Growing broccoli in your garden or raised beds is both rewarding and delicious! Homegrown broccoli is the best way to get the delicious, unique flavor that can’t be found in store-bought produce. Not only does it taste better, it’s also more nutritious and fresher.

Broccoli is an incredibly nutritious vegetable, packed full of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and fiber.

Not only is it healthy to eat, but it’s also easy to grow and quite hardy, as it is a cool-season vegetable.

Along with being a stand-alone vegetable, fresh broccoli is a perfect addition to salads, omelets, and vegetable dishes, plus broccoli is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals: here is an overview of the nutrients in broccoli.

How to Grow Broccoli

We will cover the following items to help you create the best growing conditions for an abundant harvest of healthy broccoli:

1. Soils
2. Sunlight
3. Temperature
4. Planting instructions
5. Cold Hardiness – Spring Plantings
6. Days to Germinate
7. Thinning
8. Varieties
9. Days to Maturity
10. Harvesting
11. Storage Tips
12. Plus, a few fresh Broccoli Recipes!
13. Container Gardening
14. Printable Growing Handout

Find Your Zone for the Best Time to Plant

Free USDA Hardiness zone planting guide

1. SOILS:

• Broccoli needs well-drained soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 (adjust to higher pH with wood ash or garden limestone).
• Moist soils but not waterlogged.
• Garden Bed, Containers or Pots all work well.
• Just make sure to have at least 20 inches of soil in your containers. 
• Apply Organic All-Purpose Fertilizer.
• Or Liquid Fish Emulsion

Depending on your geographic location, soils vary tremendously and need different soil amendments.

It is easy to find out how to test your soil with this inexpensive soil tester from Amazon.

2. SUNLIGHT:

Broccoli needs full sun but can handle some shade. Aim for at least 6 hours of full sun each day for a healthy crop.

3. TEMPERATURE:

Broccoli grows best in cooler temperatures. It does not do well in hot weather, so plant it in spring about 3 weeks before the last frost date.

For a fall harvest, plant in mid-August to let the heads mature in the cool autumn air. Sow your fall seeds about 60 days before the expected hard frosts in your area.

4. PLANTING:

BROCCOLI is a High Feeder: Remember to Rotate Your Crops

Broccoli grows best in cool weather. Here’s when to plant:

• Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost.
• Sow seeds directly in the ground 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost.
• Buy young plants from a nursery.

Tip: If you start broccoli seeds indoors, cover the young plants with plastic tunnels, row covers, or cloches for better protection.

Details on Starting Broccoli Seeds Indoors:

1. Start seeds approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your last scheduled frost in the early spring.
2. Do not start too early, as the broccoli seedlings will get too leggy and spindly.
3. If you have not run a soil test, then use a good-quality starting mixture or potting soil.
4. Fill your cups, 6-pack cells, or other little pots with starting mixture.
5. Plant 2 seeds per cell and cover with 1/4″ to 1/2″ dirt and tap firmly.
6. Broccoli seedlings need a good source of direct light.
7. Follow instructions from the grow light manufacturer or have a good south-facing window.
8. Water to keep starting mixture damp but not soggy
9. Transplant seedlings into garden beds when about 6″ tall.
10. Cover with plastic cloches, plastic milk jugs with tops off, plastic tunnels, or cold frames.

Specifics on Direct Seeding Broccoli:

1. Broccoli is a high feeder and needs well-drained, fertile, rich soil.
2. Add compost and organic matter to your garden soil.
3. Consider an all-purpose fertilizer or fish emulsion.
4. Plant 3 seeds per foot.
5. Cover with 1/2″ dirt and tap firmly.
6. Seeds should be planted about 4″ apart in rows.
7. Rows should be 36″ apart.
8. Soil needs to be kept moist throughout the growing season.
9. Hand weed or mulch to suppress weeds.

Find Out How to Stop Cut Worms!

Cut Worms can destroy your broccoli seedlings overnight.  Protect them now!

French Watering Cans are especially useful.

♦Please Note: add this information to your Gardening Journal.

5. COLD HARDINESS:

Broccoli can withstand cooler temperatures. It does best under 75 degrees. So, it is a good idea to set your young transplants out at the last frost. Cover with cloches or tunnels.

Make sure to harden off these tender seedlings by setting them out during the day and covering them at night.

Direct seed 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost. It will take broccoli seeds longer to germinate in cold, damp weather.

6. DAYS TO GERMINATE: approximately 8 days

Broccoli seeds typically germinate in approximately 8 days.

7. THINNING: 

Broccoli seedlings should be set out approximately 24 inches apart. If direct-seeded, thin your broccoli plants to 24 inches apart. When broccoli plants are too close together, smaller heads or button-type heads may grow instead of full, normal-sized heads.

8. BROCCOLI VARIETIES:

1. Belstar  65 Days
2. DiCicco 50 Days
3. Fiesta 65 Days

9. DAYS to MATURITY:  50 and 65 days

Dates vary but you can pick mature broccoli heads in approximately 50 to 65 days. And, then continue harvesting side shoots.

10. HOW to HARVEST: 

• Begin picking your broccoli cut the main stem with a sharp knife as soon as full central head appears with tight flower buds in the flower head.
• You must harvest before the buds open into yellow flowers.
• After the main head has been cut, watch for lots of side shoots.
• Cut side shoots as sprigs of broccoli.
• If cabbage loopers, also called cabbage worms, are a problem, simply soak in saltwater for 15 minutes and then rinse.

11. STORAGE IDEAS: 

• Wash and store broccoli for fresh eating.
• If cabbage looper caterpillars are a problem, soak for 15 minutes in saltwater and then rinse.
• Store in the crisper drawer.
• Rinse, blanch, and freeze.

Here’s a fantastic resource: Ball Canning and Freezing Resource Book

12. RECIPE IDEAS for Broccoli

Lightly Steam and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and Lemon Pepper

Roasted Broccoli

Healthy Broccoli Salad

Do Not Forget to:

• Simple Eating Fresh!
• Beautiful garnishes plus work very well on Vegetable Trays!

13. CONTAINER GARDENING:

Broccoli can be grown in pots or containers. They are a fairly large plant, so care must be taken to provide adequate growing room. Provide a large pot or container with at least 20″ of dirt or potting soil.

Keep soil moist throughout the growing season. Watch for too hot of temperatures if growing in a greenhouse setting.

Harvest when heads are full and then continue to harvest side shoots.

14. PRINTABLE GROWING GUIDE:

COMPANION PLANTING for Broccoli:

Broccoli loves to be planted by Beets, Celery, Lettuces, Onions, Spinach & Potatoes but NOT by Peppers, Tomatoes or Strawberry!

Additional Helps:

1. Consider planting broccoli seeds in mid-July for a late summer or fall crop.
2. It is a great idea to have your broccoli transplants ready to go by mid-August.
3. Broccoli is a member of the cole crops, which include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbages.
4. The cole crops are all members of the cool-season vegetables as they can withstand cooler temperatures.
5. Be very careful to offer sprouting broccoli seeds and young plants adequate light so they do not become leggy.
6. Word of Caution on Black Rot in Broccoliand Other Brassicas.
7. Also, watch for downy mildew when starting plants indoors.

In Short: a quick recap

Broccoli should be planted in cooler weather. Start seeds indoors 8 weeks before the last frost, or direct seed 3 to 4 weeks prior. Alternatively, purchase seedlings from a nursery.

To ensure success when starting seeds indoors, protect transplants with plastic tunnels, row covers, or cloches.

And do not forget to freeze your extra broccoli for a wonderful year-round nutritional veggie!

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