Broccoli is a tasty member of the cabbage family and is full of healthy vitamins. It is one of the easiest members of the cabbage family to grow and requires little maintenance throughout its growing cycle. Broccoli is a unique crop, meaning it can produce two harvests per year (one in the fall and one in the summer) depending on when you plant it. Choose a spot in your garden with full sun and rich soil and start planting today!

1 – WHEN AND HOW TO HARVEST BROCCOLI?

Broccoli should be harvested approximately 2 months after planting, when the main head is green and reaches a size of 7.5 to 10 cm. You should definitely not wait for the green to lighten, a sign that the flower buds are blooming.

The plant can be left in the ground after harvesting the largest head: it will surely produce other side shoots which are smaller, but still worth harvesting.

2 – MAINTENANCE

Broccoli fears drought. To keep the soil cool, hoe, weed and water at the first signs of drought. As soon as the plants are tall enough, install mulch at their base.

3 – BROCCOLI DISEASES

The main enemy of broccoli remains late blight. Humidity is the main cause of the development of late blight.

• Avoid watering the foliage of your broccoli cabbages
• Do not tighten the plants too tightly to aerate the foliage as much as possible.
• Find our advice to fight against mildew

Note also that broccoli cabbage can be the target of aphids and, naturally, caterpillars.

For these 2 parasites, avoid at all costs chemical treatments which risk contaminating your vegetables and the soil in which they grow.

4 – HARVEST

Broccoli is a fast-growing cabbage (50 to 220 days), which can be sown and consumed almost in the same season.

First harvest the terminal bouquet. Subsequently you will benefit from the smaller shoots formed in the leaf axils. If you grow different varieties of broccoli, you can harvest from June to February.