Broccoli is a pretty easy vegetable to grow. A member of the same family as cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts, broccoli like cooler weather and tends to flower, bloom and go to seed too early if it is in full sun or too hot weather, so its perfect for an area that is shaded part of the day.

Broccoli is rich in vitamin A, as well as B and C vitamins and has its fair share of iron as well. Broccoli can be started in the house about 6 weeks before the last frost, or take it outside just after the last frost. Don’t wanter the tops of your broccoli plants as this will encourage them to flower and they will speed along too rapidly to get a good crop.

Broccoli, grown from seed

Broccoli is a hardy vegetable, and when properly grown will yield for a long period of time.

After the top head has developed, side heads will develop if you remove the top head, so that you will get two or even three crops per year. New, modern varieties of seed are more heat resistant so that it can be grown in all but the very hottest weather.

Side heads develop after the large, central head is removed. Two crops per year (spring and fall) may be grown in most parts of the country. New heat tolerant varieties allow broccoli to be produced in all but the hottest parts of the season.

Some varieties of broccoli that are recommended are

Cruiser (58 days to harvest; uniform, high yield; tolerant of dry conditions)

Green Comet (55 days; early; heat tolerant)

Green Goliath (60 days; spring, summer or fall; tolerant of extremes)

Planting:

Transplant young, vigorously growing plants in early spring. Plants that remain too long in seed flats may produce “button” heads soon after planting. For fall crops, buy or grow your own transplants or plant seeds directly in the garden. F

Spacing the Plants

Plant seeds  1/2 inch deep. Plant or thin seedlings  24 inches apart in the row and allow 36 inches between rows. Broccoli plants grow upright, often reaching a height of 2 1/2 feet. Space plants one foot apart in all directions in beds.

Care

Use starter fertilizer for transplants and side-dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are half grown. Provide ample soil moisture, especially as the heads develop.

Harvesting

The edible part of broccoli are compact clusters of unopened flower buds and the attached portion of stem. The green buds develop first in one large central head and later in several smaller side shoots. Cut the central head with 5 to 6 inches of stem, after the head is fully developed, but before it begins to loosen and separate and the individual flowers start to open (show bright yellow). Removing the central head stimulates the side shoots to develop for later pickings. These side shoots grow from  the lower leaves.

Pests

Aphids — Watch for buildup of colonies of aphids on the undersides of the leaves.

Cabbage worms — Three species of cabbage worms (imported cabbage worms, cabbage loopers and diamond back moth worms) commonly attack the leaves and heads of cabbage and related  crops. Imported cabbage worms are velvety green caterpillars. The moth is white and commonly is seen during the day hovering over plants in the garden. Cabbage loopers (“measuring worms”) are smooth, light green caterpillars. The cabbage looper crawls by doubling up (to form a loop) and then moving the front of its body forward. The moth is brown and is most active at night. Diamondback worms are small, pale, green caterpillars that are pointed on both ends. The moth is gray, with diamond-shaped markings when the wings are closed. The damage caused by diamondback larvae looks like shot holes in the leaf.