Broccoli is one of the easiest vegetables to grow in as long as a few simple things are kept in mind. The sweetest, most tender broccoli is harvested in cool weather. Like all cole crops, broccoli produces best when the night temperature is 60-70 degrees F. and the day temperature averages below 80 degrees. Hot weather can make the heads and side shoots bitter and causes the plants to 'bolt' into seed production. Schedule plantings to mature while the weather is still cool. To further beat the heat, plant broccoli in a bed that receives partial shade in the afternoon. Most broccoli varieties mature within 55 to 60 days of transplanting. The 'days to maturity' indicated on a broccoli seed packet refers to the time after seedlings are set in the garden. It will take four to six weeks to grow transplants from seed indoors. Like all cole crops, broccoli needs a rich, loamy, well-drained soil chock-full of organic matter. The plants are heavy feeders and have a high demand for nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium throughout the season, but particularly when young and when starting to develop heads. If you've never grown broccoli, try planting 'Bonanza' this spring. It produces an enormous central head and many large side shoots after the main head is removed. You can plant it again later in the summer for a second fall crop!
* Spacing is critical to broccoli production. The shallow root systems need plenty of room to spread to obtain sufficient water and nutrients. Studies have shown that generous spacing between plants produces larger heads and increases yields significantly. If the plants are spaced too tightly, you're likely to get 'button' heads and few side shoots. Space plants at least 18 inches apart; 24 inches is ideal for most varieties. * Mulch will keep weeds at bay and will help keep the soil beneath cool and moist. Spring crops, in particular, will appreciate several inches of clean straw, leaves, and compost as mulch when the warmer weather arrives. You can also plant a 'living mulch' of lettuce, spinach and other leafy greens around the broccoli plants. This not only shades the soil, but also helps make the best use of valuable garden space. As summer approaches, the larger broccoli plants will shade the greens.
* To eliminate root maggots, mix wood ashes into the soil during preparation in the spring. Sprinkling wood ashes around the base of each plant will also help repel aphids. * Cutworms can wipe out a whole bed of freshly transplanted broccoli overnight. To prevent this, place a cutworm collar around each plant immediately after moving it into the garden. A paper or plastic cup with its bottom removed makes a simple collar. Push the cup, wide end down, about an inch into the soil around each plant. Cutworms won't climb over or dig under the collar. When the broccoli stem is large enough, the cup can be easily removed and discarded. * Cabbage loopers and cabbageworms are the scourges of the broccoli bed. To keep the moths from laying eggs on your plants, protect them under a floating row cover. A row cover will also protect new transplants from the flies that produce root maggots. For optimum protection, cover the plants immediately after transplanting and leave the cover on throughout the season even as the weather gets warm. The lightweight floating covers won't overheat the plants. * As a second precaution against ravenous caterpillars, use Bacillus thuringiensis, better known as Bt and sold under the trade names Bactur, Dipel, and Thuricide. A natural pesticide, Bt kills only butterfly and moth larvae and is nontoxic to humans and animals. Spray the broccoli weekly as soon as you see tiny cabbageworms on the undersides of the leaves. The two best ways to avoid common broccoli disease problems are:
* Plant disease-resistant varieties. * Practice crop rotation. Plan your garden so that at least three years pass before a cole crop is planted in the same garden space (especially if clubroot, a soil-borne fungus, is a known problem).
