When to plant broccoli
Broccoli likes cool weather and tolerates light frost. Transplant it outside two to three weeks before the last frost, so heads form before hot weather. In many areas the fall crop, started in mid-summer, is better than the spring one.
Heat above about 80°F while heads form causes loose, bitter or bolting heads, which is why timing around your frost dates matters so much.
BroccoliBrassica oleracea var. italica
- Start seeds indoors
- 7–10 weeks before last frost
- Transplant outside
- 0–3 weeks before last frost
- Start seeds for a fall crop
- 12–14 weeks before first fall frost
- Frost
- Hardy: tolerates frost
- Soil temp
- 45°F (7°C) or warmer
- Depth
- ¼ in
- Spacing
- 18 in apart, rows 30 in · 1 per square foot
- Harvest
- 55–80 days from transplant
Your dates for broccoli
Tips for growing broccoli
- Cut the main head when buds are tight, with 5–6 inches of stem; side shoots then keep coming for weeks.
- Cover young plants with insect netting to keep off cabbage white caterpillars.
- Feed with nitrogen-rich compost; broccoli is a heavy feeder.
Choosing neighbours? See companion plants for broccoli. Working out how many fit? Use the spacing calculator.
Broccoli: common timing questions
Can broccoli handle frost?
Yes, established plants handle frost into the upper 20s °F, and fall frost often sweetens the heads.
Why is my broccoli flowering?
Heat or stress caused it to bolt. Harvest immediately and time plantings earlier in spring or later in summer.