How To Grow Broccoli At Home

Ever wondered how to grow broccoli at home?  Well, you’ve come to right place.

Broccoli is best grown in Fall (Autumn) or Spring.  This rich green vegetable is super-nutritious making it a perfect addition to your homegrown food arsenal.

Here’s everything you need to know!

Snapshot

Broccoli is full of vitamins and minerals, is a great source of vitamins (like Vitamin A) and minerals (like folic acid, iron and potassium) and is packed with fibre.

Where Do Broccoli Grow Best?

Broccoli is a cool-season crop, which loves sunlight.  It’s versatile and hard-wearing (once established).  They can handle a bit of frost and the mid-summer summer sun long as they’re mature.

They enjoy full sun, although partial shade during the hottest parts of summer is recommended.  Soil pH should be between Soil pH should be between 6 and 7 (slightly acidic to neutral).  Use a mulch to discourage pests and to help soil temperatures down.

When Should Broccoli Be Planted?

Broccoli should be planted in early spring or early autumn (it’s a cool season crop, after all). Higher summer temperatures will stunt a broccoli plant’s growth so you are aiming to have your broccoli plants strong and mature before the mid-summer sun starts to bear down on them.

If you’re planting in Spring, we recommend starting your broccoli indoors as planting them when the soil is a bit warmer will speed up your results.

If you’re planting in Fall aim to plant your broccoli about 3 months before you expect your first frosts of the season

How To Plant Your Broccoli

Outdoors

Make sure to plant your broccoli in fertile soil is not too compacted and drains well.

Plant your seeds about 3 to 4 inches apart in the soil.  Each seed should be about ½ an inch below the surface.  Once your saplings get to about 3 inches in height, thin them out so they are about a foot apart.

Broccoli plants love outdoor conditions in 65°F to 70°F range.

Indoor garden

If you started your broccoli indoors and intend to transplant them, they should be ready at about the 4 to 6 week mark (each plant should have a few leaves by this point, if not, wait a while longer).  When transplanting, plant about a foot apart to allow adequate space to grow.

Thinking about starting an indoor garden.  Click here to check out some great options for Indoor Garden Kits.

Watering

The most important tip if you want to successfully grow broccoli at home is to make sure you water your broccoli well.  Try and avoid watering the head while they are developing.  Regular watering of about 1 ½ inches should do.  Adjust during the mid-summer to ensure your broccoli does not dry out.

Harvesting Your Broccoli

Once grown harvest your broccoli by taking the head and about 6 inches of the stem.  Make sure you cut the stem on a slant to allow water to drain away. Most broccoli plants will develop side shoots which means you can continue to harvest from one plant throughout the season.

Broccoli can be stored in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Now you know how to grow broccoli at home, all you need to do is get out in the garden and get planting.

Want more?

Click here to read our simple guide to growing tomatoes at home.

Click here to read our essential article about growing cucumbers at home.