Broccoli is worth growing for its nutritional content value. This is rich in Vitamins and Minerals and is a good source of Vitamin A, Potassium, Folic acid, Iron and Fiber.
Broccoli is a cool seasonal crop, so it should be started in early winters. September and October are the best months for seed germination.
Germination Process?
- You can start seeds in almost any type of container as long as it's 4-6 inches deep and has some drainage holes in the bottom.
- Choose potting soil, which is made for growing seeds or 40% garden soil, 30% coco peat and 30% vermicompost.
- Before planting the seeds, moisten the soil mix well.
- Sprinkle the seeds evenly over the soil surface.
- Lightly cover the seeds with soil and gently press the soil down to ensure it comes into contact with the seeds.
- Since the seeds are very small, broccoli seeds must be planted about half to quarter inch deep.
- Add water to the newly planted seeds with a mister or small watering bottle.
- Keep the pot in full Sun, 6-7 hours of sunlight is ideal for the early germination.
- Make sure to keep the soil mix evenly moist for the first 12-15 days.
- Growing broccoli from the seed is fairly quick, it takes about 5-10 days for the seedlings to pop out of the soil.
- Check soil moisture daily and water soil if required.
- Provide consistent soil moisture with regular watering especially during the initial growth stages.
Transplanting Seedlings?
- Transplant seedlings when they are 5-7 inches in height. Usually it will take about 28-25 days. The height of the plant developed is more important than the duration of the germination process.
- Always take the big containers to plant your broccoli plants, like 22 inch diameter and 14 inch depth containers. You can plant 4 plants.
- Dig holes about 4-6 inch depth and plant them deeper. Planting the broccoli plant deep into the soil helps them grow better, because broccoli form roots all along the portion of the soil.
- Broccoli plants need their space to grow as they are heavy feeders. Planting them close will hamper their growth, so at least keep the distance of 8-10 inches from each other plant so that they grow healthy.
- After transplanting, add water to the soil thoroughly.
- Broccoli requires a site with exposure of sunlight like 5-6 hours per day. Lack of sunlight may produce thin and light growth of plants.
- Make sure to keep the soil evenly moist for the first 12-15 days to boost constant growth.
- Provide consistent soil moisture with regular watering especially during the initial growth stages.
- As the plant starts to grow bigger, remove the bottom leaves, so that the plant concentrates its energy to the upper part, so that later it produces the broccoli.
- Remove weeds from the container as soon as you see them. Pull them up carefully or loosen up the roots to remove. Try to get all the weed roots so that it doesn't affect the plant growth. Else it will create lesser growth of plants.
- Fertilize your plant for every 18-20 days. Use of organic Nitrogen rich fertilizer, cattle manure, leaf mold, fish emulsion works well for the fertilizing broccoli plants.
- Mix well in the soil and water immediately after adding fertilizer to the soil.
- The stage of the growth between germination and flowering is known as the vegetative phase of plant development. During this stage plants focus on the upward growth and storing resources to use for flowering.
- Check soil moisture regularly and water your plants whenever soil feels dry. The water should be poured on the roots of the plants and not on the head, as it can encourage rot.
- At this stage plants focus on the upward growth and in head formation.
- For the plant to produce the main head, vegetative growth slows down to almost standstill. All resources within the plant get directed to forming the main flower head.
- Broccoli can be easily grown in small pots 6-10 inch in diameter (1 plant can be planted)
- Side dress broccoli with aged manure or vermicompost during the time of planting and after every 20 days to boost plant growth.
- Provide consistent soil moisture with regular watering especially during the head formation period.
- At this stage you can cover the broccoli head with leaves, this will prevent the heads from getting wet, as it can encourage rot and at the same time leaves will protect the head from the pest and diseases.
Harvesting?
- The perfect time for harvest is right before the broccoli flowers, look for closed flower heads, yellow flowers means the quality clock is already counting down, meaning you can harvest immediately.
- Cut head from the plants taking at least 5-6 inches of the stem.
- After the main head of the broccoli is harvested, apical dominance breaks. Plant hormones send internal messages to the cells within the plant, encouraging the development of the side shoots off the main stalk of the broccoli plant.
- Overtime, each of the side shoots grows and develops into a smaller, harvestable head of broccoli extending the harvest.
- Harvest broccoli in the morning, when the buds of the head are firm and tight, just before the heads flower.
Other things to note during the process?
- Broccoli growing problems also include bacterial and fungal diseases. A number of leaf spot diseases infect broccoli plants. Rotate crops to avoid growing members of the cole family in the same area more than once every three years.
- Space the plants appropriately to allow good air circulation and apple irrigation directly to find the soil to keep the plants dry as much as possible.
- High temperature will affect development of the broccoli head, so the goal is to get broccoli to mature before or after high temperatures are expected.
- Most people are unaware of this, but the edible part of broccoli is actually a flower head harvested before it blooms.
Here’s the findings of how to grow the Broccoli at your home and this will be helpful for people who wish to grow their food and for people who have time for growing at home. Also a good hobby. If you have a hobby of growing such vegetables at home, do continue by reading related articles in Peoples BLOG. Thanks for reading this article, hope you get something interesting today.
