Growing Broccoli

Brassica sp. : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
  S               S    
    T               T T

(Best months for growing Broccoli in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4-6 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 45°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 14 - 20 inches apart
  • Harvest in 10-16 weeks. Cut flowerhead off with a knife..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile, oregano)
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chilli, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard

Your comments and tips

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17 Sep 08, Manuel (Australia - temperate climate)
My broccoli have gone from juvenile heads to spreading out and flowering in a week. What have I done wrong?
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16 Sep 08, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Jen, you will be able to collect seeds but if you have planted F1 hybrid seedlings they may not reproduce.
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16 Sep 08, Liz (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Alex, Cut it across the stem just above the first leaves. The plant will then send out side shoots.
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15 Sep 08, Alex (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My brocolli is about ready to harvest - how low should I cut it to encourage another head to grow?
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05 Sep 08, dennis gibson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
what to plant after broccoli
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17 Jan 18, Doug (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi All, I live in Bundaberg & planted tomatoes as a beginner & they went berserk with lots of fruit. I am considering trying broccoli as my next attempt. My garden used to be an old sandpit, with the sand removed i filled it with garden soil & ginger compost. I intend to make it a bit deeper than the 200mm as is, but am open to whether or not I need too for broccoli. Also if anyone can tell me what pests i may get up here to be aware of. Many Blessings to all growers,
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27 Aug 08, Addy (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Mands, interesting to read that you have been picking broc for 18 mths! Guess that's due to your temperate weather. Here in Brisbane, I've been picking my broccolini stems for about 2 months now, wonder how long they'll last?
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26 Aug 08, Jen (Australia - temperate climate)
Just planted broccoli seedlings 1st time. If they are successful, can I take new seeds from them for a future crop?
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05 Jul 14, Dave (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi there,can I grow broccoli in Perth during winter?Though it's quite cold this winter we are still getting lots of sunny days.The frost hasn't seemed bad as yet and I was thinking of putting some clear plastic over them also.
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19 Aug 08, Jan (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I'm a first time broccoli grower. Planted seedlings 10 weeks ago. Very healthy. Have 2" single heads at present. How do I cut them and at what size is best? Nothing attacking....yet. Planted next to parsley,shallots, same age eggplant, garlic chives and silverbeet. Oregano not far away. Saw 1 cabbage moth fly around them yesterday. Sprinkled Blood and Bone over garden a week ago and a small amount of watered down old horse manure ( from the nearby Pony Club. Is there anything more I should do? Buying mushroom compost this Thursday.
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Showing 301 - 310 of 316 comments
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This has happened to me a couple of times in the South too, with various cole crops. Have you grown this variety of broccoli in this location and at the same time of year before, with success? The reason I ask is, some brassicas require vernalization (a sufficient number of cold temperatures before they flower/head) and some types may be photoperiod sensitive (waiting for days to get short enough/long enough to trigger flowering/heading). Did you have an especially warm winter? Definitely make sure you're growing a variety that's best suited to your latitude, and are growing it at the suggested time of year. I hope you at least got to eat your plants! The leaves are a delicious consolation prize. Also! Important tip: always leave broccoli roots in the ground when you harvest the plants. Decaying broccoli roots are toxic to verticillium dahliae, a stubborn soilborne fungus. Broccoli is worth growing for that reason alone!

- colleen

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