Last weekend we went to a family wedding in West TN. While out there we stopped by and visited my wife’s Uncle Joe in Jackson who loves to garden. He has a variety of plants ranging from broccoli, radishes, and spring greens to tomatoes and peppers. Since I don’t grow broccoli in my garden (I like it but my family doesn’t eat it for some odd reason) I thought I would share a few photos and tips on how Joe grows his broccoli.
The portion of the broccoli plant that we eat is the flowering part. Broccoli will form a flower head with multiple florets which should be harvested before they mature and turn into flowers. It helps to keep the plants cool on hot days since they are very prone to bolting (flowering) like many other spring grown plants. To help prevent the broccoli from premature bolting Joe covers them with a sheet to act as a shade cloth. Covering broccoli with a shade cloth keeps the broccoli 5-10 degrees cooler than the air temperature in the sun which can slow the flowering process down.
You can find some great varieties of Broccoli at Botanical Interests like Belstar Broccoli Seeds (Aff. Link)
Joe uses a straw mulch on his raised beds to help maintain good moisture levels in the soil. You’ll notice in the above picture that his raised beds are made from concrete blocks. That’s a great way to put together a raised bed that will last! Also if you could utilize the holes in the blocks to plant some smaller vegetables or plants. The only disadvantage of a concrete block is in the initial setup phase – they are pretty heavy!
Once you harvest the first head of broccoli leave the plant in place to produce some secondary groups of florets. These florets won’t grow as large as the first one but do allow you to get a second harvest from each plant.
Broccoli is very prone to attacks by cabbage loopers and other insects so cover them with netting or a row cover to keep pests away! Row covers also can help extend the season for broccoli further into the summer by shielding the plants from the heat of the sun.
Do you grow broccoli in your garden?
End of July 2020 Garden Tour
Through my YouTube channel I’ve been doing an end of the month tour of our garden each month. This July was a rough month for us personally and resulted in less time in the garden. Overall I’m happy with the garden this year and the…
5 Reasons Why Growing Organically in the Home Garden is Better
By now you’ve probably heard about the study that says organically grown vegetables are not any healthier than their “conventionally” grown counterparts. If you haven’t I’ll sum it up in a nutshell. The study examined the nutrients and vitamins present in organic produce and compared…
Plan for Sunlight in the Garden
When creating any kind of garden plan one of the most important considerations is the amount of light the garden receives. Vegetable gardens and ornamental gardens are both affected significantly by the amount of light in the garden. Light changes two major aspects to your…
How to Direct Sow Squash and Zucchini Seeds
As far as gardening chores go direct sowing squash and zucchini seeds is a very easy task for any home gardener to accomplish. In fact it’s a great one to do with young children who you want to encourage to get outdoors and in the…
My Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Changes for 2010
Each year I try to expand the vegetable garden a little bit more. The first year in our home I didn’t have time to put together a garden before the growing season started and we missed out on any vegetable garden. The “L” Shaped Raised…
Garden Techniques to Deal with the Summer Heat and High Temperatures
Summertime in Tennessee will be HOT. No doubt about it! We frequently get into the upper 90’s and sometimes it can last for several days in a row. You need a plan for your garden to deal with the hot temperatures. Most warm season plants…
Discover more from Growing The Home Garden
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.