Harvesting broccoli - when & how do you do it?

Harvest broccoli all year round - this is how it works

Start earlier and harvest fresh broccoli longer

Those who prefer broccoli in March can enjoy the first delicious florets from June. Sow the green cabbage directly in the field from mid-May until the first harvest in June. This guarantees a fresh broccoli harvest from late summer to the end of October.

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Planting broccoli yourself: tried and tested tips for the perfect harvest

Broccoli thrives particularly well in a sunny, sheltered location with nutrient-rich and calcareous soil. But make sure that no cabbage plants have been grown on the bed for the past three years. To harvest firm, green broccoli, dig up the soil deeply and improve the soil with enough lime, compost or manure.

Proper care ensures a healthy broccoli harvest

As soon as broccoli seedlings have formed four pairs of leaves, plant them in the bed at a distance of 50 centimeters. Broccoli is very thirsty and needs plenty of water. When the first firm head forms in the middle, harvest the first broccoli in good time. Because in summer it quickly turns yellow or brown and loses its aroma.

Cut broccoli correctly and harvest several times

Important: The buds should be ripe but still closed when harvested. First cut off only the main shoot with flower buds including 10 cm stalk. If the cut is made directly on the armpit, small florets will appear on the side and you can harvest several times. Later, the underlying, regrowing side shoots, from which further flower heads develop, harvest. This extends the harvest by around 3 to 4 weeks.

Harvest broccoli in abundance

Strange but true! Hobby gardeners harvest around one kilo of broccoli per plant. So many nutritious vegetables are healthy and a great experience. Harvest time is from June to the end of October, depending on the variety and the start of cultivation. The Purple Sprouting broccoli variety can be harvested as early as March or April. Regardless of the type of broccoli - there are usually around 90 days between sowing and harvesting.