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?
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