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When can i plant broccoli


Growing broccoli in home gardens

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Quick facts

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is an important green vegetable in Minnesota. Small, edible floral shoots make up a broccoli plant’s head.

You can eat the tender, bright green flower stalks and undeveloped flowers raw as part of a vegetable platter, or chopped and mixed into a salad or slaw. Some prefer broccoli cooked in a soup or in a savory sauté, as well as stir-fried or steamed as a side dish.

The leaves of broccoli plants are edible. Use them as you would kale or collards. Some varieties have purple coloring when raw. This coloring usually fades, leaving a bright green hue after cooking.

Soil pH and fertility

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Selecting plants

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Planting

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How to keep your broccoli plants healthy and productive

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Managing pests, diseases, and disorders

Many things can affect broccoli leaves and crowns. Changes in physical appearance and plant health can be caused by the environment, plant diseases, insects and wildlife. In order to address what you’re seeing, it is important to make a correct diagnosis.

You can find additional help identifying common pest problems by using the online diagnostic tools or by sending a sample to the UMN Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic. You can use Ask a Master Gardener to share pictures and get input.

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Authors: Marissa Schuh, IPM Extension educator, and Jill MacKenzie

Reviewed in 2022

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(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo / Kay Roxby )

You do need to know when to plant broccoli to ensure success with your homegrown crop.  

One of the great joys of growing your own vegetables is that you get to harvest armfuls of super-tasty produce that’s better than anything you can buy in the shops – and broccoli is a prime example of that. 

The first step in how to grow broccoli is knowing when to plant broccoli – and in most US regions there are two possible options. 

It’s a cool season crop, meaning that as soon as temperatures rise and days get longer, broccoli will flower – known as ‘bolting’ – and will no longer produce spears. So keep reading to find out exactly when to plant broccoli, so you can avoid this happening.

(Image credit: Thompson & Morgan)

When to plant broccoli

To ensure your broccoli plants mature in the cool months of the year, you can either plant them in late winter or early spring as part of your vegetable garden ideas, for a harvest in spring and early summer the following year. Alternatively, if you live in a milder region, you can also plant broccoli in late summer or fall for a winter harvest.  

In the UK, spring or early summer planting is best.

(Image credit: Future)

When is the best month to plant broccoli?

Unless you are going to buy ready-grown baby plants or plugs, you first need to sow the broccoli seed. 

If you want to plant broccoli in spring, sow seeds indoors in individual cells or 9cm pots, five or six weeks before the last frost is likely in your region. This is a job you can add to your list when planning a greenhouse. 

Around three weeks after germination, harden the seedlings off for a few days and then transplant them into the garden or veg plot. 

The aim is to harvest spring broccoli before daytime temperatures reach the mid-60s°F, so make sure there’s enough time for the variety you grow to mature before days start to become warm. 

In regions that are mild in winter, you can also sow seed indoors in late summer and plant them out in fall for a winter harvest the following year. 

Refer to your calendar of when to plant vegetables, and choose when to plant broccoli by reference to other crops you will be growing, and to make the best use of your growing space for successional harvests.

(Image credit: Peter Turner/Alamy)

When can I plant broccoli outside?

‘Broccoli should be started from seed when temperatures are low,' explains TV presenter and garden designer Mark Lane . 

'Direct sow outside 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Then plant them outdoors ready to grow over summer and winter, and mature before high temperatures come along again,’ he adds.

Once it’s growing well, broccoli is frost tolerant – so even if it turns unexpectedly cold in the winter after planting, you will still get a tasty crop.

(Image credit: Thompson & Morgan)

How long does broccoli take to grow after planting?

Broccoli can take a while to grow depending on when you plant it, so you do need a little patience when growing it, explains Frances Tophill, BBC Gardeners’ World presenter.

‘Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to eat, but plants that go into the ground in spring sit in your beds through the whole summer and winter, before finally producing their florets the following spring. It’s worth the wait, though, as you should be able to harvest the florets for about a month on each plant between March and May, depending on when you sowed your seeds,’ she explains.

Because of its long time to maturity, it's probably best to only sow a small crop of broccoli if you're looking at small vegetable garden ideas, as you'll need to give precedence to fast producing crops for a continual harvest.

(Image credit: Alamy Stock Photo)

How do you maintain broccoli after planting?

Broccoli is easy to grow if you plant it at the correct time, but ‘during their long maturing time, broccoli plants are prone to attack from birds and a whole host of insects,’ says Frances Tophill. 

‘For this reason, netting is really important for broccoli. To avoid the plants bolting early, keep the roots cool by planting them deep, and mulching them, regularly irrigating in dry weather and making sure they have plenty of nutrients in the soil,’ she adds. You can enrich the soil and provide the best growing conditions through permaculture gardening practices.

(Image credit: Getty Images/ flowerphotos)

Insects can also be a problem in the US, agrees Jo-Ellen Meyers Sharp, president of GardenComm in Indianapolis.

‘Broccoli is prone to getting tiny worms or caterpillars in the heads, but these are relatively easy to control with Bacillus thuriengiensis (Bt),’ she explains.

This is a naturally-occurring bacteria that lives in the soil and is toxic to some insects. It’s best applied, sparingly, at the first sign of attack, usually in early summer.

There is a way round this though: ‘March and April sowings are less at risk of caterpillar damage,’  says Charles Dowding , vegetable expert, no-dig gardening advocate and author of many books, including Veg Journal .

To protect your crops further from pests and help boost the yield, also look at companion planting them alongside beneficial crops.

Can you grow broccoli all year?

You can't grow broccoli all year, as it is a cool season crop, but you can choose to plant your seeds or plug plants at different times of the year, as above, to harvest broccoli for many months on end.

Sarah Giles is a freelance journalist who writes about her two main passions: gardening and food. For the last ten years she has been gradually designing her country garden, slowly been putting into practice all the garden design ideas she's been mulling over for years, although she admits she is forever starting on a new project, so it's a constant 'work in progress'. 

Growing broccoli: when to plant, seedlings and open ground

May 8 2020

A few years ago, broccoli was rarely found in summer cottages and vegetable gardens. Quite often, gardeners, having failed at the first planting, abandon this crop. However, the nuances of growing broccoli are not as complicated as they might seem, and recently they have become no less popular than other crops that are traditionally grown in garden beds. This is largely due to how useful broccoli is for the human body: it contains a lot of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. nine0003

The second reason why this crop has become so popular is the ease of growing cabbages. An increasing number of gardeners are striving to plant broccoli, but not everyone knows when to sow seeds in the ground or for seedlings. We will talk about this in more detail in the article.

Place to plant broccoli

Before deciding when to plant broccoli outdoors, it's worth deciding where to plant it. Cabbage loves light, fertile soil that passes water well. Since autumn, it is recommended to apply to the site where you plan to plant broccoli, compost or manure in the spring. nine0003

Broccoli loves clay soil with a neutral reaction. The site should be protected from drafts, especially for early plantings of broccoli. Cabbage will grow well if it is well lit for at least a few hours a day, but at the same time it also likes coolness.

As for the predecessor crop, it is better to plant broccoli after legumes, carrots, potatoes, melons. It is not recommended to grow broccoli where cabbage crops and beets grew a year earlier. In the beds where broccoli has already grown, you can return it after 4 years. nine0003

When to sow seeds in the ground

Broccoli seeds are sown more often for seedlings, but the weather conditions of our country allow sowing directly into the ground. The last method in the more southern regions is possible in mid-April, in the northern regions - in May. It all depends on the weather conditions of the growing region. How to sow:

  1. First, work the soil to remove weeds and loosen it, as broccoli loves light soil. Next, the site is moistened and the beds are made according to the scheme: 60 × 40 cm.
  2. Planting broccoli with seeds in the ground is carried out 1 cm deep. 2 seeds are placed in each hole to obtain maximum germination.
  3. After embedment, the hole is watered again, covered with a film or other non-woven material. So you will avoid freezing seedlings and create a greenhouse effect. The film is removed after the emergence of shoots.
  4. If several seeds from the same hole sprout successfully, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving the strongest.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

The most popular way to grow broccoli is from seedlings. It allows you to get stronger seedlings that are not scary to transplant to the garden. In addition, it allows you to get a crop earlier than when sowing broccoli in open ground.

Sowing for seedlings is carried out from the first decade of March. It is recommended to sow the seeds in stages - every 2 weeks. The climate of Ukraine allows growing both early-ripening and late-ripening varieties and hybrids.

It is recommended to buy seeds for sowing in trusted stores - they usually sell seed that has been pre-treated by the manufacturer, so such seeds are ready for sowing. If you are not sure as a seed, it is better to disinfect it in hot water before sowing and hold it in Epin's solution.

Seedling box recommended 25 cm deep. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the container, and a nutrient substrate is placed on top. You can make it yourself: take for this soddy soil, ash, humus, sand and mix. The soil mixture should be loose and permeable. Moisten it and make indentations for the seeds. The distance between the seeds should be 3 cm, in depth - 1 cm. Plant the seeds in the soil and compact. nine0003

Caring for crops is not much different from caring for white cabbage. Until the seeds sprout, the temperature in the room should be around 20 ºC. When shoots appear, it is lowered by 10 ºC, and after 7 days it is set to 16 ºC during the day and 9 ºC at night. Broccoli loves humidity, so not only the soil should always be moist, you also need to monitor the humidity of the air in the room where the seedlings grow. However, prolonged waterlogging can also harm young plants.

Seedlings dive when the shoots are 2 weeks old. We recommend taking peat pots as separate containers, with which you can then transplant seedlings together. After picking, the seedlings are shaded for several days, and the temperature is raised to 21 ºC. After the plants take root, it is recommended to feed them with molybdenum and boron. Then the temperature is slightly lowered, and 2 weeks before transplanting, the seedlings begin to harden. nine0003

When to plant seedlings in the garden

Once the seedlings have grown a little, the question arises: when to plant broccoli in open ground? Broccoli seedlings are grown for 35-45 days, until 5-6 true leaves form on the seedlings. Usually the transplanting period is from late April to early May. It is important to wait until all spring frosts are gone so that the seedlings do not freeze.

Planting in the ground is carried out on a cloudy day or in the evening. It is necessary to prepare deep holes and, if the soil is not nutritious enough, add mineral fertilizers to them. The distance between plants should be 35 cm, between rows - 60 cm. Carefully remove the plants along with a clod of soil and transfer to the hole. Planting seedlings with peat pots is much easier. Plants are buried in the soil a little deeper than they grew in containers, and watered. If there is a threat of return frosts, at first the seedlings can be covered with a film. nine0003

When it comes to caring for broccoli after replanting, it's not very difficult. One of the main care activities is watering the plants. It is recommended to water broccoli every other day, and if the summer is hot, then every day in the evening. In order for plants to grow and develop normally, it is important that the soil is moistened up to 12-15 cm deep. On the hottest days, it does not hurt to spray broccoli leaves in addition to watering. This directly affects the quantity and quality of the crop. It is equally important to timely feed and carry out preventive measures to protect against diseases and pests. nine0003

It is important to harvest on time so that the heads do not overgrow. They should be cut when they are still green, and the buds have not yet opened. Early hybrids of broccoli are consumed fresh, but late ones, harvested in the fall, can be stored. In a cold place they lie for 2-3 months.

Peculiarities of broccoli cabbage

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Varieties and hybrids of broccoli

There are two varieties of broccoli: the usual form with a thick stem and dense inflorescence and Italian (asparagus) - it forms a large number of stems with small heads.

As for varieties and hybrids, they can be divided into:

  1. Early maturing: Junga f1, Linda, Vitaminnaya, Green Magic f1, Baro Star f1.
  2. Mid-season: Chubby f1, Agassi f1, Stromboli f1.
  3. Late maturing: Monopoli f1, Monterrey f1.

As you can see, growing broccoli in the open field is not difficult if you know the agricultural technology of this crop. At first glance, it may seem that it is difficult to cultivate broccoli in our latitudes, practice shows that this crop gives high yields in the gardens of Ukrainian summer residents. If you sow the seeds in time and transplant the seedlings into the garden, you can get tasty and healthy heads of cabbage, from which many different dishes are prepared. nine0003

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Broccoli - cultivation and care. In open ground. seedlings. Photo - Botanichka

In another way, broccoli is called asparagus cabbage, and, in fact, it is a kind of cabbage familiar to all of us, a culture that belongs to the Cabbage family and in which unblown inflorescences are eaten, and not leaf blades, like other representatives of the subspecies . Not everyone knows that cauliflower is genetically closest to her, or rather, cauliflower literally came from broccoli, that is, it is younger than the latter. nine0003 Broccoli, or asparagus. © msu

Broccoli was obtained by simple selection around the fifth or sixth century BC, when no one, of course, knew about such a concept as selection. For a long period of time, literally several centuries, broccoli was grown exclusively on the territory of modern Italy. Translated from Italian, broccoli means offshoot, and anyone who has seen broccoli will immediately understand why it was called that.

The first detailed description of broccoli is found in manuscripts dating from the end of the 16th century, at the same time the crop made its way to England, where it was presented as Italian asparagus. Almost simultaneously, broccoli came to the American continent, where it did not cause such a stir as in England, at first; and only almost four centuries later, broccoli was remembered in America, and this country became its largest exporter to other countries. nine0003

Currently, in addition to the United States, broccoli is actively cultivated in India, China, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Israel. In Russia, the production of broccoli is concentrated in the hands of private small farms.

Description of broccoli

In appearance, broccoli strongly resembles cauliflower, however, its inflorescences are not cream-colored, but green. In the first year, the stalk of broccoli grows by 70-80 cm and numerous succulent-type flower stalks form on its tip. These flower stalks are crowned with dense clusters of green buds, which are arranged in a loose head of medium size. It is this head that is eaten by cutting it off before the flowers form. If you delay the harvesting of broccoli and the buds turn yellow, then it will be almost impossible to eat such cabbage. nine0003

Since the lateral buds begin to form new buds after the head of broccoli is cut, cabbage can produce crops for several months.

Experts note an increase in demand for broccoli literally all over the world; if we take the average figures for different countries, then in terms of consumption of broccoli, only a fraction of a percent is inferior to traditional cabbage.

In this material we will tell you how to grow broccoli through seedlings, how to properly care for it, how to harvest and what varieties you should pay attention to. nine0003 Broccoli, or asparagus. © Farhan Ahsan

Growing broccoli through seedlings

When to start sowing broccoli seeds?

Usually, sowing of broccoli seeds for seedlings is carried out at the very beginning of March and continues until the middle of the month. As for varieties, when choosing them, it is necessary to take into account the climatic features of your region, for example, in the northern regions, where summer is short and rather cool, you should not consider late-ripening varieties for planting, here you need to focus on early and medium early varieties. nine0003

To avoid surprises in the future, try to buy broccoli seeds only in specialized seed stores and be sure to take the freshest ones.

How to prepare broccoli seeds?

After purchase, sort the seed material, select the largest of them and soak them in water heated to 50 degrees for about a quarter of an hour. Next, broccoli cabbage seeds should be immersed in cold water with a temperature of about 10 degrees, thus you will “wake them up”. nine0003

It remains to soak broccoli seeds in a solution of any growth stimulator such as Heteroauxin, IMC and others in order to accelerate their germination. Soak broccoli seeds in a growth stimulant solution for 7-8 hours, then rinse in running water, put in the refrigerator door for a day, and then dry to flow on a dry napkin.

Sowing broccoli seeds

Sowing seeds can be done in any containers with a side height of about 25 cm. ash and humus in equal proportions). The soil must be loose, water and breathable. After the containers are filled with soil, it is necessary to pour it from a spray gun, preferably with rainwater, and then make grooves a little more than a centimeter deep with a distance of three centimeters between them. When the grooves are ready, you can sow broccoli seeds, then sprinkle them with soil, compacting it a little. nine0003

Next, it is important to monitor the temperature in the room where the broccoli seedlings are grown. The temperature before germination should be at the level of 19-20 degrees, immediately after the emergence of sprouts on the soil surface, the temperature should be lowered to 9-11 degrees for about 7-8 days, and then the temperature should be adjusted depending on the time of day. So, during the day in sunny weather, it should be maintained at the level of 15-17 degrees, and in cloudy weather 12-13 degrees. At night, regardless of the weather outside the window, the temperature in the room should be at the level of 8-10 degrees Celsius. nine0003

The air humidity in the room should be maintained at 80-85%, the soil should also be kept moist, but do not overfill the soil, otherwise a black leg may appear, which will destroy the seedlings.

Broccoli seedling picking

Broccoli seedling picking is usually done when the seedlings are 14-15 days old. As containers for picking, it is most convenient to use peat pots, further transplantation of them is not needed, they dissolve in the soil and serve as additional nutrition for seedlings at the initial stage. Broccoli seedlings should be dived carefully, trying not to damage the roots. Previously, the cups should be filled with the same mixture that you prepared for sowing, pour it from a spray bottle, make indentations. Next, with a small stick, for example, from ice cream, you need to carefully select the seedlings from the box, place them in the holes of the cups, compact the soil and water again from the spray bottle. nine0003

Before the seedlings of broccoli get stronger, it must be protected from direct sunlight by shading. At the same time, you need to increase the temperature in the room, bringing it to 20-22 degrees.

After two or three days, when the broccoli seedlings take root, you can fertilize by adding a solution of nitroammophoska. To do this, a tablespoon of complex fertilizer must be dissolved in a bucket of water, 50 g of the solution can be poured into each cup. After top dressing, you need to lower the temperature again and adjust it depending on the time of day. During the day, it is necessary to maintain the temperature at 16-18 degrees, and at night lower it to 8-10 degrees. nine0003

Approximately two weeks before planting in the ground, broccoli seedlings can be hardened off by taking them out onto a balcony or loggia first for 2-3 hours, a couple of days, then for 8-10 hours, a couple of days, then try to expose the seedlings early in the morning and clean late in the evening and, finally, 2-3 days before planting, leave the seedlings overnight.

Broccoli seedlings. © Catherine

Planting broccoli seedlings outdoors

When should I plant broccoli seedlings outdoors?

Usually, the age of broccoli seedlings before planting in open ground is 40-50 days, no more. At this point, the seedlings should have five or six true leaves, this is a signal that it is time to plant it. nine0003

Calendarly, this period usually falls in the middle or second half of May, however, if it is cold during this period and the soil is not warm enough, then the planting period for broccoli seedlings can be shifted.

For planting broccoli seedlings, it is imperative to choose the most open and well-lit area; it is fine if it is protected from the cold wind from the north side. Try to choose a bed on which green manure crops have grown before, carrots, onions, any cereals, legumes and potatoes are the best predecessors. Bad predecessors for broccoli are: table beets, radishes, tomatoes, radishes and turnips; if they grew on the site earlier, then broccoli can be planted in this place only after four seasons. nine0003

Broccoli Soil

The best soil for broccoli is neutral to slightly alkaline soil with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Soil preparation for planting seedlings must begin in the fall, but this can also be done in the spring, at least a week before planting seedlings. For digging the soil on a full bayonet of a shovel, which must be combined with the maximum removal of weeds, it is necessary to add well-rotted manure or compost in the amount of three kilograms per square meter. In the event that the soil is acidic, add lime - 200 g per square meter. nine0003 Broccoli seedlings planted in the ground. © Mark

How to plant broccoli seedlings outdoors?

Plant broccoli seedlings in the ground preferably early in the morning and preferably on cloudy days. The optimal planting pattern is 35 by 50-55 cm. Planting is carried out in holes that must be dug a day or two before planting seedlings, and watered before planting (0.5 l). In the wells, in addition to water, you need to add 6-7 g of nitroammophoska, thoroughly mixing the fertilizer with moistened soil; then it is necessary to place the seedlings in the hole in a peat cup or with a bare root system, sprinkle with soil, compact it and water it again (250-300 g per plant). nine0003

Next, it is important to keep an eye on the weather: if frosts are expected, then the seedlings should be covered using glass jars or plastic bottles cut in half. Be aware that even at two degrees of frost, broccoli seedlings can die.

Care for broccoli

Care for broccoli consists of loosening the soil, preventing crust formation; in weeds, preventing competition from weeds; watering and fertilizing. Two weeks after planting the seedlings, it is also necessary to carry out hilling, which must be repeated in a week. Hilling can be combined with loosening the soil. nine0003

Remember that freshly planted broccoli seedlings can be damaged by the bright rays of the sun on especially hot days, so it should be shaded for about 3-4 days at noon. On very hot and dry days, in addition to strictly mandatory watering, it is also necessary to spray the air around the plants, and the more often you do this, the higher the yield and its quality.

When loosening the soil, try not to dig the tool deeper than eight centimeters, otherwise the roots may be damaged. Loosening is preferably carried out the next day after watering or heavy rain. nine0003

Watering broccoli

Speaking of watering: broccoli is usually watered every 6-7 days, however, if there is a drought and the temperature is at around 24-26 degrees and above, then watering can be done more often. When watering, try to moisten the soil, and not turn it into a swamp. Do not forget about spraying, sometimes they are even more useful than watering, for example, in regions with dense, clay soil.

Broccoli, or asparagus. © allison mcd

Broccoli Fertilizer

Naturally, if your plans include getting a full-fledged crop, then you must definitely provide for top dressing. You can feed broccoli more often. For the first time (not counting the feeding of seedlings and fertilizing the hole during planting), broccoli can be fed 12-14 days after planting in open ground. At this time, organic fertilizers are more important for plants. You can feed broccoli with a solution of mullein, about 250 g of mullein is needed for a bucket of water. To increase the nutritional value of the solution, you can add a teaspoon of any nitrogen fertilizer, such as urea. If there is no mullein, then chicken manure can be used, but it must be dissolved in a ratio of 1 to 20. The consumption rate of any of these solutions is about a liter per square meter. nine0003

The next feeding of broccoli can be carried out 18-20 days after the first. This time, nitrogen fertilizers are more important. It is desirable to use ammonium nitrate in the amount of a matchbox per bucket of water. The consumption rate is the same - a liter per square meter of soil.

The third top dressing can be carried out towards the end of the summer period, at this time potash and phosphorus fertilizers are most important for broccoli. It is necessary to dilute 30-35 g of superphosphate and 9-11 g of potassium sulfate in a bucket of water and irrigate the soil, spending 1.5 liters per square meter. nine0003

After the first wave of harvest begins and the central head is removed, the broccoli should be fed again to stimulate the growth of side shoots. To do this, in a bucket of water you need to dissolve a tablespoon of nitroammophoska and pour a liter of solution under each bush.

A week after this top dressing, you can apply 150-200 g of wood ash under the plants, this is a good potash fertilizer. For greater efficiency, ash must be scattered over previously loosened and watered soil. nine0003

How to harvest broccoli?

We've already touched a bit on harvesting: you need to know that broccoli should be harvested before its flowers open. This moment is easy to miss, so you need to keep a close eye on the cabbage. There are a number of signs by which you can understand that the cabbage is ready for harvest, for example, head size : ready for harvest they have a diameter of about 12-14 cm. dark green color, the buds must be closed. At the beginning of the yellowing of the buds, the collection must be carried out immediately, otherwise it will be too late, and the entire crop will simply disappear, that is, it will not be tasty and with reduced nutritional value. nine0003

Broccoli must be harvested in the morning when it is in turgor. In this case, it is advisable not to cut off the heads, but to cut them off, using the sharpest and cleanest knife for this.

Most often, 60-65 days pass from the moment the seedlings appear on the soil surface until the first harvest, usually the harvest of broccoli continues until mid-September.

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