Planting and care
How to grow broccoli
When to grow
Cool season · Annual
How to start
Usually transplant
Mature size
18–36 in
Time to harvest
About 55–85 days from transplant; side shoots can follow the main head.
Feeding needs
Heavy feeder
Growth habit
Brassica
How to prune
Remove yellow or diseased lower leaves only; healthy leaves feed the head. Keep the plant after the first cut if the variety produces side shoots.
How to harvest
Cut the main head with 5–6 inches of stem while buds are tight and before yellow flowers open. Pick smaller side shoots regularly as they size up.
Harvest and kitchen use
Raw, steamed, roasted, fermented or cooked depending crop
Nutrition and garden value
Vitamin C/K, folate and glucosinolate compounds
Productive cool-season anchor crop
Common challenges and troubleshooting
Cabbage worms, aphids and heat stress