Broccoli cabbage: how to grow a good crop

Broccoli is one of the leaders in dietary nutrition, not only among different types of cabbage, but also among other vegetables. The rich vitamin and mineral composition makes it an essential element of nutrition for children, the elderly and sick people. The low content of purine substances makes broccoli an important food for kidney stone sufferers. And choline and methionine in the composition of cabbage prevents the accumulation of cholesterol in the body. 

And the value of broccoli is that it does not require long-term heat treatment. 

In terms of agricultural technology, broccoli is not as picky as cauliflower, although both types are stalks.

Growing broccoli 

Broccoli is a cold-resistant plant, it can tolerate frosts down to -10 ° C, so it can be grown in most regions of the country. But the most favorable temperature for growing broccoli is 16 – 25 ° C. This cabbage loves not only heat, but also high humidity of the soil and air.

Its cultivation requires light loamy or sandy loamy soils with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction, rich in organic matter. Well-lit places protected from cold winds are suitable for landing. This cabbage tolerates a slight shading at noon without loss of head quality. 

Many early-ripening varieties of broccoli have a narrow crown, so they are planted as a compactor for planting mid-season and late varieties of white cabbage.

Broccoli is grown in seedling and seedless method. Early ripe varieties can be sown up to 3 times per season, so the first sowing for seedlings is done in February-March. Late-ripening varieties are considered the most cold-resistant, so they are grown mainly for autumn-winter consumption. The optimal age of seedlings for planting in the ground is 30 – 35 days 

In the middle lane and in the south of our country, broccoli is sown immediately in open ground.

Broccoli produces many new shoots with flower heads from the axils of the leaves after the main head has been cut. This allows you to get additional yield from one plant.

Sowing broccoli at different times and stimulating the plant with pruning allows you to get high yields from small areas. As with the cauliflower story, it is important to remove the broccoli heads in a timely manner to prevent loosening of its structure (1).

Planting broccoli 

For seedlings, seeds are sown in loose, moist soil to a depth of 1 cm. The timing is calculated according to the conditions for planting in open ground: plants must have 5–6 true leaves and be no more than 35 days old. 

Before sowing, the seeds are treated (if the manufacturer has not done this), calibrated – do not expect a good harvest from small ones. Grow seedlings in cool conditions and good lighting, water regularly, and 2 – 3 feed with organic fertilizer for seedlings. 

Seedlings are planted in the garden from the end of April. A place for broccoli is chosen even, well lit, where no types of cabbage have grown over the past 4 years. The soil is pre-filled with humus and wood ash is added at the rate of 10 liters of humus and 0,5 liters of ash per 1 sq. m. 3 – 7 days before planting, the soil is watered with a solution of Fitosporin   

Seedlings are planted according to the scheme 50×20 cm or 60×30 cm, depending on the variety. The wells are watered abundantly, after planting the plants are watered again and compacted around the roots.

Immediately after planting, the bed is mulched with humus or dried grass, young plants are shaded for 1 to 2 days.

From mid-May, broccoli can be sown directly into the ground, after carefully preparing the soil. They do it this way: they mark out the landing site according to the scheme and sow 3-4 seeds in each small hole, and after germination, only one of the strongest sprouts is left. Gradually, soil is poured into the hole so that the plant does not stretch.

Outdoor broccoli care 

Watering. Broccoli needs quality watering. Rare but plentiful. For each plant, it is necessary to pour 4 – 5 liters of water. The plant responds well to foliar irrigation, especially during hot periods. However, after the beginning of the growth of the head, sprinkling should be only on the leaves. 

To maintain soil moisture, the bed is mulched. If you use humus, then this is also an additional top dressing.

Feeding. During the broccoli season, 3 main top dressings are needed:

• 1,5 – 2 weeks after planting seedlings – 1 liter of mullein or nettle infusion per 10 liters of water, consumption rate – 0,5 liters per bush;
• 2 weeks after the first – a complex mineral fertilizer, for example, Agricola for cabbage (pour under the root) and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of wood ash (to be embedded in the soil) on a bush;
• at the beginning of the formation of the head – an infusion of wood ash, the norm is 1 liter per plant.

To obtain a second crop, immediately after cutting, the broccoli heads are watered abundantly and fed with the following solution: 1 l of mullein infusion, 0,5 l of wood ash and 1 teaspoon of potassium monophosphate per 10 l of water. This will provoke the growth of side shoots and the tying of new heads.

Disease protection. To prevent diseases, the soil is watered, and the plants are sprayed on the leaves with biofungicides.

Protection against pests. To protect broccoli from cruciferous flea, immediately after planting seedlings or emergence of seedlings, the bed is dusted with wood ash, arcs are placed and a fine mesh or thin non-woven material is pulled over them. The shelter can be removed when the broccoli has grown, its leaves have coarsened and become unattractive to the flea.

To protect against cabbage aphids and caterpillars of white butterflies, biological insecticides are used – Lepidocide and Bitoxibacillin 

Harvesting broccoli 

Harvesting begins 35 to 50 days after transplanting. It is important to cut off the heads before they begin to loosen and the buds increase in size. Heads with yellow flowers are not used for food. Heads are cut off with a part of the stem 10-20 cm long, and for asparagus varieties – 20-30 cm.

Depending on the variety, a ripe head can weigh from 400 to 1500 g and be 7–15 cm in diameter. Heads on lateral shoots are cut when they reach 3–6 cm in diameter. 

Immediately after cutting, the heads are brought into the house and placed in a cool place inaccessible to the sun.

Rules for storing broccoli 

Broccoli is a delicate vegetable, so it’s important to properly prepare it for storage. First of all, immediately after cutting, dip the head in a bowl of cold water acidified with vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes. So you wash the broccoli from litter, dust and small insects. Then dry thoroughly with a paper towel, after which the head can be wrapped in a fresh, slightly dampened paper towel, placed in a plastic bag with holes and put in the refrigerator. 

Also, broccoli can be stored in a plastic bag with holes – the heads will lie in it for up to 7 days.

To store a large crop, broccoli can be frozen. To do this, the head is disassembled into small inflorescences, blanched in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, quickly cooled in ice water, allowed to dry slightly and packed in freezer bags. Such cabbage can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months without loss of quality and nutrients.

Popular questions and answers 

We asked about broccoli agronomist Oleg Ispolatov – he answered the most popular questions of summer residents.

Sources of

1. Lebedeva A.T. 150 vegetable crops in your garden // M.: Eterna, 2006
2. State catalog of pesticides and agrochemicals approved for use on the territory of the Federation as of July 6, 2021 // Ministry of Agriculture of the Federation https://mcx.gov.ru/ministry/departments/departament-rastenievodstva-mekhanizatsii-khimizatsii- i-zashchity-rasteniy/industry-information/info-gosudarstvennaya-usluga-po-gosudarstvennoy-registratsii-pestitsidov-i-agrokhimikatov/