Fresh broccoli is one among the highlights of the kitchen garden , growing crisp and delicious within the chilly temperatures of early spring and fall.

Nowadays, I can’t remember why I disliked broccoli as a child , but i think it had been its kinship to cabbage and mustards – and distinctive sharp flavor – that was an excessive amount of for a young veggie skeptic.

Thankfully, I overcame my broccoli boycott, because this is often one among the foremost nutritious vegetables on the earth .

It’s also easy to grow and one among those cool-weather veggies that thrives when not much else does.

Here’s what you would like to understand about growing broccoli in your garden.

About Broccoli

Unlike its leafy cabbage cousins, broccoli is grown for its immature flower heads. the key to growing broccoli is to encourage full, healthy flower heads but to reap them before they mature (“bolt”) and lose flavor.

There are many sorts of broccoli to settle on from, from the favored large-headed varieties to spicy broccoli Raab to Romanesco and sprouting varieties.

Some sorts of broccoli specialise in one main inflorescence , while others sprout smaller individual florets.

Make sure you understand the growing habits of your sort of broccoli so as to reap properly.

Broccoli Growing Conditions

• Planting: Broccoli may be a cool-season vegetable that likes daytime temperatures within the 60s and may tolerate light frost and temps right down to the 20s. Many gardeners plant broccoli in early spring for the most harvest, then leave the plants growing over the summer for a second harvest within the fall.
• Summer Heat: Broccoli will “bolt” (go to seed) in weather, which ends up during a loss of flavor and toughening of texture. Some varieties are more heat-tolerant than others.
• Light: Broccoli needs full sun, a minimum of 4-5 hours per day.
• Soil: Broccoli likes rich, well-draining soil with a pH of around 6. due to the short season, broccoli is during a race against the clock and wishes high-quality soil amended with many rich composts. to enhance drainage, you’ll plant your broccoli in mounds.
• Fertilizer: Broccoli benefits from regular applications of organic.
• Harvesting: Broccoli seeds take 3-4 months from planting to reap while transplants take 2-3 months.

Broccoli Planting Tips

• Seeds: Unless you begin seeds indoors over the winter, it’s going to be difficult to grow a spring broccoli crop from seed, because the weather will warm too quickly. Fall crops are much easier to start out from seed directly within the garden. Plant broccoli seeds about ¼ to ½ inch deep, and transplant them to the garden in about 5 weeks.
• Transplants: Plant broccoli seedlings as soon because the ground is often worked in spring. If you’re planting broccoli transplants or seedlings, set them a touch deeper within the soil than they were within the pot.
• Spacing: Space broccoli plants about 18 inches apart.
• Successive Plantings: Although the season is brief for broccoli, you’ll be ready to stagger plantings every 2-3 weeks for an extended harvest.

Broccoli Growing Tips

• Feeding: Broccoli grows in a hurry, and it needs tons of nutrients. Rich compost will help feed your hungry broccoli, but it’ll also enjoy applications of compost tea or from monthly applications of a balanced organic.
• Watering: Like other veggies, broccoli must be kept evenly moist. Give broccoli about an in. of water per week, and water deeply (rather than sprinkling) to encourage deep roots, but don’t let your broccoli plants become too dry between waterings.
• Diseases & Pests: Broccoli isn’t suffering from many diseases. the foremost common insect pests are aphids, cabbage worms, and slugs.
• Bolting: When growing broccoli within the spring, you’re during a race with the weather to stay your plants from getting to seed. Hot soil is that the culprit, so take steps to stay the soil cool for as long as possible. Mulch, regular water, and shade covers can prolong your broccoli season, and because the weather warms you ought to harvest more frequently to stay your plants from shifting into seed mode.

Broccoli Harvest and Use

• When to Harvest: When the most broccoli head is several inches in diameter, your broccoli is prepared to reap. The heads should be green, compact, and firm. If your broccoli plant produces side shoots, those florets could also be smaller (but even as yummy). If left unharvested, broccoli heads will loosen and open into yellow flowers – if this happens, it’s too late.
• How to Harvest: employing a sharp knife, cut the most stalk of the broccoli at an angle, several inches below the inflorescence. Continue caring for the broccoli plant – it’ll likely begin producing side shoots and more broccoli!
• Storage: Fresh, dry broccoli will last within the fridge for about 5 days during a non-airtight container. Wash broccoli immediately before use.
• Freezing: Broccoli freezes well. Cut the florets into pieces, then blanch the fresh broccoli by submerging it in boiling water for one minute, then plunging it into drinking water to chill. Drain and dry, and pack the broccoli into airtight plastic bags