Broccoli! No longer associated with memories of your mum trying to cajole you into eating it after you’d spat it out with a resounding ‘EW!’. In recent years broccoli has had a bit of an image makeover and is now a cool ‘superfood’ – thanks to it being high in vitamins and antioxidants and not to mention delicious! If you want to learn how to grow broccoli in your own garden, then read on.
Growing Conditions
Broccoli needs full sun or light shade. It also requires rich, well draining soil as it’s a bit of a nutrient hog! You may need to amend your soil with high quality compost, and a regular application of organic fertiliser certainly won’t go a miss.
Sowing Broccoli
If sowing from seed, sow seeds in a greenhouse or similar, 4-6 weeks from the last frost. For an autumn harvest, you can plant seeds directly outside during late spring and summer.
If growing from plant plugs you can plant directly outside as soon as the ground can be worked on in the spring. Set broccoli seedlings a little deeper in the soil than they were in the pot.
Growing Broccoli
Broccoli is a fast grower, so it will need lots of nutrients in a hurry.
When growing broccoli in the spring time, time is of the essence. Warmer weather will cause the soil to heat up, and in turn your broccoli will bolt and go to seed. To prevent this happening, ensure your broccoli is well mulched. A thick layer of mulch will keep the roots cool. Also ensure your plants are well watered to help prevent bolting.
Harvesting Broccoli
Harvest broccoli plants early and regularly (this will also prevent it going to seed before you can eat it!) Most varieties are ready to harvest at around 55-65 days.
Broccoli will produce one main head, but other smaller heads. Think of it a bit like the Hydra from Greek mythology – when you cut the main head, other heads will grow. Meaning you the more you harvest, the more you’ll have!
Can You Grow Broccoli in a Container?
You sure can! But you’ll need a big pot. Make sure your container is at least 10-12 inches deep. You’ll need to water regularly and feed every month.
Pests to Look Out For
Broccoli are susceptible to the same pests as cabbage plants including aphids and caterpillars. Keep an eye out for diseases such as clubroot and downy mildew – the best prevention for diseases is rotating your crops each season and taking excellent care of your soil.
Broccoli is a fantastic and tasty superfood that’s pretty easy to grow and can result in both summer and autumn harvests. You can grow broccoli at home in your veg patch, or even in a container if you’re working with limited space. Have you grown broccoli at home? What varieties are you growing? Let us know!
