Broccoli

General Information:
Broccoli is a cool-season crop, closely related to cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and mustard. It can be grown as either a spring or a fall crop. Broccoli is a high-quality vegetable for fresh use and is one of the more popular frozen vegetables. Broccoli is highly nutritious and has been deemed an anti-cancerous food by the American Cancer Society. This vegetable is a good source of Vitamin A, calcium, and riboflavin (or vitamin B2). The edible portion of the broccoli plant consists of the tender stem and the unopened flower buds. Sprouting broccoli should not be confused with broccoli-raab (or Italian turnip), which is grown for early leafy greens and with much smaller flower shoots.

Soil Preparation
For best results incorporate moderate amounts of compost or well rotted manure deeply dug into the soil. Beware of fresh manure as it may contain seeds, & high concentrations of urine & salts. Rake to break up & remove debris from the soil. Work the soil only when it is dry enough not to stick to garden tools. Soils that are well-suited for the production of broccoli are fertile, well drained, and have texture ranging from sandy loam to clay loam. Soil pH should be 6.0 to 7.0. Lime according to soil test recommendation. Organic soil does not require a high Ph. broccoli plants are shallow rooted heavy feeders requiring ample, even supplies nutrients including Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash, & Boron. Using a garden hoe form a shallow trench in the center of the 36" wide bed about 4" deep. Do not allow the trench between the 2 rows too extend beyond the end of the beds as this trench will hold water later. The 2 rows in the 36" wide bed should be about 12" apart. Since broccoli is a shallow rooted plant it is very sensitive to moisture fluctuations.  Without adequate moisture the shallow roots cannot deliver the require nutrients to produce properly. Rake to break up & remove debris from the soil. Work the soil only when it is dry enough not to stick to garden tools. Soils that are well-suited for the production of cabbage are fertile, well drained, and have texture ranging from sandy loam to clay loam.

Seed starting
A great Broccoli crop begins with large vigorous health seedlings 4 to 6 weeks old, grown in 4" or larger growing pots. Growing your own seedlings insure quality and varieties not commercially available. Broccoli seedling are commonly found commercially if you prefer just buying your seedlings. The seeds should be started about 6 to 8 weeks before your average last frost date in your zone, or 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost date for a early spring crop. Make sure the seed starting mix is a light sterile soil mix with a liberal portion of Perlite or Vermiculite to maintain moisture. Sow 2 seeds per 4"pot about ¼" deep in pre-moistened growing mix. During the day, keep the seedling next to a sunny window after they have germinated. Move to top of the water heater or refrigerator at night if you do not have a greenhouse. A heated greenhouse will produce ideal, controllable growing conditions. I also use supplemental overhead florescent lighting when needed. Never allow your lights to burn more than 16 hours per day. A cheap electrical timer is the key to success here. Seedlings must be allowed to have a period of rest from light to grow properly. Hang your lights 1½ inches above the tops of the seedlings. This will prevent the seedling from becoming leggy. Raise the lights suspended by a chain as the plants grow. Do not allow the soil to dry out. I feed my newly emerged seedling every other watering cycle. I prefer feeding my young seedlings with Fish Emulsion or liquid seaweed. After they have grown 2 true leaves I use a fertilizer high in phosphorus like Scotts Peters Professional 9-45-15 plant starter item #91140. Call 1-800-492-8255 for a dealer near you. Fertilize every two weeks until transplant time. Four weeks after seedlings have emerged clip off at the soil line the smallest of the 2 seedlings with scissors. Seeds can also be started by directly sowing into your prepared wide row beds. Plant 2 seed ¼" deep about 16" apart and water gently. Four weeks after seedling have emerged thin the seedlings to one seedling per hill. Clip the smallest one at ground level with scissors.

Fertilization
Perform a complete soil analysis to determine fertilization needs. Soil sample kits including sample bag and instructions can be obtained from your local county Agricultural extension service office free of charge. However, the fee for the actual soil analysis is usually about $15.00.

Pay particular attention to the elements, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash & Boron. Without boron, small buds, hollow pithy stems with internal brown discoloration, and low yields can result.  It is always wise to follow a nitrogen fixing crop such as beans , hairy vetch, rye or buck wheat, Generally broadcast about 5 pounds of 5-10-10 fertilizer for each 100 square feet of area. This should be applied and worked into the soil about one week before the plants are set. Time released fertilizers like Osmocote have become very popular and work great lasting for 4 months. If your prefer growing organically use fish emulsion bi-weekly.

Hardening Off
It will be necessary to harden off your seedlings before transplanting into the garden bed. The seedling must become accustomed to the harsher elements outdoors. This is accomplished by placing the seedling outside to a sheltered location. At this point the seedlings are very tender and easily broken by wind and rain. Start out by placing the seedling in full morning sunlight for one hour. Increase the time in full sunlight gradually adding time each day. Protect your seedlings from wind and animals to prevent breakage of the tender vegetation. Within two weeks your plants should be able to stand full sunlight the entire day without wilting or burning the tender leaves. At this point your seedlings are ready for the harsh elements of the garden.

Planting & Growing
Transplant 2 rows of seedlings spaced about 12" to 18" apart in the center of the outside 1/3 of the 36" wide beds.  Plants can be set slightly deeper when transplanting. Water the seedlings well 1 hour before transplanting. Water the plants well during transplanting using about 1 pint of starter solution on each transplant, or use commercially prepared starter solution according to manufacturer's instructions. This can be a weak solution of 20-20-20 general plant food or commercially available root stimulator. This will encourage rapid root growth & produce heads of acceptable quality. Large head hybrid varieties should be spaced further apart to promote larger head size. To lengthen the harvest plant seedling 1/3 at a time 2 weeks apart. (This procedure will also require starting your seedlings 1 week apart as well. ) Start planting in middle of rows running east & west until both side of the bed is filled. This procedure will prevent excessive shading of the smaller seedlings. When seedling have doubled in size from transplanting pull about 1" of loose soil from between the 2 rows hilling up on the plants. leaving a shallow trench between the 2 rows. Do not form the trench beyond the end of each 36" wide bed so the trench will hold water. This procedure accomplishes 2 important factors. The soil hilled up on the plants in row provide additional soil around the root zone and the shallow trench provides a reservoir to irrigate the roots deeply. The above described procedure is very important. Then cover the entire 36"wide bed & the shallow trenches with 2" to 3" of leaves or straw. This will conserve moisture and reduce the growth of weeds in the beds. Any weeds that do germinate are easily removed by hand or light cultivation. When it is time to water your plants, simply apply a moderate amount of water into the trench between the row you formed earlier. Do not apply water to quickly as you may wash out soil holding the water. The water will slowly soak deeply onto the root zone. Using this method your plants will always have adequate moisture to perform well. Be prepared to irrigate 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water per week if natural rainfall is lacking to help ensure a high-quality a broccoli crop. Broccoli requires above average moisture, and when this is lacking it responds with slow growth and poor appearance.

Direct Seeding
Row spacing are similar to transplanting but in-row spacing should be reduced to 4 to 6 inches. Sow seeds ¼" to ½" deep and irrigate frequently to keep surface moist until plants are established. Monitor insects closely during this time. Thin seedlings to 12" to 18" to allow adequate growing space. I do not recommend this method of starting broccoli, transplanted seedling is my method of choice.

Harvesting
Broccoli should be harvested in the early morning, because it wilts very rapidly in the sun. The broccoli head should be cut before the flower buds open. If the buds begin to open and the yellow flower petals begin to show, the head is over-mature and unfit for market. Cut the heads with a length of 6" to 8" inches long. The central heads vary from 4" to 10" inches in diameter. A few days after the central head is cut, small lateral, or side, shoots grow out and produce small heads measuring 1 to 3 inches in diameter. These side shoots are seldom of the quality of the central heads. Small heads produced by the side shoots are very desirable for freezing and use in the home. Light frosts do not hurt broccoli appreciably; therefore, harvest in the fall generally continues until the first hard freeze.

Yield
Central heads will vary in size, depending on variety, spacing and growing conditions. The central head weights will range from 0.3 to 1.0 lb each, while side shoots will average between 0.1 to 0.3 lb. A bed containing 2o plant will feed an entire family for a season.

Varieties

Storage
Broccoli can be easily frozen for later use. Simply discard the large leaves and tough stalks. Wash well and soak, head down, in salted water (4 teaspoons of salt to one gallon of cold water) for about one-half hour. Split lengthwise so heads are not more than 1½ inches across. Scald in boiling water for four minutes, drain, pack in containers, and freeze at once.