Crop lessons · Brassicas (cabbage family)
Growing Broccoli in Florida
Brassica oleracea var. italica · Brassicaceae (cabbage family)
Broccoli is an easy, nutritious winter crop in Florida and keeps giving small side shoots after the main head is cut. It needs cool weather, so plant in fall and winter. Planting too late is the classic mistake: as spring warms the plants bolt, the flower buds open and the heads turn bitter.1, 2
Planting1, 2
| How to start | transplant (easily transplanted) |
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| Seed depth (inches) | ¼ to ½ |
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| Spacing in the row (inches) | 10 to 15 |
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| Between rows (inches) | 24 |
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| Days to harvest | 75 to 90 from seed; 50 to 70 from transplant (SP 103). Gardening Solutions gives 80 to 100 days to maturity. |
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SP 103 planting dates: north Sept to Feb, central Sept to Feb, south Oct to Jan. Gardening Solutions: transplants in south Florida Oct to Dec; north and central mid-Sept to mid-Feb. Young plants still benefit from protection at 32°F or below.
Varieties UF/IFAS lists for Florida1, 2
- Waltham 29
- Early Green
- Early Dividend
- Green Sprouting (Calabrese)
- Packman
- De Cicco
Growing2, 1
| Sun | At least 4 to 6 hours of sun a day (Gardening Solutions); SP 103 advises at least six hours of direct sun for a garden site. |
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| Soil pH | 6.2 to 6.5 |
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| Water | 1 to 2 inches a week; one deep soaking a week is better than several light sprinklings. |
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| Fertilizer | A 6-8-8 (N-P-K) fertilizer, liquid or controlled-release, at planting and then regularly through the season. |
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Test the soil through the county Extension office before planting and consider working in composted manure. Mulch holds moisture and keeps weeds down.
Pests and diseases in Florida3, 1
- Caterpillars (diamondback moth, cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm): Listed among cole crop pests in the commercial Vegetable Production Handbook (CV122); the handbook notes Florida diamondback moth populations resistant to pyrethroids.
- Aphids: Listed among cole crop pests in the same handbook.
- Black rot, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot: Diseases listed for cole crops in the same commercial handbook.
- Pesticide waiting periods: SP 103 uses broccoli as its example: after a carbaryl (Sevin) spray, wait two weeks before harvest. Always follow the label's waiting period.
Harvest1
Cut the head before the flower buds open. Many smaller side shoots grow after the main head is cut.
In an aquaponics system4, 5
suited with care
The FAO manual recommends media beds because broccoli is large and heavy at harvest, and calls it moderately difficult because it is nutrient-demanding and bolts in warm temperatures; choose bolt-resistant varieties. Best daytime temperatures are 14 to 17 °C, with 10 to 15 °C for head formation in winter varieties. Transplant at 4 to 5 true leaves (15 to 20 cm tall), 40 to 50 cm apart. SRAC 454 notes water temperature can run slightly below the mid-60s °F for winter crops such as broccoli.
What this lesson doesn't cover yet
- No UF/IFAS home-garden list of broccoli pests was found; pests come from the commercial Vegetable Production Handbook.
- Days to harvest differ: SP 103 gives 75 to 90 from seed and 50 to 70 from transplant; Gardening Solutions says 80 to 100 days, and also says 'Waltham 29' is harvested 80 to 100 days from transplanting.
Your county extension office and its Master Gardener volunteers can fill these in for your garden.