How to grow Broccoli
Brassica oleracea (Italica)
A cool-season classic with a big main head.
Broccoli is a cool-season crop — it bolts in heat. Grow it as a spring or (often better) a fall crop, timing transplants so heads mature in cool weather.
Grow Broccoli with step-by-step help for your exact yard.
Start free in Seededly →Broccoli at a glance
| Sun | Full sun |
|---|---|
| Soil pH | 6.0–7.0 |
| Spacing | 18 in |
| Harvest | 60–85 days |
| Plant | Spring & fall |
| Note | Cool-season |
How to grow Broccoli, step by step
Time it cool
- Start indoors and transplant so heads mature before summer heat — or grow as a fall crop.
- Space 18 in in rich, firm soil.
Feed steady
- Broccoli is hungry — rich soil and steady nitrogen grow big heads.
- Keep evenly watered; drought makes small, bitter heads.
Cut the main head, keep the sides
- Cut the central head while buds are tight, before any yellow flowers open.
- Leave the plant — it pushes smaller side shoots for weeks.
Broccoli problems & fixes
Broccoli — Tiny head, then flowers: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Heat or stress made it bolt. Grow in cool weather and keep it watered.
Broccoli — Green worms in the head: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Cabbage worms. Cover with netting; Bt spray is an organic control.
Broccoli — Loose, leafy heads: what's wrong and how do I fix it?
Too warm or under-fed. Time for cool weather and feed with nitrogen.
Recommended broccoli varieties
- Calabrese — All-rounder. Big central head plus weeks of side shoots.
- Belstar — Heat-tolerant. Dependable in spring and fall.
- Di Cicco — Side-shoot. Smaller heads, lots of shoots over time.
Broccoli month-by-month
| January | Off-season. |
|---|---|
| February | Plan beds; order seed. |
| March | Start spring transplants indoors. |
| April | Transplant out while cool. |
| May | Heads form in cool spring weather. |
| June | Harvest spring heads before heat. |
| July | Start fall transplants. |
| August | Grow on through summer. |
| September | Transplant/grow for fall heads. |
| October | Fall harvest — the sweetest. |
| November | Last heads after light frost. |
| December | Off-season. |