How to Sow Broccoli Seeds
Sowing broccoli seeds can be done either indoors or outdoors depending on when you would prefer to grow it. Below are tips on how to sow broccoli seeds and calabrese seeds using either methods.
Sowing Broccoli Seeds Indoors
You can sow broccoli seeds indoors between February and April for calabrese varieties and between March and June for sprouting broccoli. The timeframe for sowing calabrese is smaller as it doesn’t transplant very well once the weather gets warmer.
To sow broccoli indoors, either keep your seeds within a greenhouse or keep them on a sunny windowsill. Starting your seedlings indoors offers a couple of benefits in comparison to outdoor sowing, as it provides protection from pests attacking your seedlings, protection against harsh weather conditions and an earlier harvest.
Sow your seeds in seed trays with two seeds per module in seed compost, watering well and sowing 2cm (¾in) deep. Your seedlings should germinate within two weeks. When they do so, thin out the weaker seedling in the module, leaving just the strongest one. After this, ensure they’re watered regularly, receive a good amount of light and are given a liquid fertiliser once every week.
Once your plants are 10–15cm (4–6in) tall and have four or five true leaves, they will be ready for transferring outside.
Sowing Broccoli Seeds Outdoors
You can sow broccoli seeds outdoors between April and June, either in seedbeds for transplanting later or in their final position. However, calabrese varieties should generally be sown in their final position after April as they don’t respond well to transplanting in warmer weather. Before sowing, create a shallow drill that’s around 2cm (¾in) deep and water it prior to sowing.
For sowing your seeds in a seedbed, they should be sown very thinly at about 7.5cm (3in) apart. Alternatively, you can thin your seedlings out to this spacing if you’ve sown more thickly.
For sowing in their final position, sow three seeds every 60–80cm (24–30in) for sprouting varieties or every 30cm (1ft) for calabrese varieties. Spacing requirements may vary depending on the variety of broccoli you grow, so check your seed packet for more specific instructions. Once they germinate, thin these out so that just one strong seedling remains.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.