Broccoli is grown for it's delicious florets, but the stalk and leaves are also edible! It also just so happens to be one of my most favourite veggies, and my pups are obsessed with munching on the stalk as a treat. They also love to munch on the crunchy leaves when the broccoli isn't quite ready yet.
Until this year, I struggled to grow it. I have always started out with really healthy seedlings grown from seed, ended up with plants completely chewed, with rot, and that would always bolt followed by getting tossed out of the garden with frustration. But guess what, I never gave up and this year after five years of trying to grow broccoli, I can finally say that I've been successful and homegrown broccoli is by far the best. It's sweet and juicy and all over delicious.
So many of you have asked what I've done differently, and I'm going to share with you what I did to hopefully bring you an abundant broccoli harvest!
Here's little low down on how to schedule growing your broccoli. I'll list the details below on how I grew mine!
Start seedlings from seed: 10 weeks before last frost date
Transplant seedlings out: 4 weeks after started from seed
Time to Harvest: 12 to 15 weeks from seed or 10 to 12 weeks after transplanted
I started my seedlings 10 weeks before my last frost date. Keep in mind that broccoli loves cool weather. It needs to grow in the spring to harvest before the heat of summer.
I grew my broccoli in one of my raised beds. The reason for this, is that when I plant my seedlings out, we still have chances of frost for up to six weeks. We have a hoop tunnel on our raised bed to protect from cold weather. The hoop tunnel is covered with 4 mil plastic which is usually thick enough to protect from our spring frosts.
Broccoli is a heavy feeder. I amended the soil with homemade kitchen compost. I also sprinkled alfalfa meal on the surface of the soil and worked it into the first inch or two. Alfalfa meal helps broccoli form full heads because it is full of nitrogen, which broccoli plants love. I use the Gaia Green Organics brand.
It's best to plant the seedlings out when they are around 4 weeks old and have at least two to three sets of true leaves. A stronger seedling will withstand the weather a little better. We still have chances of frost at this point, which means I have to keep my seedlings covered. This is when the hoop tunnel comes in handy.
I kept my seedlings well watered and because pests are a big part of our problem when it comes to growing broccoli, our seedlings need to be covered all season long. Our weather is cool at this point even during the day, which means the plastic hoop tunnel is fine to stay on at all times.
We battle flea beetles which destroy the leaves by leaving tiny little holes, followed by cabbage caterpillars who chew away taking big chunks of the leaves out. To keep these under control when the weather warms up, I switch the plastic on the hoop tunnel for Agribon 12 which is a lightweight fabric that has little to no thermal effect and is perfect to keep on crops all summer long. It also lets all light and rain through. This method has kept my broccoli plants thriving. They are so full and lush and free of any insect damage.
That pretty much sums up what I've done to finally grow my first ever broccoli head. Compost, a little alfalfa meal and keeping my crops covered to avoid all insect damage. I hope these tips help you guys grow some amazing broccoli. If you use any of these tips and they've helped, I'd love to know! Happy growing friends.
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