How to Start Broccoli from Seed

I’m here to make a confession: when I first started gardening, I planted four broccoli seedlings in a container, I grossly underestimated how big they would get.

They started from such tiny seeds. How could they possibly grow to be so enormous and strong?

But that’s the magic of gardening, isn’t it?

I ended up leaving just one plant inside a container and transplanting the rest to my garden.

Even then, I planted them too close to the other vegetables.

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Before long, their enormous leaves shaded out my carrots, shallots, rhubarb, and more. The rhubarb leaves grew to be twice the size of my face in their quest for a droplet of sunlight.

I couldn’t begrudge the lovely Brassica oleracea var. italica plants for this, though. Not once I harvested and ate the verdant, earthy heads.

There’s no broccoli as delicious as that grown from seed in your own garden.

Here’s what I’ll cover:

A Bit About Broccoli

Italians first cultivated broccoli about 2,000 years ago. A member of the Brassicaceae family, its relatives include cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kale.

You can learn more about this tasty veggie in our full guide to growing broccoli.

It’s also highly nutritious, packed with fiber, calcium, iron, folate, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K.

The green, tree-like florets we consume are real, unopened flower buds. Do not ask me when I learned this. (Hint: it was embarrassingly recent.)

If you wait too long to harvest your crop, the buds will open and become tiny yellow flowers.

Thankfully, even bolted broccoli tastes lovely when sauteed with some garlic. And while we’re talking

spring fall broccoli Brassica oleracea Cruciferous Vegetables Laura Ojeda Melchor Italy