Broccoli is a timeless annual staple of the home garden found just as often growing in the garden bed as on the kitchen counter. Broccoli has always been a tolerant frost hardy favorite, but is currently in its renaissance as a vitamin-rich crop popularly used in indoor gardening such as microgreens, sprouts, and hydroponics. Like other annual Brassicas such as cabbage, kale, and cauliflower, broccoli requires very similar growing conditions with similar harvest windows.
Sowing and growing:
Broccoli is a cool weather full-sun crop able to be sown directly but, for earliest starts, begin indoors 6-8 weeks prior to final spring frost or in mid-summer about 3 months from autumn frost. Plant 2-3 seeds 1/2” deep per cell or 4-6” apart in the garden in organic, fertile, and well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0. Seeds germinate in 3-14 days, thinning out best starts every 12-18” in the garden once true leaves establish. Broccoli heads grow fullest with full sun but, for warmer regions, plants will benefit from mid- summer shade. For warmer grow zones, try a cultivar with a quicker harvest and maturity date to best accommodate for a shortened cool spring season.
Harvesting:
Most varieties of broccoli are ready to harvest in about 85 days from sowing. Us- ing a small knife, remove the main head above the smaller florets once reaching a diameter of about 5-6”, allowing sec- ondary side shoots to continue maturing. Heads will taste bitter if no longer compact and have begun to flower. Like other Brassicas, the entire broccoli plant is harvestable and edible and considered to taste best after a light frosts.