Broccoli farming guide

Binomial Name:Brassica oleracea

Varieties: Atlantic, Green Sprouting, De Cicco, Purple Sprouting, Waltham 29.

Broccoli is a member of the cabbage family, and grown for its edible, immature flower heads. One of the most nutritious vegetables, it contains high levels of antioxidants.

Conditions:Can tolerate light shade but will slow maturity.Prefers well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter, pH 6.0 to 7.5.

-Can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. Needs plentiful, consistent moisture.Biennial grown as an annual.Requires good soil, timely planting and protection from pests.

-Broccoli prefers cool temperatures. In many regions it can be grown as both a spring and fall crop.

-Choose varieties touted for their abundant side shoots to extend the harvest; once the central head is harvested, these side shoots will continue to produce smallheads for weeks.

Planting:Select a site with full sun and well-drained soil.

-Prepare the garden bed by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches, then mix in a 2 to 4-inch layer of compost.

-Where the weather is warm, select a variety that is bolt resistant. Set out transplants three to four weeks before the last spring frost. Space plants 18 inches apart.

-Protect transplants from hard frosts with newspapers, plastic cones, paper bags, or baskets.

-Provide a windbreak to reduce transplant shock and moisture loss. For fall crops, direct seed the broccoli in the garden 85 to 100 days before the average first fall frost date.

-Prefers well-drained, fertile soil high in organic matter, pH 6.0 to 7.5. Can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. 

-Needs plentiful, consistent moisture.

-Sow seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before average last spring frost. Keep soil warm (about 23°c), until germination.

-Then keep plants around 15°c. Provide direct sun so plants don’t get leggy. When plants are 4 to 6 weeks old, transplant into garden 12 to 20 inches apart.

-Use wide spacings if you want to harvest large central heads. Closer spacings will produce smaller central heads. But if you harvest secondary heads you will get a greater total yield from the closer spacings.

-Larger, older transplants are more likely to bolt when exposed to cool temperatures in the garden. -Transplant when plants have four or five true leaves.

-Some cultivars will form small “button” heads when the weather turns warm following a 10-day stretch when high temperatures only reach the 5°c.

-Can be direct-seeded as soon as you can work the soil. Will germinate at soil temps as low as 5°c.

-Plant ½ to ¾ inch deep, about 3 inches apart. Thin to final spacings. Direct seed in midsummer for fall crop, or start transplants in late May and transplant in late June or early July.

-Use low nitrogen fertilizer at planting. Too much nitrogen fertilizer may cause hollow stems.

-Plants have shallow root systems. Avoid even shallow cultivation. Mulch to protect roots, reduce weed competition and conserve moisture.

-Use floating row covers to help protect from early insect infestations.

-To help reduce disease, do not plant broccoli or other cole crops in the same location more than once every three or four years.

Pests and diseases

1.Aphids- Two primary species of aphids (plant lice) attack cole crops: the cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) and the turnip aphid (Lipaphis erysimi).

Because they are similar in life habits and response to treatments, they will be considered together. Plants in all stages of growth are frequently covered with dense clusters of whitish-green plant lice.

2.Cabbage Looper- The cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) is a very destructive and difficult-to-control pest of cabbage and other cole crops.

It is the larva (an immature insect stage that in this case is a caterpillar) of a medium-sized grayish brown moth. The moths have a figure-8-shaped silver spot near the middle of each of the front wings.

-They have a wingspread of 1¼ to 1½ inches (3.2 to 3.8 cm). The moths are most active at night and fly about at plant height while they are laying eggs.

3.Cabbage webworm

4.Diamondback Moth Caterpillars- Diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella) are gray, about 1/3inch (8.5 mm) long, and have a wingspread of less than 1 inch (2.54 cm).

5.Cabbage maggot

6.Harlequin Bug- The harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) is a flat, shield-shaped stink bug (3/8inch or 9.5 mm long) with red and black spotted markings on its back.

The immature stage known as a nymph has the same markings but is smaller and more round. The eggs stand on end in double rows and appear as tiny white kegs with black hoops.

7.Caterpillars
8.Whiteflies
9.Flea Beetles
10.Imported Cabbageworm

Harvesting: Harvest for peak quality when the buds of the head are firm and tight. If buds start to separate and the yellow petals inside start to show, harvest immediately.

Seeds storage: Gather seed stalks when seed pods are dry being careful to prevent losses due to shattering. Broccoli seed remains viable for 5 years under cool and dry storage conditions.

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