How to grow broccoli Rich in Vitamin C, some essential fibers, immune boosting nutrients and probable anti-cancer benefits, the list is long... which takes broccoli all the way to the top of any doctor’s recommendation to your diet. Irrespective of the probable health benefits, a broccoli from your garden is worth much more than one from your local store. Whether you are an avid gardener or just someone looking for a fresh and rich ingredient to your daily dish, growing broccoli is going to be a rewarding experience and luckily, it’s not that complicated. Here are few tips on how to grow broccoli on your own.
Raised Vegetable BedsBackground
Being a winter vegetable, broccoli favors cool weather- exposure to a temperature between 64 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal scenario and sure to provide the best yield. Normally you may want to choose early spring and give enough time (harvesting time is around 60 to 70 days) for a good harvest before the hot summer days arrive. For colder environments, a greenhouse always helps.
Preparing the soil
Broccoli may be a storehouse of nutrients for us but it too needs a fair amount of nutrients for its own growth. One tricky aspect of the ultimate question ‘How to grow broccoli?’ is determining the right amount and type of fertilizers. But let’s talk about the soil first. Well-drained soil (soil that absorbs water quickly) is most preferable. Soil acidity between the 5.5-6.6 PH range ensures better growth and production. Coming back to fertilizers, recommended combination ratio is 5-10-10 (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium ratio, commonly referred as NPK ratio). However, increasing number of green-friendly gardeners these days prefer the natural alternatives over the chemical fertilizers. Fortunately, well-processed (decomposed) manure and compost make excellent alternatives.
Planting and Tending
It’s usually safer to first germinate the broccoli seeds in plastic bags (make sure to make them porous for water drainage) instead of directly sowing them on your garden beds. This protects broccoli from numerous pests and even bigger insects from which they are more vulnerable during early stages. Few days of watering and the saplings will be ready to go into their new homes. While transferring the saplings, remove the plastic bags keeping the soil intact (sideway cut with a razor will do the job). This gives these baby plants some time for adaptation into the new soil. Allow a space of at least one foot between the saplings and if you are planting in rows, keep them about three feet apart. Broccoli requires regular watering but don’t overdo it. About five inches depth of moist soil means no more watering. Additionally, don’t water when the sun is high and hot. Make use of your morning or evening.
Finally the Harvest!
After around two months of regular watering, your vegetable garden will be adorned with fine sprouts of ‘green flowers’. The perfect harvest time is between 60 to 70 days. Include these healthy ingredients in your recipe before the flowers on the sprouts turn bright yellow.
With these essential steps and some gardening skills you shall have answered the question you were asking to yourself for a long time- ‘’How to grow broccoli in my garden?’’
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