Broccoli
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Broccoli plants keep on giving. Once you’ve harvested the central head, most varieties produce a steady supply of delicious side shoots for several more months.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Plenty of nutrients; good drainage
Soil:
Rich, friable, free-draining soil. Add plenty of compost or well-rotted manure before planting.
How to start: SEED: Sow direct in the ground or in punnets into seed-raising mix, 10mm deep. Germinates in 3-7 days. SEEDLING: Plant outside when seedlings are 8cm+ tall. Space 45–50cm apart, rows 50cm apart. Water in and mulch with straw.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulched with straw. Check young leaves daily for signs of the cabbage white butterfly. If there are holes, check the undersides of leaves where the caterpillars hang out to feed. Apply seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser fortnightly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets monthly.
When to harvest: Harvest central head from 12 weeks. Using a sharp knife cut the stem diagonally to prevent it rotting. Allow side shoots to develop.
Troubleshooting:
Cabbage white butterfly; cabbage moth; whitefly
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
View Planting Guide
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