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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Broccoli
Planting
Broccoli should be planted in a site that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day). Lack of sunlight may produce thin, leggy plants and subpar heads.
Plant in a bed of moist, fertile soil that drains well. To increase fertility before you plant, in early spring, work in 2 to 4 inches of rich compost (humus) or a thin layer of manure. The soil pH should ideally be slightly acidic, between 6.0 and 7.0.
When to Plant Broccoli
- Broccoli is a cool-season crop, so it should be started in early- to mid-spring (depending on your climate) for an early summer crop or in mid- to late summer for a fall crop. High temperatures will affect the development of the broccoli head (the harvestable part), 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掳F (4掳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. Consult our Planting Calendar to see recommended dates for your area. Generally speaking:
- Start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date.
- Sow seeds outdoors 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost date, or as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring.
- 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.
How to Plant Broccoli
- If starting seeds outdoors, sow seeds 1/2-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 at the time of planting.
Video Demo of Sowing Broccoli
For those who wish to start sowing in pots, watch Ben in this video show you how it鈥檚 done! See the whole process from sowing to transplanting to broccoli care and harvesting.
Growing
- Plants thrive in temperatures between 65掳 and 70掳F (18掳 and 21掳C).
- Fertilize broccoli three weeks after transplanting seedlings into the garden. Use a low-nitrogen fertilizer, such as a 5-10-10 formula.
- Thin when young plants reach 2 to 3 inches tall. Plants should be between 12 and 20 inches apart.
- Provide consistent soil moisture with regular watering, especially in drought conditions. Water at least 1 to 1 1/2 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鈥攕uffocate weeds with mulch instead of weeding.
- Mulching around plants 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.
Harvesting
- 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, ruining 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鈥檛 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. Learn how to freeze broccoli.
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.
Catherine Boeckmann
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Hot temperatures have caused my broccoli plant to bolt and grow yellow flowers instead of broccoli heads. a
At this point, what do I need to do to salvage the plant or is it a one-shot kind of thing.
Also, if your plant isn't one with side shoots- once the head is harvested , will it grow again? Or do you need to start from scratch?
Hi, a wood chuck destroyed all my spring veggies here on cape cod this week. There are still healthy stalks but no leaves. The broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower had not had a chance to develop a crown or head yet soI'm wondering if i should remove plants or is there still a chance they'll come back? There was the beginnings of a crown/head before animal but now just stalks. Thanks!
Same happened to us this year we left them and have small crowns started.
Last year my broccoli head grew out into tall spikes and was not really good... how can you correct or stop this from happening.
It sounds like your broccoli bolted (developed a flower stalk and went to seed). This happens when temperatures are too warm, or temperatures fluctuate from quite cool for a while to warm. Broccoli likes consistently cool weather (about 65 to 75 degrees F ideal), and in many areas is best planted in early spring or late fall. Bolting can also happen if the plant is under stress, such as diseases or insects, or weeds. To help prevent premature bolting, you can select slow-bolting varieties, plant at a good time for your area (if you live in the U.S., see your local Cooperative Extension for best times: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services), keep plants watered and stress-free, and keep the soil cool by providing a thick layer of mulch.
4-6-14 how do I know how much bloodmeal to buy and use on a row 3ft wide by 105 ft long? Any one know how to calculate before buying too much?
We tend to use blood meal (high nitrogen) as a side dressing; blood meal won't substitute good soil that's mixed with lots of organic material. We side dress with one cup for every 10 square feet of growing area. Side dress 4 weeks after transplanting/thinning; Apply another half cup when the broccoli head is the size of a quarter; side dress a third time after the main head is harvested for continued side-shoot development. Place the fertilizer 6 inches to the side of the plant and irrigate it into the soil.
Its April here in Karachi with temperatures ranging from 75F to 85F. I want to sow broccoli seeds. Do you think it has a chance of survival and will it form head when it matures during June/july when the temperature reaches 100F - 104F?
Unlikely I tried in the phillipines and it bolted.
I planted my broccoli outside a couple weeks ago. It is not thriving. Some of the leaves have died, new ones are growing, but very slowly. The starts I still have inside are doing much better. More green and getting bigger. Am I just being impatient? Or do you think my plants need something? I am new to gardening, so I have many questions.
