Question: When to Plant Broccoli for the Fall?
Answer: RIGHT NOW! If you wish to grow broccoli for a fall crop, you need to be planting those seeds in the ground in the month of August at the latest. I planted my broccoli this month and I live in Michigan. Broccoli grows well in the fall, because it likes to grow in cooler temperature. It’s also easier to do because a lot of your problems with starting it in the spring are gone. In the spring, the soil isn’t warm, so germination takes longer. Also bugs are a greater problem in the spring/summer than the fall. Broccoli can withstand frost to a certain point. I plant to cover my fall broccoli whenever there is going to be a significant frost (under 30 degrees) and see how long I can keep it going.
If you haven’t planted your broccoli yet and live in an area where the first frost is coming in early to mid October, I would look for a variety that you can harvest in the least amount of days. Just check the back of your package of seeds. Also the good thing about buying seeds now, if you can find a place still selling them they should be on clearance.
Click here to read about my experience growing the Packman variety of broccoli this year (I started it in the spring).
Click here to read all my posts on Packman Broccoli.
Yesterday, I harvested some side shoots from several of my broccoli plants. The determining factor into when to harvest them was I saw signs of a couple of them getting ready to flower. I could tell this because I saw a tiny bit of yellow and the buds were starting to get big. I cut them off before they became bitter. I also harvested some shoots just to make sure I had enough for a meal. I still have plenty of side shoots growing and I will watch to see if I get anymore from the plants I just cut.
Since we are in the dog days of summer and temperatures have been quite hot I have been making sure to water my broccoli regularly to keep the soil as cool as possible. By doing this and cutting the broccoli whenever it shows any sign of flowering, I have been able to keep my plants going through a hot period of time.
Click here to read all my posts on Packman Broccoli.
I have 4 broccoli plants growing in my raised bed and at this point all the central heads have been harvested. Now the side shoots are starting to grow. The side shoots will not get as big as the central head. Just keep on eye on them as they grow to make sure they do not flower, just as you would with the central head. I typically find that 4 side shoots begin to grow around where the central head was cut off. This takes place within about a week and it can take the shoots 1-2 weeks to mature, depending on the weather.
Nine weeks after I planted my packman broccoli, it was ready for harvest. The tricky thing with growing broccoli during the summer is that it can quickly bolt or flower with hot temperatures. I decided that even though the head on this particularly plant could possibly grow bigger I should cut it off now as the days following when this picture was taken was forecast to be in the 90s for highs. I say you are better off cutting it early, than waiting too long and ending up with bitter broccoli. Keep in mind that once you cut the center head of the packman variety it will grow side shoots, so there is more broccoli to come.
My estimated first harvest was sometime between Sunday, June 27th to Wednesday, July 7th. I harvested on July 3rd, so right in the middle of where I expected to be.
Click here to read all my posts on Packman Broccoli.
Question: Can You Eat Broccoli That Has Turned Yellow?
Answer: Well yes you can eat it. But do you want to eat it? Probably not. When broccoli turns yellow or flowers it becomes very bitter. The bitter taste gets even worse when you cook it. So if you really don’t want to waste it, you could eat it raw, but I would just get rid of it.
To learn about growing your own broccoli, check out my experience with growing the packman variety this season.
Click here to read all my posts on Packman Broccoli.
Growing broccoli is a test of patience. Once the head begins to form it can take 2-3 weeks before it’s ready to harvest. The above picture was taken 2 weeks after the head began to form. It is looking good at this point. You could eat it at this point, but you really would like to wait until it’s bigger. But you have to be careful. If at any point you see any signs of flowering or the individual florets start to grow at a different rate that it is time to cut it. You do not want to let the plant flower at all or it will taste bitter. So once the head begins to form you need to be looking at the plant every day to see how it’s going.
Click here to read all my posts on Packman Broccoli.
Six weeks after transplanting my packman broccoli, the first signs of the broccoli head forming have appeared. In the above picture notice the small leaves in the very center. You can see that the florets are beginning to form behind those leaves. The first time I grew broccoli I wondered how it would grow into broccoli. When you look at the plant to start it doesn’t seem like it could become broccoli. But once you reach this point, the satisfaction kicks in that you know that you have done every necessary and now it’s just waiting for the head to get large enough to pick.
I also wanted to point out that the bottom leaves of my plants have turned yellow. This is completely normal. It happened to me last year as well. As long as the rest of the leaves are healthy, then this is no big deal. As time goes on I expect the next set of bottom leaves to do the same.
Question: How do I stop broccoli from bolting?
Answer: It is not the warm air temperature that causes broccoli to bolt (or flower). It is the warm soil. Add mulch and keep your broccoli well watered (check an inch down into the soil for moisture level), can help keep your plant going longer. I also careful watch my plant when it is producing a head. You want to make sure the plant does not flower, so cut the head before it has a chance to. Most varieties produce side shoots, so you will still be in the game.
To learn more about growing broccoli, check out my experience with growing the packman variety this season.
Question: How do I know that my broccoli has bolted?
Answer: Growing broccoli in the warm weather is not easy. If your broccoli begins to produce yellow flowers you may be in trouble, but not all hope is lost. If your broccoli variety produces side shoots and most do, then you can just cut off the flowering center head and hope for some side shoots.
Now this only works if you still have healthy leaves. If all your leaves are dying off (click here for a picture), then your best chance is to try again next season or plant fall broccoli. Broccoli does better in the fall because it likes to grow in the colder air temperatures. I live in zone 5, so I am planting my broccoli now from seed and expect to harvest it 3 months from now, which will put me in early October.
To learn how to prevent broccoli from bolting, click here.
To learn more about growing broccoli, check out my experience with growing the packman variety this season.
Question: When to Plant Broccoli for the Fall?
