If you’ve been wondering how to grow broccoli from seed in your own home garden, you’ve come to the right place. Broccoli is probably my very favourite vegetable of all, and naturally, homegrown broccoli is far superior to what you can find at the grocery store. Plus, there are so many different broccoli varieties to try!
Our broccoli plants tend to take up a lot of space in our home garden, but it’s totally worth it to have fresh broccoli by late July, another crop for a fall harvest, and a few freezer bags full to last the year.
As an added bonus, we even eat the broccoli leaves too! And of course, whatever’s left over goes into the compost. No part of our broccoli plants go to waste, and every year we grow more and more.
Broccoli was actually one of the very first vegetables we ever grew in our home garden, and we’ve grown it every year since.
We’ve also been lucky enough to have always had success growing broccoli, and we’ve actually found it to be one of the easier plants to grow from seed.
That being said, I’ve definitely heard enough other people say that they’ve struggled with growing broccoli to know that it can be a bit finicky, so I figured it would be a great candidate for our seed starting series!
Let’s dive in so you can start growing your own broccoli in your home garden.
How to Start Broccoli Seeds Indoors
The Basics:
- For a summer crop, start broccoli seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your average last frost date (refer to the seed packet for more details on your specific planting date).
- For a fall crop, start broccoli seeds indoors in late May or early June for a September or October harvest.
- Sow seed ⅛ of an inch to ¼ of an inch deep in moist soil (not soaking wet).
- Seeds should germinate in about 5 to 10 days.
- Plant one seed per pot or to guarantee better germination, plant 2 or 3 seeds per pot and thin the young plants out to just one per pot as they start to grow.
- Keep soil watered evenly but not sopping wet.
- Use an indoor grow light if possible to give young broccoli plants lots of light and keep them from getting tall and “leggy” (aka. spindly).
The Details:
Broccoli is a great summer crop or fall crop. Since it’s one of the cool-season vegetables, it will last in the garden well into October in most climates. That being said, you’ll need to start seeds at different times in order to get a harvest at different times.
For a summer crop, start broccoli seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date. For a fall crop, start indoors in late May or early June for a fall. broccoli harvest.
Plant broccoli seeds ⅛ inch to ¼ inch deep. The general rule is to sow seeds about 2x deeper than the seeds are large. Since broccoli seeds are pretty tiny, they should be sown pretty shallow, but ensure they’re covered with moist soil. You can sow one seed per pot or sow multiple seeds for better germination rates. Two or three seeds per pot should ensure good germination. But you’ll have to thin seedlings out to one per pot when they begin to grow. We use these peat pots to start our seeds. These are great because they biodegrade in the soil so you don’t have to disturb plant roots by removing the broccoli transplants.
Ensure consistent, moist soil at all times but don’t overwater. You’ll also want to keep your young broccoli plants under a grow light as they require lots of light to grow strong and healthy. Try to keep the lights hanging just a few inches above the seedlings. If the lights are too far away (or if you keep your seedlings by a window and they need to stretch to reach the light), your broccoli seedlings could end up shooting up quite tall and getting long and spindly. Try to avoid this. You can purchase grow lights from the store or make your own indoor grow light stand.
When it comes to starting broccoli from seed, you can technically plant broccoli seeds right into your garden in warmer climates. But germination and survival rates tend to be much better when seeds are started indoors and growing conditions are monitored and controlled for the first few weeks. I have a hunch this may be why some people struggle with growing broccoli, so its a good idea to try starting them indoors.
We tried starting our fall crop outdoors last year and didn’t have any seeds germinate! The soil kept drying out too quickly and the temperature fluctuated a bit much from day to night. I don’t know for sure, but I think this may have been why we struggled with that particular crop. We’ve always had success starting seeds indoors though, and that’s the generally recommended “best practice” when it comes to growing broccoli from seed.
The first head of broccoli I ever grew and harvested myself!
Transplanting Broccoli Seedlings Outdoors
The Basics:
- Transplant broccoli seedlings outdoors into well-drained soil once they have 6 to 8 sets of true leaves.
- Harden them off for 3 or 4 days before transplanting them permanently into the garden.
- Practice good crop rotation, and do not plant in the same area where you grew broccoli (or any other brassicas) last season. If possible, plant broccoli where you grew peas or beans last season as the soil will have more nitrogen from the peas and beans which will help broccoli grow strong and healthy.
- For best results, it’s a good idea to fertilize the soil before planting with composted manure or organic fertilizer.
- Plant broccoli seedlings 18-24” apart (45-60cm apart) in rows 30-36” apart (75-90cm apart).
The Details:
Wait to move your broccoli transplants outdoors until each plant has roughly 6 to 8 sets of true leaves. Harden them off over the course of about 3 or 4 days by putting broccoli seedlings outdoors for a couple hours and then bringing them back inside, then put them out for a little longer the next day and bring them back in, then put them out and leave them out in their pots overnight before transplanting them into the garden.
This is how we always harden our plants off and I notice they get visibly larger and stronger (with thicker stems) over the course of those few days when we’re hardening them off.
Practice crop rotation, being sure not to plant broccoli in the same spot as you planted any brassicas last season. Brassicas (ie. broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, etc.) are heavy feeders, which means they tend to deplete the soil of nutrients. So don’t plant them in the same spot as you planted them the previous season because the soil won’t be as rich and healthy as it should be to grow strong healthy broccoli plants.
If possible, try to rotate them to a spot where you grew either peas or beans the previous season, or where you previously planted a cover crop of legumes like clover. Legumes actually add nitrogen back into the soil which helps improve the nutrient content.
Still, it’s always a good idea to add some organic fertilizer to give your broccoli the best chance. Before planting, spread some composted manure or simply some compost, or add some fertilizer to the soil where you’ll be planting your broccoli seedlings. Add about ¼ cup of organic fertilizer to each planting area and mix well into the top soil.
Plant seedlings about 18-24” apart in rows about 30-36” apart. Full grown broccoli plants grow quite large and their leaves need room to spread out, so be sure to give them enough space. Make sure their roots are below the soil and then mound a little extra soil around the base of each plant to keep them well supported.
Caring for Broccoli Plants
The Basics:
- Grow broccoli in a location with full sun. While they can handle cool weather, they love the sun and don’t do well in the shade.
- Keep soil evenly watered but don’t let the soil become sopping wet. Make sure to plant in well-drained soil. The top 6 inches or so of the soil should be kept moist at all times, so be sure to provide plenty of water.
- Fertilize again about a month after planting. Simply spread a little rotted compost or manure or some store-bought organic fertilizer on the soil around your plants and water it in.
- Harvest broccoli heads once they have fully developed but the buds are still closed tight. Cut the head off with about 5 or 6 inches of the stem too.
- Leave the plants in the ground after you’ve removed the heads. The plants will produce offshoots of little broccoli heads giving you an extra harvest. You can also harvest and eat the leaves!
- Once your broccoli harvest is complete, pull plants out by the root, mulch up and compost. Add some compost to the area to add nutrients back into the soil before planting anything else.
The Details:
Broccoli is a bit of a dichotomy. It’s a cold-hardy plant that thrives in cooler temperatures but it’s also a sun-loving plant that hates shade. Plant seedlings in a location that gets full sun.
Make sure to provide plenty of water to keep at least the top 6 inches of the soil constantly moist. Try to water in the early morning or evening to keep the water from evaporating too quickly (as it tends to do midday in the summer).
To encourage strong, healthy growth, fertilize again about a month after planting by spreading some rotted compost or manure over the soil and watering it in. Do not mix it into the soil as you could break or disrupt the roots.
Harvest broccoli heads when they are full grown but the buds are still tightly closed. If they’ve begun to open up, the broccoli is still edible but not quite as good. Once the broccoli begins to flower though, it’s too late. Keep an eye on broccoli plants in the middle of summer because they tend to bolt and go to seed quickly if you get a heat wave. Try to stay on top of them and harvest before this happens.
Once you’ve harvested the main broccoli head, leave the plants in the ground and continue watering for a couple more weeks. Removing the broccoli head encourages the plants to grow offshoots (small heads of broccoli that grow off the smaller side shoots) which means an extra broccoli harvest for you!
Also, don’t waste the leaves! Broccoli leaves are edible too and taste just like broccoli but are more like kale or collard greens in nature. Add them to soups, stews and stir fries or make some Cream of Broccoli Leaf Soup!
Pull plants out by their roots, mulch them up and add to your compost once you’ve harvested all you can from them. Then add some finished compost or fertilizer to the area where they were planted to add nutrients back into the soil.
For a quick reference guide, don’t forget to grab your FREE Seed Starting Cheat Sheet. It includes at-a-glance info on exactly when and how to start 10 common garden vegetables from seed.
>> Download your Seed Starting Cheat Sheet now!
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness 🙂
PS: If you need a little extra help planning your garden, Seedtime is a fantastic all-in-one garden planner and management app that I have personally used and loved. It can help you with timing, spacing, companion planting, and so much more. The best part is that the basic version is totally free (and actually quite robust!) Check out Seedtime here.
Wanna learn how to grow your own food?
Let’s face it: food costs are skyrocketing and only continuing to go up. Growing your own food is basically like printing your own money! Not to mention how much healthier and better-tasting it is. And you might be surprised by just how much food you can grow in a relatively small space.
But if you’re new to gardening, it can feel intimidating to get started. I know, because I was once a beginner who had NO CLUE what I was doing—and I made plenty of mistakes that cost me both time and money along the way.
Over the past 10+ years, I’ve learned how to feed my family from our backyard (well… front yard, actually!) on our modest quarter-acre property. Today, I grow hundreds of pounds of food for our family every year for practically free. Yes, there are some startup costs—but they pay big dividends for years to come. Investing in a garden is just about the smartest investment you can make nowadays!
If you’re ready to make that investment in your family’s food security, I’d love to invite you to join me inside my signature program, Seed-to-Soil.
Inside the course, I’ll teach you step-by-step exactly how to grow your own food from seed and create your very own organic grocery store right in your backyard. From choosing the right seeds and starting them successfully, to planting, harvesting, and even saving seeds for the following season, you’ll learn the simple, proven system I’ve used to grow abundant food year after year.
If you’re ready to stop relying entirely on the grocery store and start growing real food for your family, click here to enroll in Seed-to-Soil today.
I can’t wait to see you inside:)
I’m interested to know how you came across it 🙂