How to Grow Sprouting Broccoli
Spruiting broccoli
When to Start
Direct sow outdoors as soon as soil reaches 5°C — typically early to mid spring. Can also be started indoors 5 weeks earlier for a head start.
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Growth Stages
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- Apply a balanced granular fertiliser when planting out, then top-dress with a nitrogen-rich feed in late autumn to support the plant through winter. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds in spring as this encourages leafy growth over spear production.
- Sprouting broccoli is sown in spring and overwinters as a large plant, producing cut-and-come-again spears from late winter into spring. Firm planting and staking prevent wind rock, which is the most common cause of poor cropping.
Companion Planting
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Growing Conditions
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- Sow indoors
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- Transplant out
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- First harvest
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Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 60 cm |
| Row spacing | 60 cm |
| Sow depth | 1 cm |
| Mature height | 90 cm |
| Mature spread | 60 cm |
Care Guide
- Feeding
- Apply a balanced granular fertiliser when planting out, then top-dress with a nitrogen-rich feed in late autumn to support the plant through winter. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds in spring as this encourages leafy growth over spear production.
- Watch for
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- Cabbage white caterpillars — devour leaves from late spring
- Cabbage root fly — larvae eat roots causing wilting
- Clubroot — distorted, swollen roots and yellowing; avoid on infected soil
- Pigeon damage — net against birds at all times
- Mealy cabbage aphid — grey colonies on leaf undersides
Pests & Diseases
Pest Cabbage White Caterpillar
Identification: Pale yellow-green or yellow-and-black caterpillars on leaves; large irregular holes and dark frass pellets on foliage.
- Pick caterpillars off by hand and drop into soapy water.
- Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) spray to affected leaves — harmless to other wildlife.
- Spray with a pyrethrin-based insecticide in the evening to minimise impact on pollinators.
Pest Mealy Cabbage Aphid
Identification: Dense grey-white colonies on leaf undersides and growing tips; leaves curl and turn yellow; plants become stunted.
- Blast off colonies with a strong jet of water.
- Spray with insecticidal soap or dilute neem oil, covering all leaf undersides thoroughly.
- Apply a systemic aphicide containing thiacloprid or acetamiprid as a drench or spray.
Pest Cabbage Root Fly
Identification: Plants wilt suddenly despite moist soil; white maggots visible in roots when plant is lifted; collar of soil around stem may show fly activity.
- Fit brassica collars (10–15 cm discs) around each stem at planting to prevent egg-laying near roots.
- Apply parasitic nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) to the root zone.
- No effective chemical treatments are currently available to home gardeners in the UK; prevention via collars is the primary approach.
Disease Clubroot Plasmodiophora brassicae
Symptoms: Distorted, swollen and club-shaped roots; plants wilt in warm weather and recover at night; leaves turn yellow and growth is severely stunted.
Treatment: No cure once infected. Remove and destroy all affected plant material — do not compost. Raise soil pH to 7.5 or above with lime before replanting.
Prevention: Avoid bringing in infected soil or plants; practise a minimum four-year brassica rotation; lime acid soils before planting.
Disease Downy Mildew Peronospora parasitica
Symptoms: Yellow patches on upper leaf surface with a grey-white downy mould on the underside; leaves turn brown and die off; seedlings can collapse.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves promptly. Improve air circulation by spacing plants adequately. Apply a copper-based fungicide as a preventive spray.
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering; maintain good spacing; remove plant debris promptly at the end of the season.
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 5°C |
| Germination temperature | 15–25°C |
| Base growth temperature | 5°C |
| Min. daylength to start | 8h |
| Photoperiod sensitivity | day neutral |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Sprouting Broccoli?
- Plant Sprouting Broccoli 60cm apart with 60cm between rows.
- When can I harvest Sprouting Broccoli?
- Sprouting Broccoli is ready to harvest approximately 220 days after transplanting.
- Is Sprouting Broccoli frost hardy?
- Sprouting Broccoli is classified as Hardy.
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