Crop Guide – Broccoli
Common Name Broccoli
Scientific Name Brassica oleracea
Uses Edible; Side dish (steamed/roasted), salads, dipping, microgreens
Crop Timeline
- Transplants: Start seeds 6-7 weeks before transplanting;
- Spring Planting: February 15-April 1
- Fall Planting: August 1-September 15
- Microgreens: Direct sow 2 weeks before consumption
Planting tips
- Fertilizer: Apply a complete fertilizer
- Number of plants per square foot: 1
- Growing structures: None
- Frost protection: Use a frost blanket when temperatures are predicted to dip below 30F
Harvest
- Harvest 100-150 days from sowing, or 55-80 days from transplant
- Harvest large, single head before buds open (turn yellow)
- After primary harvest, return for smaller shoots that will form along the stem.
Pests
- Cabbage worm/looper
- Description: Green, inch-worm, often found on leaf underside, along stem or leaf veins
- Treatment: Bt pesticide application or mechanical removal (pick them off and squish them)
- Cutworm
- Description: fat, dark-colored caterpillar, active at night, hiding during the day in soil near base of plant; severs leaf and/stem
- Treatment: Surround stems with diatomaceous earth