How to Grow Broccoli
Instructions & Advice for Growing Broccoli in Your Vegetable Garden
| Nutrition | Watering Instructions | Harvesting |
| Climate | Fertilizing Instructions | Storage |
| Soil | Challenges | Tips |
| Planting |
*** Easy to Grow! ***
Broccoli, a member of the cabbage family, grows as an annual in the vegetable garden. The flower stalks are green, purplish to white in color and the plant has tiny yellow flowers. The edible part of the broccoli are the heads and the stalk.
You can grow Broccoli in a container garden or even indoors. For more information, see container gardening.
Nutrition Information: (back to top)
Contains: dietary fiber, Vitamin A, C, K, B6, Folate, Chromium, Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Potassium, Manganese, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Selenium
Climate & Growing Condtions:(back to top)
Broccoli gardening is successful in nearly any climate, excep for the most extreme hot or extreme cold climates. If growing to seed, it does require a cool winter to reach maturity.
How to Prepare the Garden Soil:(back to top)
Broccoli prefers beds that are well drained and have a sunny spot in the garden.
Broccoli likes soil with a pH range of 6.5 to 7.5. (Information on how to test your garden plot's soil pH level.) Prepare your broccoli garden bed with well-rotted manures, compost or fertilizers. If your soil is sandy, you will need to add an extra nitrogen supplement to the garden soil.
It takes approximately 3 to 4 months to harvest. Once you've harvested the primary broccoli head from the plant, smaller side-shoots will grow and provide smaller later season harvests from your garden.
Gardening Advice Tip: To maximize your side-shoot crop, leave the outer leaves on the plant when doing your primary harvest.
How to Plant:(back to top)
You can sow seeds directly in your garden at 3" apart, ½” deep, during late spring. For an extended harvest period, plant successive sowings (one month apart between plantings).
For an earlier start, plant your seeds indoors in small 4” pots. Transfer to garden beds planting 20” apart in rows 3 feet apart (plant in the garden when seedlings are 4” tall and at least four true leaves have appeared). This takes about 6 weeks from when seeds are planted.
For more information on starting seeds indoors, click here.
How to Water: (back to top)
Plants grow quickly so keep soil moist by constant watering, if necessary. Cut down on watering as heads mature. If you don't provide enough water during the growing season, your broccoli plants will go to seed without forming the broccoli heads.
How to Fertilize: (back to top)
For optimal gardening results, mix into your broccoli garden bed: 2lbs of poultry manure and 4 oz of a complete fertilizer per square yard.
To keep plants healthy and growing at their best production, apply a side dressing of sulfate of ammonia during the growing season. Weekly doses of liquid seaweed fertilizer will also improve your harvest yield.
Gardening Challenges: (back to top)
The main insect pests are larvae from cabbage moths and white butterflies. These can be controlled with sprays or dustings.
Broccoli is prone to disease. Curling of the leaf (known as whip tail) is an indication of a trace element molybendum shortage.
In cool, moist climates, watch for downy mildew. Providing an area that's well aerated and with plenty of sunshine will help keep this problem at bay.
Gardening Advice Tip: Practice good vegetable gardening by rotating your crops within your garden space with each new season. This will prevent many plant diseases.
How to Harvest:(back to top)
When buds are large and firm but not yet flowering, cut the large central head, leaving about 6” of stalk attached. Leave any small branches alone, as they will bud and grow throughout the season for additional smaller harvests. Broccoli will continue to grow and bear in your garden until sever cold weather arrives.
Storage: How to freeze Broccoli (back to top)
Choose tender broccoli heads with no flowers. Wash well and divide into sprigs. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes in boiling water. Cool in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain broccoli and spread on a tray in a single layer. (Cover with plastic wrap so the strong broccoli smell doesn’t take over your freezer) Freeze broccoli for 30 minutes. Pack into freezer bags, remove air, seal and label. Freeze broccoli for up to 6 months.
Storage: How to Dehydrate / Dry Broccoli (back to top)
Wash and peel the tough skin from the stalks. Separate the florets from the stalks. Cut stalks into ½” diagonal slices. Cut florets into uniform pieces. Dry at 100 degrees for 18 hours or until brittle. To rehydrate, soak in hot water for 30 minutes or steam for 15 minutes (until tender). For fresher looking broccoli, soak in cold water for 5 minutes before cooking. Rehydrated broccoli is best used in soups and casseroles.
Gardening Advice Tips (back to top)
Have a helpful gardening tip (or even a funny story) to share about your broccoli growing experience? Share it with us at: gardeningtips@howtogardenadvice.com
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