Learn to grow broccoli in your backyard garden.
Broccoli has an interesting growth habit, one developed through thousands of years of cultivation.
The dome-shaped flower head grows on a thick stalk.
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Harvest 50-90 days after spring planting to enjoy in early summer.
Broccoli is generally slow-growing and is best planted in the spring or early fall.
Read on for our growing guide.
The heads are incredibly nutritious, with substantial amounts of protein, calcium, and iron.
They are also packed with vitamins, including vitamin A and ascorbic acid (vitamin C).
Like mostvegetable crops, broccoli plants require full sun and rich, well-draining soil.
Space plants 18 inches apart and water well.
Maintain even moisture throughout plant development and fertilize about three weeks after transplanting to feed the growing plants.
Light
Grow broccoli plants in full sun, about six hours of direct light each day.
Soil
Plant broccoli in rich loamy soil with a lot of organic matter and a neutral pH.
confirm the soil is well draining.
Water
Give broccoli plants even moisture during development.
The soil should not be soggy.
Water around the base of the plant instead of overhead to prevent rot.
Add a layer of mulch around the base to keep it from drying out.
Temperature And Humidity
Broccoli plants arecool-season vegetablesrequiring cool air and soil temperatures to grow.
Plants are very cold hardy, but do not tolerate heat well.
As such, broccoli is planted in spring for an early summer harvest.
Another option is to grow broccoli relatives like Raab and Gai Lan, which have relatively short maturation periods.
When To Harvest Broccoli
Propagating Broccoli
Broccoli can be propagated from cuttings.
This vegetative growth continues, with plants growing upwards and outwards while also storing energy for future flowers.
Potting And Repotting Broccoli
Broccoli can be planted in pots using organic vegetable potting mix.
confirm the pot drains well, and keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Overwintering
Broccoli is not a winter crop, so overwintering isnt necessary.
Plant fall crops early enough to harvest before freezing temperatures.
Harvest any mature broccoli thats still on the stalk before the first frost.
Protect transplants by placing a stick, pencil, or straw alongside (touching) the plant stem.
The cutworms need to encircle the stem completely to feed, and the stick disrupts this behavior.
Row covers will keep these pests at bay by preventing adults from laying eggs on the plants.
Broccoli diseases include brassica downy mildew and brassica white blister.
Apply fungicide to treat.
Rotate your crops to different planting sites each year to control diseases.
This is often caused from overly damp soil without adequate air circulation.
Black Spots
Mushy looking black spots on broccoli is indicative of a bacterial rot.
This can sometimes be from soil that isn’t properly draining or overhead irrigation.
If this occurs, you’ll need to pull up the entire plant and discard.
Good companions include lettuce, radishes, celery, onions, and rosemary.
Each broccoli plant produces one head of broccoli.
Smaller florets grow off the leaf stalks of the main stem after the head is harvested.
These are also edible.
