This is a balanced (5-7-3) blend of fish meal and alfalfa meal for early-season growth, feather meal for mid- to- late-season growth, soft rock phosphate and fish bone meal for phosphorous, and kelp meal for potassium and boosting plant immunity.įor information on organic nitrogen fertilizers that work in the cool season, see Cool-Season Organic Nitrogen Sources.īroccoli also benefits from supplemental calcium in the soil. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable, and Herb Fertilizer, and mix it into the soil before planting. If your soil is lean or you’re short on compost, you can amend the soil with a good organic fertilizer like Dr. See Changing Soil pH for tips on adjusting soil pH. Lay down a 2-3” (5-8 cm) layer of good garden compost or composted manure when you prepare the soil.īroccoli and other cruciferous vegetables grow best in soil with a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH, pH 6.8-7.4. When growing Broccoli, prepare the soil to a depth of 12-20” (30-51cm). Time to Harvest: Hardiness Zones: Planting Time: Optimum Growth Temp: Germination Temp: Germination Time: Light Preferences: Optimal Soil pH: Seeds or Seedlings: Plant Size: Plant Spacing:īroccoli is a heavy feeder, and performs best with a deep root zone in soil with ample organic matter. If you’re growing broccoli in a long-summer area, plant in early spring and again in early August, to get a crop that matures in October or November. See Planting Broccoli below for planting depth and spacing. Sow broccoli seeds outdoors as soon as the ground can be worked in spring, or start seedlings indoors under lights a month before your last frost date and set out as seedlings (after hardening off for a few days) around the time of your last frost date. I’ve seen mature broccoli plants wilt and freeze solid, then thaw out a couple days later and bounce back, sweeter than ever. When growing broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, the sugar content rises in response to freezing temperatures (sugar acts as anti-freeze in plants). Growing Broccoli-‘Marathon’ © Steve Masley…Click IMAGE to Enlargeīroccoli and other cruciferous vegetables have good frost tolerance as seedlings, and greater frost tolerance as mature plants. The secret to growing good broccoli is to keep it moist, and keep it cool until the plant is large enough to produce a good head. Hot, dry weather will cause it to head up prematurely, producing small, inferior heads. Broccoli grows best under cool, wet conditions.Īs long as conditions remain good, it will continue to store nutrients in leaves and stalks. Home gardeners interested in growing broccoli should look for seed blends of multiple broccoli varieties.īroccoli varieties head up at different times, and having multiple varieties will spread the harvest over a few weeks, instead of everything coming in at once.īroccoli has the same growth pattern as other fall vegetables. The tender broccoli leaves near the top of the plant can also be steamed or braised like kale after you harvest the side shoots. This 'Arcadia' Broccoli Produced Side ShootsĪlmost as Large as Regular Broccoli Heads Growing Tomatoes in Cool-Summer Gardens.
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