Growing broccoli

  • Space individual plants 12 to 18 inches apart.

  • When planting, add some general purpose fertilizer to the soil.

  • These varieties of broccoli are heat tolerant, but would appreciate protection such as shade cloth during times of extreme heat. Keeping soil evenly moist will also help.

  • All above ground parts of broccoli are edible at many stages. Harvesting heads that form before they bloom will encourage side shoots.

    PLEASE NOTE: The plants on my farm table have NOT been hardened off. They are straight from the greenhouse.
    You can do one of the following:
    1. Expose them gradually to outdoor conditions over a week
    -OR (as I do)-
    2. Plant them immediately and give them protection from excess sun, wind, and rain for a week or two.

(Photos below are from the seed company websites unless otherwise noted.)

Broccoli ‘Happy Rich’

Happy Rich

Exclusive! The solution for successful summer broccoli production.

Uniform, vigorous, dark green plants produce jumbo-size florets that resemble mini heads of broccoli, and have an excellent, sweet, broccoli flavor. This sprouting broccoli produces ample amounts of side shoots when plants are spaced 12–18" apart. For a single crop harvest, space plants 6–8" apart. Pinching not necessary. F1 hybrid. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)

Chinese broccoli ‘Yod Fah’

Chinese ‘Yod Fah’

The delectable, tender stalks taste like a cross between asparagus and broccoli, only sweeter. Our favorite spring vegetable, this is a very easy-to-grow broccoli-like plant from China. We can’t get enough of the crisp stems and shoots, which are about as thick as a large asparagus shoot, with a perfect snap and crunch. Nothing goes to waste with this crop; all parts of the plant are delicious. The tender blue-green, glossy leaves are similar to kale but better, and the broccoli-like inflorescences are buttery soft and nutty in flavor. A must-have for those who long for broccoli  but struggle to grow it, excellent for market gardeners as well. Yod Fah is a selection from Thailand that boasts good heat resistance. Needs at least 4-6 hours of sun; ideal growing temperature is 60-80 deg. F. (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)