Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) forms a tight green flower head that has to be cut before its surface starts turning yellow. Rich in Vitamin C and best eaten raw or barely cooked, it asks only for a cool, deep, rich soil kept constantly moist — in return the cut stems go on producing smaller heads all winter.
| Name | Brassica oleracea var. italica |
|---|---|
| Family | Brassicaceae |
| Type | biennial vegetable |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Soil | cool, deep, moist and rich |
| Harvest | all year round depending on the variety |
Growing, sowing, planting and harvesting, here is how to produce magnificent broccoli cabbage.
The best way to grow broccoli is simply to sow it in soil that contains compost, manure, or some type of manure and seaweed-like conditioner. Such soil fertilizing must take place several weeks before sowing.
Before sowing, till the ground deeply to break it up well.
If you haven’t had the time to sow your own broccoli, purchase young plants that are ready for planting.
If you have sown in a sheltered place, you must transplant the broccoli to their growing bed.
The first broccoli plants for sale usually appear at the end of spring, but Late spring is when planting outdoors is truly possible.
Broccoli can be started under shelter, sown straight into the bed, or bought as young plants, and each route has its own timing and spacing. The table below sets them side by side, including the extra crop taken from stems left standing.
| Method | When | Spacing | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early broccoli sown under shelter | early spring, in a sheltered place | Thin to 4 in (10 cm), then transplant 16 in (40 cm) apart | late summer to early autumn |
| Direct sowing in the growing bed | late spring to early summer, once the last frosts have passed | Thin to one plant every 4 in (10 cm) | — |
| Young plants bought in nursery pots | late spring, ideally the beginning of summer | About 2 ft (60 cm) around each plant | — |
| Side shoots on stems left in place | after the main head has been cut | — | through winter; pull stems the following spring |
Staggering these methods is how broccoli can be harvested almost all year round.
As soon as seedlings have sprouted at least 3 to 4 leaves, transplant them to their target location. Protect the seedlings if you need to plant them before late spring.
To develop well, broccoli require regular watering to keep the soil moist.
Broccoli are vulnerable to cold, freezing winters and must be protected over the winter when it gets too cold.
If winters are mild in your climate, you can leave them outdoors with a light cover such as a small plastic tunnel greenhouse.
However, if it freezes deeply in winter, you should pull out your broccoli with its clump and plant it indoors.
At the end of winter, you can transplant them back outdoors.
Ventilate the plastic tunnel on mild sunny days, as trapped condensation encourages downy mildew on the leaves.
After a hard frost, walk the row and firm the soil back around each stem, because repeated freezing and thawing lifts the roots and rocks the tall plants loose.
Net the plants against pigeons, which strip winter foliage to the ribs.
The main enemy of broccoli is downy mildew. Moisture is the primary factor that enables the spread of downy mildew.
Note that broccoli is also the target of aphids and, of course, caterpillars. A species that is very common (even appearing in the Americas and Australia) is a white butterfly called Pieris brassicae.
For these two parasites, avoid chemical treatments at any cost, because your vegetables and soil might retain some of the toxins.
Broccoli is ready for harvest when the main head is well formed and still tightly bunched.
Cut the stem at a slant with a clean, sharp knife, so rainwater runs off the cut surface instead of sitting on it, which reduces the chance of the stump rotting.
Broccoli heads lose quality fast, so keep them unwashed in the fridge and eat them within a few days, or blanch and freeze any surplus.
Broccoli brings many health benefits, for example it is laden with Vitamin C. To best take advantage of these, though, eat them raw or not too cooked.
