How to Grow Broccoli

Once summer has passed, it’s time to start planting winter vegetables. Broccoli is a great vegetable favourite and is enriched with many essential nutrients, especially vitamin C. They are great to add into stir-fries, pasta dishes, along side traditional roast dinners or to accompany just about any meal.

PLANTING
Broccoli can be either grown from seed & transplanted out, or you can buy them as seedlings. Either way they love a rich well prepared soil. Before planting, dig into the soil generous quantities of 5 in 1 Organic Fertiliser & Searles Premium Compost.

When planting out, space them 45cm apart. This will give them the room they need to grow into big bunches. After planting give the plants a good watering.

FERTILISING
As Broccoli are heavy nutrient feeders, you will need to top-up the nutrients in the soil by using a liquid organic fertiliser. Apply SeaMax Organic Fertiliser Liquid every week over the foliage & drench the soil (SeaMax Organic Fertiliser is certified fully organic and does not contain any chemicals or synthetic additives). Not only fish & kelp promote better growth, but it will also help protect the Broccoli from pests & disease.

WATERING
As Broccoli are a reasonably fast growing vegetables, they will do well with regular watering. By watering the soil about every 2 days (except in periods of rain) Broccoli will grow strong and sweet, producing the wonderful sweet Broccoli heads. If they are allowed to dry out in between watering, they can become bitter.

TIP
Now the trick for sweet & tender Broccoli is to cut the head while they are still tight & compact. If left for too long on the plant they become bitter. After the main Broccoli head has been cut off the plant, keep fertilising with SeaMax Organic Fertiliser & continue to harvest the small axial Broccoli shoots. The small Broccoli shoots can continue to produce for a couple of months, providing continued food. Once the Broccoli plant starts to flower, it will no longer produce anymore Broccoli shoots.

So Remember
 

• Prepare soil with 5 IN 1 & Searles Premium Compost
• Plant 45cm apart
• Fertilise weekly with SeaMax Organic Fertiliser Liquid
• Harvest when heads are tight & compact
• If you do this, you’ll have delicious vitamin rich Broccoli in about 2 months. Ready for all your hearty winter dishes.