Brassica oleracea Italica Group (Broccoli)

Prized for its high vitamin content, Broccoli (Brassica oleracea Italica Group) is a cool-season vegetable grown for its thick stems and crisp green heads of flower buds. Typically grown in the spring or fall, broccoli is a nutritious vegetable and can be eaten fresh or cooked.

• Broccoli is a member of the Brassicaceae or cabbage family, which includes cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, kale, collards, and horseradish.
• Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean region. Cultivated in the Roman Empire, Broccoli was spread to northern Europe by the 18th century and brought to North America in the 19th century by Italian immigrants.
• Today, the United States is the world’s largest producer of broccoli.
• Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable. It is “cruciferous” because the flowers have four petals and resemble a Greek cross.
• The stems, leaves, and florets of Broccoli are all edible and full of fiber and nutrients.
• Broccoli is rich in health benefits. Add it to your diet and enjoy it raw, steamed, grilled, sautéed, roasted, or cooked any other way.
• Broccoli plants prefer the cooler temperatures of spring and fall. Most gardeners can produce at least two harvests in a single year.

Main Types of Broccoli

There are many excellent varieties of Broccoli to choose from.

• Calabrese Broccoli: Named after Calabria, a region in southern Italy, Calabrese Broccoli is an old-fashioned variety of Broccoli with large blue-green heads, 4-8 in. (10-20 cm), and multiple side shoots. Reaching 2 feet (60 cm) in height, Calabrese Broccoli is a fast-growing vegetable that can be grown as an early spring or fall crop and is ready for harvest in 60 to 90 days.
• Sprouting Broccoli: Unlike Calabrese Broccoli, which boasts a single large head, Sprouting Broccoli produces smaller heads with multitudes of tender side shoots. Slightly more bitter than Calabrese Broccoli, Sprouting Broccoli is usually planted in the fall for an early spring harvest. Sprouting Broccoli can be purple or white. The white variety has a milder, sweeter taste than the purple variety. Sprouting Broccoli requires at least 70-100 days to mature.
• Broccolini: Also known as Aspabroc, or baby Broccoli, Broccolini features smaller florets and longer, thin stalks. This plant results from a cross with Chinese Broccoli. The flavor is subtle and sweet, with notes of both Broccoli and asparagus. Broccolini is ready to harvest 50–60 days from planting. By cutting off the head, the harvest time is extended as new side shoots of smaller heads will grow. Broccolini is more sensitive to cold temperatures than Broccoli but less sensitive to hot temperatures. Broccolini has slightly more phosphorus, manganese and calcium than Broccoli, which are important for bone health. But it provides almost four times more vitamin A than Broccoli.
• Chinese Broccoli: Also known as Chinese kale or Gai Lan, Chinese Broccoli is grown for its long, thick stems and broad blue-green leaves that look like collards. The stems and leaves are the main parts eaten, as opposed to the standard Broccoli. Chinese Broccoli is similar in flavor and texture to Western Broccoli but is slightly more pungent. This is a most nutritious vegetable, with one of the highest calcium contents of any food. It is also rich in iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Chinese Broccoli is best when blanched and then stir-fried briefly, as it retains its nice green color.
• Romanesco Broccoli: Also known as broccoflower or Roman Cauliflower, Romanesco Broccoli produces striking chartreuse heads that resemble sea corals. Almost too pretty to be eaten, Romanesco Broccoli dates back to 16th-century Italy. Romanesco can be eaten raw or cooked similarly to Broccoli or Cauliflower. The heads have the flavor and texture of Cauliflower. Nutritionally, Romanesco is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, and carotenoids.

Broccoli Health Benefits

• While Broccoli makes a flavorful addition to various dishes, it can also provide some health benefits.
• Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B9), minerals (potassium, phosphorus, selenium), and fiber.
• Broccoli is rich in sulforaphane which helps in reducing the risk of cancer, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of heart disease.
• Broccoli is a good source of antioxidants, which fight harmful free radicals and inflammation.
• Broccoli contains nutrients that are necessary for maintaining healthy bones.
• Broccoli is also a good source of fiber which helps reduce inflammation and promote digestive health.
• People with certain conditions (thyroid or digestion issues, heart disease) may want to talk to their doctor before eating Broccoli.

Growing Broccoli

• Broccoli grows up to 18-24 in. tall (45-60 cm) and 12-24 in. wide (30-60 cm), depending on the variety.
• Broccoli performs best in full sun in organically rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils with a pH between 6 and 7.
• Before planting, add well-rotted manure or organic matter. As an alternative, apply a high-potassium general fertilizer to the planting site.
• Depending on the variety, Broccoli takes 50-60 days to harvest from transplants and 100-150 days to harvest from seed.
• The optimum temperature range to grow Broccoli is 65-70°F (18-21°C).
• Broccoli will tolerate a low temperature of 40°F (4°C) and grow poorly above 75°F (24°C).
• Plant Broccoli where no other brassicas (including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and cauliflower) have been planted in the previous two years as per crop rotation rules.
• Set plants 12 inches apart (30 cm) with 18 inches (45 cm) between rows.
• Mulch to retain moisture, protect the shallow roots, and control weeds.
• Harvest heads when buds are still tight and dark green or dusky violet, except for ‘Romanesco’, which should be yellow-green.
• Broccoli is susceptible to various pests. Keep an eye out for flea beetles, caterpillars, pigeons and snails, cabbage root fly and mealy cabbage aphid.
• Broccoli is susceptible to various diseases, including brassica downy mildew and brassica white blister.
• Broccoli is propagated by seed.

Broccoli: Companion Planting

• Excellent companion plants for Broccoli are agastache, alyssum, anise, bush beans, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, calendula, carrots, celery, chamomile, chervil, crimson clover, tansy, collards, cress, cucumbers, dill, garlic, hyssop, kale, lettuce, marigolds, mint, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, zinnias.
• Nasturtium is an excellent companion for many plants, deterring aphids and improving growth and flavor.
• Plant oregano near Broccoli to repel the cabbage butterfly.
• Celery repels the white cabbage butterfly when grown near the Broccoli.
• Broccoli loves plenty of calcium. Pair it with plants that need little calcium, such as nasturtiums and beets. Put the nasturtiums right under the broccoli plants.
• Thyme is known to deter cabbage worms, so plant near your broccoli to ward off any potential issue;
• Sage repels cabbage moths, beetles, and black flea beetles. Allowing sage to flower will also attract many beneficial insects, and the flowers are lovely.
• Anise has a strong licorice flavor and is good to plant near Broccoli because its scent masks the odor of Broccoli so that pests cannot find it. The plant also makes a good host for predatory wasps that love to feed on aphids. It is also supposed to repel aphids and increase the vigor of any plants growing beside it.
• Chervil is a good companion plant for broccoli and improves its growth and flavor.
• Do not plant Broccoli near tomatoes, strawberries, pole beans, peppers, or mustards.