Broccoli is a slow-growing, cool-season plant that grows best in full sun. The key to success is to grow broccoli where they are sure to get a full day's worth of sun, and no shade.
• Choose a sunny location (6+ hours of sun) and dig a hole about two times as wide as your pot.
• Remove your plant from the pot by loosening the soil and tipping it out into your hand. Place your plant in the soil about as deep as it was in the pot.
• Refill the space around your plant with soil and press lightly to compact the dirt, keeping your plant firmly in the ground.
• Water immediately to settle the soil, and add more soil as needed, bringing it level to the rest of your garden.
Broccoli likes cooler temperatures and needs lots of water to maintain constant growth. A light covering of mulch always helps keep the roots cool and moist. To prevent diseases, avoid planting broccoli in the same spot each year.
Pick broccoli when the heads have formed into tight, firm clusters. Using a sharp knife, cut off the head with about 6 in. (15 cm) of stem attached. This will encourage growth of the side shoots for additional, smaller harvests.
Broccoli is flavorful raw and cooked. It is a staple in most veggie trays and is fabulous cooked in soups, stir-fries and stews.
Broccoli is an extremely popular home gardener favorite grown by over half of all Burpee gardeners. Long ago it was a favorite of the ancient Romans. Thomas Jefferson grew broccoli in his famed gardens at Monticello.