Broccoli is perfect from growing in the UK as it is a cool weather crop. Broccoli is sometimes referred to as Calabrese. In general terms, Calabrese produces green heads whereas broccoli produces purple or white heads. The most common in the UK is 'calabrese' which confusingly, is sold in some of the super markets as 'broccoli'
Plant date: April to May
Harvest date: Late June to November
Location: Garden
Container: Soil
What to sow: Seed or Plant
Sowing in the garden
Traditionally broccoli is started in to growth in a ‘seed or nursery’ bed in the garden. Dig the soil prior to sowing and then rake to a fine, crumbly surface. Water soil if dry and then draw a groove(s) in the soil approx 3cms deep. Sprinkle seed thinly along groove, rake over covering soil gently and ‘tamp’ down (flatten the soil) with rake (if sowing more than one row space them 15cms apart). Your young broccoli plants should appear in 7-12 days.
Remove surplus seedlings by degrees to leave a strong plant every 8cms. When the plants are some 8cms in height – transplant to their final growing site.
Prepare the soil as described above and incorporate a general fertilizer such as Growmore worked in with a rake. You can also use farmyard manure or garden compost. Using a trowel, lift your small plants from the seed bed with as much soil round the roots as possible. Transfer to their final site planting them approx. 2cms deeper than they were in the seed bed. Space calabrese 30cms and purple/white broccoli 45cms apart.
Sowing in containers or raised beds
Increasingly, seed is sown in blocks (known as ‘broadcast’ sowing) These ‘blocks’ can be any size as long as you can reach the middle from either side. You can produce more crops from a given area using this technique, but in the case of broccoli, it is more suited to the calabrese types.
Sow the seeds as recommended for seed bed above, thinning the seedlings as necessary by pulling some out, to leave the remainder approx 20cms apart but avoid soil disturbance as much as possible.
Growing on
Your broccoli should require very little aftercare other than maintaining watering as necessary. Calabrese will form a large central head for cutting. Some varieties will then form smaller ‘spears’ from the side shoots. Purple and white sprouting broccoli will form smaller ‘spears’ over a long period.
Plants
Worried about growing from seed? Then try out partially grown plants. All you have to do is plant them up and watch them grow. Ideal for planting direct in the garden.
Calabrese
F1 Ironman
An outstanding, tasty variety which will crop between June and September.
Available shortly
Green Magic
Produces a good crop of luscious sideshoots!
Available shortly
Purple Sprouting Broccoli
Summer Purple
A versatile variety for summer/autumn production.
Available shortly
Seed
There is a choice of 8 varieties in the Suttons Broccoli range:
We especially recommend the following:
Calabrese - popular green heading types:
We particularly recommend the following which will give you continuous cropping:
a tasty variety cropping from June to August. Produces and excellent crop of side shoots.
Price: £3.40
Units: 60 seeds
More info
Superb quality, cropping from June-September.
Price: £2.20
Units: 45 seeds
More info
An old variety, but still a good one, cropping from late June to September.
Price: £1.60
Units: 250 seeds
More info
Purple or White ‘spear’ types:
Very early type with tasty ‘spears’ produced in late summer/autumn.
Price: £1.99
Units: 360 seeds
More info
Superb quality, cropping from June-September.
Price: £1.40
Units: 225 seeds
More info
Traditional, but still good variety for March-April cropping.
Price: £1.60
Units: 350 seeds
More info
An old variety which still produces good crops of delicious creamy-white shoots.
Price: £1.60
Units: 350 seeds
More info
Health benefits
Often called a ‘superfood,’ Broccoli is high in Vitamins A&C and a good source of Iron. There is growing evidence that eating broccoli can protect against certain cancers and other diseases.
Suttons Top Tip
There are two main types of Broccoli:
Calabrese – green heading broccoli - These are the large heads that you get at the supermarket, but did you know that if you grow your own, you can grow a type that goes on to produce side shoots when you have cut the main head?
Sprouting Broccoli – the traditional purple or white ‘spears’ traditionally crop in the spring. Now you can grow purple varieties that will produce their succulent spears in the late summer and autumn.