How to grow broccoli

Broccoli, or sprouting broccoli, is a delicious, nutritious and easy-to-grow member of the cabbage family. It forms multiple small clusters of purple or white

A bud is a small, undeveloped shoot that contains the potential for new growth. Buds are typically found on stems, where they can be apical (found at the tip) or axillary (found between leaf axils) and may develop into leaves, shoots or flowers.

There are many broccoli varieties to choose from, for sowing and harvesting at different times. Traditional varieties are slow growing and hardy, sown in spring or early summer and forming large plants that crop in winter and the following spring. They take up a lot of space over a long period, but do provide valuable fresh harvests when little else is available.

If you don’t have the time or space for these, there are newer, smaller, faster-growing varieties for harvesting from mid-summer to late autumn. Check seed packets for sowing and harvesting times, as well as plant sizes and spacings.

You can choose from purple or white florets – purple varieties tend to be hardier and more productive, but both are attractive, delicious and well worth growing.

Broccoli is usually most successful in cooler summers, as hot weather can cause plants bolt (flower prematurely) – in warmer regions, grow bolt-resistant varieties.

For the most reliable broccoli varieties, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed exceptionally well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg for recommended varieties of broccoli and many other crops.

You can see many crops, including broccoli and other brassicas, growing in the veg plots at the RHS gardens, so do visit to explore how they are grown, compare the varieties and pick up useful tips and inspiration.

Some broccoli seeds are sold specifically for growing as micro-greens indoors, giving you speedy harvests of nutritious, tasty seedlings to add to salads.

Broccoli grows best in firm, fertile, well-drained soil, in sun or very light shade. It forms quite tall plants, so choose a sheltered spot where they won’t be buffeted by strong winds. Avoid soil that gets waterlogged, especially during winter if growing an overwintering variety.

If your soil is very acidic, apply lime the winter before sowing, to raise the pH and deter clubroot disease. Broccoli prefers a pH of 6 to 7.

Before sowing or planting, weed thoroughly and dig in two buckets of well-rotted manure or garden compost per square metre/yard. Ideally do this several months beforehand, to allow the ground to settle. If done just before planting, firm the soil well by treading it down using shuffling steps, then rake smooth.

Add a high potassium general fertiliser, such as Vitax Q4 – use one and a half handfuls per square metre/yard, or three handfuls if no manure or garden compost has been added.

Broccoli seeds can be sown from March to June – indoors from March or outdoors from April. It’s best to sow broccoli in small batches several weeks apart, to provide regular pickings over a long season.

Broccoli should be grown with other cabbage relatives in crop rotations, to avoid any build-up of pests and diseases in the soil.

Broccoli needs protection from pests such as cabbage butterflies and pigeons, so cover with fine-mesh netting at all times. Weed between plants regularly, water during dry spells, feed to boost growth and support taller plants with a sturdy cane.

Broccoli usually grows and crops well, although it may bolt (flower prematurely) in hot weather.

As it’s a brassica, broccoli is susceptible to several pests and diseases that affect the cabbage family, including clubroot and cabbage root fly. It is best grown under fine-mesh netting to protect it from cabbage caterpillars and pigeons. Cabbage whitefly and aphids may sometimes be problematic.

If you have clubroot disease in your soil, start broccoli off indoors so it has a well-developed root system before being moved into the ground. Plants should then be less severely affected.