Guide to Growing Broccoli

• Broccoli is an overwintered crop (calabrese, often confused with broccoli, produces its crop the same year before winter).
• Purple Sprouting and White Sprouting varieties are available.

Sowing and Growing

• Broccoli is a brassica – read the general brassica growing instructions.
• It is a slow growing crop and not exceptionally hungry, but improved results can be achieved by giving a liquid feed, high in nitrogen, as the heads begin to form in spring.
• Plant out in a sheltered site to protect the plants through the winter. Earthing up around the stems will help keep the plants stable and prevent wind rock.

Harvesting

• Pick the spears fresh for the best flavour.

Pests and Problems

• Clubroot can be a problem – read the article coping with clubroot.
• Net the plants over the winter to protect them from hungry pigeons.

Varieties

• Sprouting Broccoli Claret F1 is exceptional, with a vigorous habit. It performs well even on poorer soils.
• For later in the year, try Purple Sprouting Bordeaux F1. Bordeaux requires no cold stimulus to produce its traditional tasting spears, allowing cropping from early summer through to late autumn.
• You could also try Nine Star Perennial. This is a vigorous, hardy, over-wintering broccoli. Provided all of the heads are cut each spring, you should be able to harvest from the same plant for 2–3 years.

Eating

• The spears turn green on cooking. Steam rather than boil, to retain flavour and texture.
• A number of studies suggest the broccoli and calabrese can help protect against cancer. They both contain a chemical called sulphoraphane which helps neutralise cancer-causing substances found in the gut and can help against colon cancer – one of the larger cancer killers in the UK.
• Broccoli and calabrese also contain a compound called I3C that helps boost production of BRCA proteins. These are helpful against some forms of cancer including breast, ovarian and prostrate cancers.

RHS Award of Garden Merit

• White Eye
• Purple Sprouting
• Redhead 
• Red Arrow 
• Claret
• More information on the Award of Garden Merit