed or have pests. I have in the past, gotten a-lot of side shoots as late into November, but I don't remember having the plant being "dormant" (no shoots) for so long. Appreciate your insight. Perhaps it depends on the weather.
Broccoli Side Shoots
Side shoots should begin to form right away, so if the plant looks healthy otherwise, it’s likely that the heat has stymied their formation. Broccoli is a cool-season crop, after all. Once temps cool off, it’s possible that the plants will kick back into gear and begin to form side shoots, but it might also be the case that they’re done for the season.
why are my broccoli leaves
why are my broccoli leaves turning yellow?/
Broccoli
We planted seeds after last frost. We have greens that have come up but no green heads. What went wrong?
Growing Broccoli
I live in Ontario Canada and have the same problem . Leaves only after 8 weeks and taller than tomato plants . I had to pull them out so tomatoes get their share of the sun . First time trying to grow Broccoli . I also planted from seed .
Why my broccoli seedlings
Why my broccoli seedlings grow faster than cauliflowers?
cauliflower vs broccoli
Not all plants, even those in the same family, grow at the same pace. What’s more, cauliflower has special needs. See here for more information: https://www.almanac.com/plant/cauliflower
No head on broccoli
My broccoli plants have gotten about 18" in height but haven't gotten a head on them. Any ideas?
If your broccoli doesn’t have
If your broccoli doesn’t have any main “head,” there are a few possibilities. Often, it’s related to timing and temperature. Broccoli likes to be kept cool. It’s started in the spring and will bolt and flower in extreme heat. Or, is it too cold? If broccoli has days near freezing temperatures for several days or a cold snap, this is an issue and causes “buttoning” (tiny, immature heads).
Another reason for lack of heading is a lack of nutrients or water. Is your soil nutrient-rich? Spread some some nitrogen such as fish emulsion. Another issue can be watering. Water the broccoli plants deeply and infrequently, about 1 to 2 inches of water per week.
BROCOLLI
hae.an fom Nairobi kenya and was asking if I can get brocolli seeds here locally cause the plant is not that common and have never seen it grow here
Help!!!
I have planted my seeds in a burpee starter container 4 days ago and they have sprouted, if I wait 6-8 weeks before transplanting them outside after hardening them it will be around June 3rd (here in Massachusetts our last frost is around the first week of May). Is that timing ok, or did I really have to start them 6-8 BEFORE the last frost? I don't want to transplant them in June if that's bad timing and they won't grow. Thank you!
Broccoli started...
Read the information above, Franciele. Broccoli likes cool weather. Check your frost date here http://www.almanac.com/tool/frost-dates-calculator, and consider that the date is an average, not an absolute. Conditions in different parts of Massachusetts (as anywhere) can vary widely. As for starting 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, that’s the idea, but it offers flexibility (two weeks’ worth or so). While we do not write seed packet directions, that time range is suggested to give the grower a wide window of opportunity to get seed started. Ideally, you should have started the seeds six to eight weeks before the first week of May. Watch your plants’ progress; it may be that they will be ready to transplant before June. If this doesn’t work out to your satisfaction, buy some seedlings and plan differently next year—or try to get a fall broccoli crop.
Adding Broccoli!
I have killed indoor plants, so I never thought I would be able to maintain a vegetable garden. For the past 4 years, with the help of your site, tips and the email sowing reminders, I have a garden and am able to provide fresh, pesticide free vegetables to my family, neighbors and others! Thank you to the people who maintain this site. This year we add broccoli!
Broccoli
I live in Amarillo texas. We have had some warmer weather this winter and was wondering when the best time to plant would be. Our days are ranging around 40-80 f and the nights are still in the low 30s with a couple of 20s coming up. Should i wait about 1 more month to sow outdoors?
Tip for getting a second broccoli head
I've been using a technique that most of the time produces a second head after a light harvest of the florets that come after the first head is harvested. By then the plant is large and is often infested with aphids or shows some signs of stress. So long as it has not been permitted to bolt by keeping the florets harvested, this technique works about 80% of the time. It might work for plants that only produce a button head as well.
Simply cut the plant back to the point on the stem where there are two good leaves remaining at the base. Yes, that means that most of the plant will be taken off, leaving only a sad looking stump and a couple of leaves. Side dress with well rotted compost and work that into the top couple of inches of soil. Water it in and just keep the soil moist. I use a 4 inch wood chip mulch to keep it moist and the soil cool.
Within a few weeks a leaf bud followed by a new stalk will appear in the crotch of one or both remaining leaves. If there are two, select the most vigorous and clip the other one. That sprouting stalk will thicken up and will produce a new head in 4 to 6 weeks. Because it is growing as an offshoot it may need staking to keep it off the ground. I have gotten 6 inch heads that are ready to harvest in early fall by doing this and it lets me skip replanting seedlings in the heat of summer. I live in a zone 4; central Canada.
Broccoli HEAD is firm but is yellow with brown spots
Hi... I'm a new gardener. Most of my brocolli plants are doing well but one plant has a floret that has more yellow in it with brown flecks... not mold tho. The floret is firm and it looked like this since it was a bud. I wish I can attach a picture.
Is this floret diseased? Should I just toss it in our compost bin?
Thanks.
Yellow Broccoli Floret
Yes, cut it off and throw it in the compost heap. It sounds past its prime and on its way to making seed.
weather
plz
Broccoli Growing
Is it good to remove the larger leaves from the plant to allow it to give more to the heads
growing broccoli
No, leaf removal does not help growth In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Until the broccoli head is harvested, do not remove the leaves because this is the way the broccoli feeds itself and grows. If you like eating the leaves (which are fully edible), harvest once the main head is gone. This may affect growth of side sprouts, but it’s generally fine.
Need to join almanac
Good workload
got head of broccoli
I planted broccoli and it did grow. Got a head and then some side ones grew but not to big at all. Now I have flowers growing on top. What do I do? Pull out the whole plants or do I just cut them down? Help?!
flowering main head
If your main head shows signs of beginning to flower, harvest it immediately, taking at least 6 inches from the stem; cut at a slant. Ideally, you should harvest the head before those buds open, because it will be a little tougher and may not be as tasty, but they are still edible, especially if just a few of the flower buds have started to open.
The plant may also, as you have found, produce side shoots that will continue to develop after the main head is harvested. These will not develop into large heads, but are useful to harvest as florets. When they are of a decent size, harvest them to encourage more to develop. Eventually, after several weeks, the plant will stop producing. For more tips on harvesting, check the “Harvest/Storage” section in the above article. Hope this helps!
Broccoli
How do you determine when it is mature enough to harvest
When to Harvest Broccoli
Hi Floyd, it is best to harvest broccoli when the buds of the head are firm and tight before the heads flower.
looking for broccoli farmers
I am interested in buying broccoli for shipping weekly
am selling broccoli which are now mature
please contact me
Pulling the Broccoli Plant
When should you pull out your broccoli plant from your garden?
end of broccoli season
If the pant is no longer producing, there is no reason to leave it in the ground. Depending on where you are (and so how much more growing season you might have), you might be able to get a lettuce/greens crop in its place before frost hits.
This page is of great help to
This page is of great help to me as I enjoy growing my own veggies. Thanks
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