Broccoli is a popular winter vegetable that is used widely in both European and Chinese cuisines and is extremely easy to grow at home. However, if you haven’t done this before you may be wondering how many broccoli heads does a broccoli plant produce?
Broccoli plants typically produce one major head which is what is purchased from the local supermarket. However, the plant will also produce small secondary heads after the primary broccoli heads has been removed if the plant is a Calabrese type. The secondary heads usually take a few weeks to appear before a second harvest can be taken.
Most commonly Calabrese broccoli plants will continue to produce small florets that are around a quarter if the size of the main head. These secondary florets will continue to be produced over time but generally the rate of production will reduce progressively therefore they are only worth keeping the plants in the garden for a few weeks after the main head has been harvested.
Calabrese type broccoli is the variety that most people are familiar with as it has the appearance similar to a mini tree and is the variety that is most commonly offered for commercial sale.
However, the romanesco variety which produces lime green heads with geometric spirals is another type of broccoli which only produces a single head and generally the plant itself takes up much larger space which is why you don’t see it produced commercially very often though its flavor is generally preferred by chefs.
Can The Stalks And Leaves Of A Broccoli Plant Be Eaten?
While it is traditional for the broccoli flower to be eaten the stalks and leaves of plants are also edible and can be quite happily used in soups and stews without a problem. So it is therefore possible to harvest a much larger percentage of the plant from which the broccoli heads come from but this is really done in a commercial setting.
When Can Broccoli Be Grown?
Broccoli plants should ideally be grown in spring and in autumn because the heads of the broccoli do not develop properly if the weather is too hot. In hot weather broccoli plants produce strong stalk growth with very small heads that tend to flower very quickly which means the quality of the head is significantly reduced.
As a result of this most people tend to plant broccoli seeds either in late winter or late summer as these times ensure that the plants do most of their growing through the periods in which it is relatively cold.
The mid-late summer sowing is particularly beneficial in most regions because it allows broccoli to be available from late autumn through to the end of winter. This is because the plants will tend to mature towards the end of autumn, however as the cold weather kicks.in growth rates will fall dramatically meaning the heads can often sit in the garden for an extended period of time and be picked as required.
However, it is a very common mistake of beginner gardeners to plant broccoli seeds in autumn rather than summer because of the perception that broccoli is a winter vegetable. If you plant the broccoli in autumn it is typically too late for the plants to grow to maturity before the weather gets too cold.
If this happens generally the plants will not reach the point of flowering and sit throughout the winter not producing in the heads. It will not be until the following spring that the heads begin to appear.
How To Grow Broccoli From Seed
As mentioned earlier in the article growing broccoli from seed is relatively easy and does not require huge amounts of effort though you do need to sow the seeds at the right times as mentioned above to get the best from your harvest.
Broccoli seeds are widely available from local garden centers, however, if you want some more unusual varieties try visiting seeds now by clicking on the link below as they have a large variety of heirloom Seeds which are very low cost and will allow the seeds to be collected the following season.
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Once you have the seeds the first step is to fill the seed tray with a good quality seed raising mix and then firm the soil into the individual cells within the seed tray to form a solid plug. This is advantageous because when the plant is transplanted into its final position in the garden there is minimal root disturbance which will accelerate the overall growth rate.
When planting the seeds you should ideally plant 2 to 3 seeds per cell at a depth of approximately half an inch. The seedlings will typically take 7 to 14 days to appear. If more than one seedling appears it is best to thin out to the strongest seedling leaving one per cell. The seedlings will typically need to spend approximately 6 weeks in the seed tray during which time the soil needs to remain constantly moist.
To reduce the amount of watering required I recommend placing the seed tray into another tray holding water at a depth of approximately half an inch which will be sufficient to ensure that the soil remains moist constantly avoiding the need to water too regularly.
Planting The Seedlings Out Into The Garden
Once the seedlings have reached a sufficient size, typically 3 to 4 inches tall, they are large enough to be planted out into the garden. The seedling should ideally be planted in a warm location that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sun as that will aid in helping the plants to flower. The seedling should ideally be placed approximately 10 inches apart as plants can get relatively large, however, if you are growing romanesco varieties it is best to allow additional space as these plants tend to be larger.
In terms of soil conditions broccoli plants are relatively forgiving, however, like all vegetables they prefer rich, moist, and free-draining soil with plenty of nutrients in them so you may need to add a bag of compost before planting.
As the seedlings can be susceptible to attack from slugs and snails it is also advisable to put some snail bait around the base of the plants to provide some protection earlier on. The plants should then be watered regularly particularly if you are planting in late summer or early autumn as the weather can still be relatively warm.
Once the plants have become established there is generally very little maintenance required other than to ensure the beds remain weed-free and the plants are really watered.
Harvesting Broccoli Plants
Broccoli plants will reach the point at which the heads will start to appear, initially they are usually only half an inch wide. They will progressively get to the point where they are 4 to 6 inches wide which is the point that most people harvest the plants.
When the heads are reaching full-size that is the point at which you need to keep a close eye on broccoli to ensure you pick them before the quality starts to deteriorate which is generally much more of a problem at the end of spring as the weather is getting progressively warmer.
If you see any signs of the appearance of the flower petals, which are yellow in color, you should be harvesting the broccoli immediately otherwise it can sit until you are ready to use it.
Storing Broccoli Heads
If you are growing broccoli at home it is entirely possible to produce your years’ supply of broccoli from your garden provided that you store some of the broccoli for later by freezing it. To ensure that you get the best possible quality it is best to pick the broccoli at its best for storage later on rather than waiting until it is beginning to deteriorate as it will give you a much better outcome.
Once the broccoli has been picked it should be washed and then cut up into little florets that are the size that you would use for many dishes. Broccoli then needs to be submerged in boiling water for approximately 1 to 2 minutes and then removed before freezing. This process, known as blanching, is critical to ensure that any biological processes within the broccoli stop when the heads are frozen.
Broccoli head store properly can last 12 months in a freezer without a problem so make sure you grow enough broccoli to keep you in supply for the entire year.
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