Roasted, stir-fried, steamed, and raw, fresh broccoli is loaded with nutrients, fibre, and taste. Last year, I harvested our backyard broccoli from June to December. Yes, 6 months! You can have a long supply of broccoli, too. Here’s how you can plant and grow broccoli at home — including 1 important step that you can’t miss — and how you can harvest broccoli for months, too.
Choosing Your Seeds
Like with any vegetable, grow varieties that thrive in your area. And, if you can, purchase seed from your local garden store, or nearby farms or gardeners.
Think about what type of broccoli you want to eat. Some broccoli plants produce heads followed by side shoots. And some are sprouting varieties that produce only side shoots, and no heads.
This year in my Pacific Northwest backyard garden, I’m growing Calabrese and Green Goliath varieties.
Preparing To Plant Broccoli
Plan ahead to grow broccoli. Buy broccoli seedlings from your local plant store in March or early April. Or start to grow your own seedlings in early March.
Starting the young plants inside or buying them from a garden nursery protects the seedlings from insect damage and gives them the warmth and light they need. When they are ready to be transplanted outside, the plants will be a good size and more likely to produce heads or sprouts before the summer heat arrives. Remember, broccoli likes cooler temperatures.
Buying Broccoli Seedlings
If you purchase seedlings instead of growing your own, buy from a garden store you trust, or trade or buy with another gardener.
Keep the seedlings under grow lights, on a sunny windowsill, or outside under a cloche until they are ready to be transplanted in the ground or garden bed. If you keep the plants on a windowsill, rotate the pots once or twice a day so the leaves receive an even amount of light.
In April, or when night time temperatures are consistently above freezing, harden off the seedlings and then transplant them outside.
Growing Your Own Broccoli Seedlings
If you’re growing your own seedlings, sow your broccoli seeds indoors about 8 weeks before your last frost date. I start my broccoli seeds inside in early March.
Depth to plant seeds: ¼ inch
Seed spacing in pots: 2 inches between seeds
Keep the soil moist while waiting for the seeds to germinate.
Warmth will help the seeds germinate. Use a heat mat specifically made for germinating seeds, or try putting them on top of your refrigerator or another warm surface.
When the seeds germinate, place the seedlings and pots under grow lights or in a sunny windowsill. If growing on a windowsill, rotate seedling pots once or twice every day to help the plants receive an even amount of light.
Continue to keep the soil moist. You might have to water the seedlings every day or every other day.
When your broccoli seedlings have their first true leaves, transplant the seedlings to 4” pots.
Continue to keep the soil moist. Broccoli plants love water. Grow your broccoli seedlings under grow lights, outside under a cloche, or on a windowsill. Remember to rotate the pots every day if they are on a windowsill.
Remember to label your seeds with the name of the plant, and the date. Consider writing this in a garden journal, too.
For a continuous supply of broccoli that will mature at different stages (and give you an ongoing harvest), start more broccoli when the first seedlings have their second set of leaves. Or, buy more seedlings from your local garden store.
Choosing A Location And Preparing Your Soil
Whether you purchase seedlings or grow your own, you will eventually transplant the seedlings outside.
To choose an outdoor location, remember that broccoli needs full sun to grow well. Although, during periods of high summer temperatures, broccoli can tolerate partial shade.
If you can, grow broccoli near these herbs: chamomile, dill, mint, rosemary, and sage. These companion plants help each other grow.
Don’t grow broccoli next to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. These plants require more acidic soil than broccoli.
Raised beds are typically a good option to grow vegetables because they help with drainage and warmth. The best soil for planting broccoli is well-drained, loose soil that is slightly acidic.
Before planting, remove weeds, and large debris from the planting area.
Add about 3 inches of organic matter to the soil. Compost works well. Or apply an organic, balanced fertilizer to the soil.
Be careful about how much manure, or other material that is high in nitrogen, you add to your broccoli beds. High amounts of nitrogen can produce an abundance of leaves and small heads.
Transplanting Broccoli Outdoors
When To Transplant Broccoli
Transplant broccoli outdoors when the evening temperatures are consistently above freezing. This year, about half of my broccoli seedlings were transplanted outside in late March. The other half were started later and will likely be transplanted outdoors in mid April.
How To Transplant Outdoors
Learn how to harden off and transplant seedlings. The process isn’t hard but is important.
Dig holes about 4 inches deep and 18 to 24 inches apart.
Plant the seedlings in the holes. The roots and about an inch of the stem should be buried.
If you wish, you can mulch around the plants to help keep moisture in the soil.
Water well.
Protecting Your Broccoli Plants From Damage
Don’t skip this step. Cover all of your broccoli plants with a fine insect netting to keep the cabbage moths and cabbage butterflies from laying eggs on your plants. Why? The eggs will hatch into beautiful caterpillars that will quickly destroy (eat!) your plants. So, just do it. Cover the plants. For little money, you can find insect netting at garden stores and online. Simply drape the netting over the plants, and secure the netting to the ground with rocks or other heavy items.
If you’re growing other plants from the cabbage family (kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, turnips, and cabbage), cover these plants during the growing season, too. The cabbage moths and butterflies like to lay their eggs on all cabbage family plants. The damage they can cause can look something like the photo below.
Even with netting on your plants, briefly take the netting off and inspect the plants once a week for eggs. If you notice eggs on your plants, pick them off. Don’t forget to place and secure the netting over the plants again.
Last year I intentionally left one broccoli plant uncovered and I planted a row of marigolds next to that broccoli plant. I noticed the cabbage butterfly regularly visiting our garden. But, throughout the spring and summer, there were no signs of the moth laying eggs on that uncovered broccoli plant. Did the marigolds protect that plant or was it coincidence? I don’t know. But I do know I’ll continue to cover my broccoli plants and grow marigolds close to them, too.
Growing Broccoli
How long does it take to grow broccoli from seed? Typically, 70 to 100 days, depending on the variety. But don’t forget that some of this growing time was spent inside or at the garden nursery. So, if needed, gather some patience as your broccoli plants grow. You will be glad you did.
How To Fertilize Your Broccoli
Every 4 weeks, feed the soil around your broccoli plants with a shovelful of compost or use an organic fertilizer. Remember, excess nitrogen in the soil will likely produce small heads and excess leaves.
When To Water Your Broccoli
Continue to water the plants while they grow. As the summer heat arrives, make sure the soil doesn’t dry out.
When To Weed Your Broccoli As It Grows
Remember To Weed Your Broccoli. Every week, when you’re checking to see if any moths or butterflies laid eggs on your plants, pull out weeds that are growing around your broccoli plants.
Harvesting Broccoli
When To Harvest Broccoli
When the heads of your broccoli plants are compact and firm, harvest your broccoli.
The heads are compact flower buds and as the buds begin to open, the heads appear less firm and less compact. Eventually, if you don’t harvest the head, the top of your broccoli will turn into a cluster of tiny, yellow flowers. Beautiful! And still edible!
If you miss the window of opportunity to harvest the heads when they are compact and firm, still go ahead and harvest. Sometimes timing is hard.
If you’re growing a variety that produces only side shoots, harvest the shoots when the buds are compact, even if the shoots are small. The shoots will be tender and full of flavour.
How To Harvest Broccoli
Use a sharp knife to slice the stem 4 to 6 inches below the head.
Leave the plant in the ground.
When you cut off the side shoots, just cut the shoots where they meet the main stem. Remember, after you slice the head off, the plant will continue to produce small shoots on the side of the plant. If you regularly cut off the small shoots, the plant will continue to grow more and more side shoots. And that translates to more and more broccoli for you to enjoy. That is how I harvested broccoli from June to December. Again, some patience might be needed.
Broccoli prefers cooler temperatures, so you might notice the growth of your plants slowing down during the heat of summer. When fall arrives, the plants should continue to produce. Just keep picking.
Experimenting With Broccoli
In fall, even after other vegetables have finished growing, try leaving your broccoli in the ground. You might be able to continue harvesting side shoots in September and October. And during our milder winters, you might just have homegrown broccoli on your December dinner plate, too.
Having some patience, and making sure your broccoli plants are protected from insect damage will help you grow broccoli at home.
Planting and growing processes can be a bit different if you’re growing a different variety of the same vegetable. So, if the information here differs from the instructions on your seed packets or packages, always follow what your seed packets or packages tell you.
