Broccoli, Sprouting Broccoli,
or Broccolini
Brassica oleracea group Botrytis. BRASSICACEAE.
Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Broccoli
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow broccoli, sprouting broccoli, or broccolini in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- How many broccoli to plant
- Growing conditions for broccoli
- When to plant broccoli
- How to plant broccoli
- Watering, fertilizing, and pruning broccoli
- Companion plantings for broccoli
- How to harvest, store, and use broccoli
Growing Broccoli, Sprouting Broccoli, and Broccolini
Cool season. Broccoli plants grow 2–3 ft. (60–90 cm) tall and 2 ft. (60 cm) wide. Each plant has broad leaves and a thick stalk that supports one or more “heads” of tightly clustered, tiny blue-green flower buds. Head sizes vary by cultivar: single, large headed, and small headed with multiple shoots are available.
Sprouting broccoli are several loose- or multi-headed broccoli varieties, 16 in. (41 cm) tall and wide, all very hardy—to 10°F (–12°C)— and often with gold, purple, or white florets. Increase production by cutting the main stalk at a 45° angle just below the forming head to encourage side-shoot growth.
Broccolini is a broccoli–gai lan (Chinese kale) hybrid, typically 2 ft. (60 cm) tall and wide, with tall, thin stalks and florets that are smaller than broccoli. Both broccoli and brocollini are cole-family vegetables. [See also: Cauliflower and Broccoflower].
Broccoli Plant and Care Guide
How Much to Plant
Allow 4–8 plants per household member, yielding 2–3 lbs. (0.9–1.4 kg).
How to Plant
Seed germinates in 10–15 days.
Broccoli and broccolini seed germination and early plant development vary with soil temperature.
Average Climates: Sow seed indoors 5–6 weeks before last expected frost and harden seedlings 4–5 days before transplanting. Transplant young seedlings to the garden when soil warms to 50–85°F (10–29°C).
Hot-Summer Climates: Sow seed outdoors in autumn, after summer heat has broken.
Mild-Winter Climates: Sow seed outdoors in autumn, after summer heat has broken while soils remain warm.
Autumn–Winter–Spring Gardens:
Broccoli and Broccolini: Sow seed from May–July or transplants from June–August for harvest in autumn–early winter.
Sprouting Broccoli: Sow seed from Mid-May–June or transplants from Mid-July–August for harvest in spring.
Sow seed 1/4–1/2-in. (6–12-mm) deep, 2 in. (50 mm) apart, thinning when 6 in. (15 cm) tall to 14–18 in. (36–45 cm) apart, in rows 24–30 in. (60–75 cm) apart.
Best Conditions for Growth
Growing temperature: 45–75°F (7–24°C). Bolts in temperatures over 85°F (29°C) and when daylight hours lengthen in summer.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained soil. Fertility: Rich–average. 6.0–6.8 pH. Prepare soil at least 18 in. (45 cm) deep. Rotate plantings with legumes to avoid nitrogen depletion.
Proper Care
Easy. Keep evenly moist; avoid wetting foliage. Apply ample water during the head-development stage. Fertilize monthly with 10–10–10 formula.
Avoid early bolt and flowering by keeping soil cool in warm weather by shading, insulating mulch. Cultivate. Aphid, cabbage looper, cabbageworm, cutworm, root maggot and powdery mildew susceptible.
Sprouting Broccoli: As flower head starts to form on central stalk, cut the stalk at a 45° angle just below the forming head to encourage growth of many sprouting side-shoots.
Autumn–Winter Gardens: Protect from hard freezes beginning in October.
Pairing Recommendations
Beets, celery, herbs, onions, and potatoes.
Maturity, Picking and Gathering
70–100 days. Pick heads when buds are still tight and green, cutting the main stem below the head and leaving secondary shoots to develop new, slightly smaller heads. After harvesting, soak heads for 3–5 minutes in 1 qt. (1.1 l) lukewarm water mixed with 1/4-cup (60-ml) vinegar and 2 tbsp. (30 mg) salt to remove pests, then rinse and dry.
How to Store and Preserve
Fresh in vegetable keeper of refrigerator for 2 weeks; blanched and frozen, 3 months. Broccoli florets can be eaten raw as crudités with dip or as a salad vegetable, steamed with butter or cream sauces to accompany meat dishes, stir-fried with other vegetables and meat for use in Asian dishes, or used as a flavoring and filler for soups, stews, and casseroles. While mild temperatures continue, broccoli will continue to produce new shoots after harvesting until killed by frost.