Guide to Transplanting Broccoli

Transplanting vegetables such as broccoli requires a certain amount of care, for the young plants are especially vulnerable when they are moved from starter pots into the ground. Thus, when transplanting your broccoli, there are number of things to keep in mind. This guide is an informative primer. In general, it provides you with basic knowledge of how to get the job done. Soil composition, weather conditions and other unforeseen variables might require you to make modifications. The essential principles of transplanting broccoli include seeding indoors, hardening off, transplanting outside and growth and maturation. With this guide, your broccoli plants will get started the right way.

Seeding Broccoli Indoors

Many home gardeners buy vegetable starts from their local nursery. These starts were all planted indoors and given protection early on. You can forgo this step and save money by seeding yourself. You can seed directly in the ground, or you can seed indoors. For this guide, seeding indoors is the preferred method. About 6 weeks before the last frost, start broccoli seeds in small starter pots or trays of starter cubes that resemble ice cube trays. Use lightweight potting soil and put one seed in each starter cube about ¾ inch below the surface. Keep moist and let the seedlings grow for 4 weeks indoors.

Hardening Off

About 2 ½ weeks before the last frost, begin putting your broccoli seedlings outdoors during the day and bringing them in at night. This is called hardening off. In this way they will get accustomed to being outdoors without the shock being put in the ground immediately. Homemade broccoli starts should be hardened off for at least 4 days.

Transplanting Outside

After the broccoli starts have been hardened off, about 2 weeks before the last frost you can put them in the ground. Before you do, keep some things in mind: Don’t plant broccoli where any member of the Brassica family has grown during the last 4 growing seasons. This family includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. The soil should be well drained, composted and get plenty of sun. Too much nitrogen will encourage abundant leaf growth, but it’s not ideal for the florets.

When the soil is ready, put the starts into the ground at least 24 inches apart from one another on all sides. Broccoli can grow from 18 inches to 3 feet in height, so it should be too close to plants it might crowd out. Bury the starts up to their first true set of leaves and water immediately.

Growth and Maturation

Broccoli should always be moist but not saturated. From seed, you can expect the plants to take between 70 and 100 days to grow. Once they are in the ground, the time it takes could be anywhere from 55 to 80 days. You can opt to fertilize the soil several weeks after transplant.

Protect your broccoli crop from pests by using either floating row covers or an organic insecticide. Row covers are transparent white sheets of mesh that prevent the cabbage moth and cabbage fly from landing. Bacillus Thuringiensis is an organic pesticide that is mixed with water and applied to plants with a spray bottle. The cabbage worm eats the pesticide and dies soon after.

Transplanting broccoli is a matter of coordinating your steps. It does not take an excessive amount of work, however. If you have the knowledge and are able to devote a little time each day to light maintenance and watering, you will have a plentiful broccoli crop come harvest time.