Broccoli

Broccoli

Brassica oleracea var. italica

Start broccoli indoors 7 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 18 in (46 cm) apart.

Photo: Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

When to plant

Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.

See the dates for your garden

Enter your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Every timing on this site turns into a calendar date. Not sure of yours? Your local extension service or a search for “last frost date” and your town will tell you; the app finds them from your location.

Last spring frost
First fall frost

Saved in this browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Optimal Indoor Start

From seedRecommended
  1. Start indoors7 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. Begin hardening off3 weeks before your last spring frost
  3. Plant out2 weeks before your last spring frost
  4. First harvestabout 60 days after planting out

Optimal Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant out2 weeks before your last spring frost
  2. First harvestabout 60 days after planting out

Optimal Fall Indoor Start

From seed
  1. Start indoorsabout 17 weeks before your first fall frost
  2. Begin hardening offabout 13 weeks before your first fall frost
  3. Plant outabout 12 weeks before your first fall frost
  4. First harvestabout 60 days after planting out

Optimal Fall Transplant

From seed
  1. Plant outabout 12 weeks before your first fall frost
  2. First harvestabout 60 days after planting out

Growing broccoli

Spacing in the row
18 in (46 cm)
Between rows
30 in (76 cm)
Planting depth
1/4 - 1/2 inch
Sun
Full Sun
Soil
Well-drained, fertile loam with high organic matter. pH 6.0-7.0.
Germination
7-14 days at 65-80°F
Harvest season
Spring, Fall
Mature height
18-36 inches
Life cycle
Annual

Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost, or direct sow when soil temperature reaches 50°F, 2-4 weeks before last frost. For a fall crop, sow midsummer.

Watering. Maintain consistent soil moisture, providing 1-1.5 inches of water per week, especially during head development. Avoid drought stress to prevent bolting.

Neighbours

The companion chart →

Grows well beside

Keep apart from

Feeding

Seedlings
Apply half-strength balanced liquid fertilizer after true leaves emerge.
Growing
Utilize a high-nitrogen granular or liquid fertilizer (e.g., 5-1-1 or blood meal equivalent) every 3-4 weeks once established.
How often
Every 3-4 weeks
Note
Consistent nutrient availability is critical for robust growth and large, dense heads. Supplement with boron if deficiency symptoms appear.

Your broccoli, planned to the day.

Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.

Add broccoli to your planting calendar →

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