Broccoli is a nutrient-rich vegetable. Broccoli can be eaten many ways, it can be eaten fresh from the garden, used in pasta, soup, and stir fry. Growing broccoli in not difficult to do.
Broccoli is a cool season crop that grows well in cool, rich soil, water and full sun. Spring or fall is the best time to grow broccoli.
Planting Broccoli
Where to Plant Broccoli
Plant your broccoli in area of your garden where you get a least 4-6 hours of sun light daily. You want to have moist soil with lots of organic matter, well-draining, and with a 6.0 to 7.0 pH. Not sure of your soil pH? Test your soil yourself or by a professional. You can get a kit at your local gardening center. You can adjust the pH level with lime based on the pH level of your soil.
How to Plant Broccoli
Broccoli from Seed
If you want to start your broccoli from seed, you want to start your broccoli seeds indoors about 8 weeks before the usual last frost date for your area. Move your seedling out to your garden when they are about six inches tall.
Broccoli from Seedling
Go to your local gardening center and buy your broccoli seedlings. Bring the home and get ready to plant.
You want to plant your seedling about 18-24 inches around each plant. This will give the plant room to grow and room to walk around them. Also, you want to set the seedling a little deeper than they were grown originally in the pot.
You want to fertilize the broccoli seedlings about three weeks after planting them in your garden. Keep the soil moisture consistent with regular watering. Try not to get water on the broccoli head because it can encourage rot. You should mulch the surrounding soil from time to time to help keep ground cool and moist as the temperature rises. The mulch will also help control the weeds.
Keep a eye on your broccoli for pests including aphids, caterpillars, mildew, clubroot and cabbage root fly. If you identify any of these on your plants, take action immediately. Some pest can be treated with products from the nursery. But others are more serious, and you must dig out the plants and get them right out of your garden.
Harvesting Broccoli
Harvest when the flowers are budding and green, before they turn yellow or open. You want to cut the head from the plant slice the stem on an angle, taking at least 6 inches of stem.
Storing Broccoli
Broccoli will last in the fridge about 5 days in a non-airtight container. Wash under cool running water before eating. If you have a large crop you will want to freeze some. Broccoli freezes well. Cut the head into spears and blanch them by boiling for 2-3 minutes in salted water. Put the broccoli into ice water to cool, then drain and patting them dry with absorbent paper, and pack broccoli into airtight plastic bags. Freeze right away. Freezing is a great way to get the best out of growing broccoli in your garden. Broccoli can be frozen for up to a year.