🥦VegetablesHardy
When to plant Broccoli
Default: central Europe (50°N)· 50.0°N
Last spring frost: 5 May
First autumn frost: 5 Oct
Frost-free season: 153 days
Calendar windows
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNovDec
Sow indoors
24 Mar – 7 Apr
Sow outdoors
5 May – 19 Jun
Plant out
28 Apr – 19 Jun
Plant out (2nd)
29 Jun – 29 Jul
Harvest
24 Jul – 2 Sept
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Light
Full sun
Water needs
High
Frost hardiness
Hardy
Takes frost; can go out weeks before the last one.
Life cycle
Annual
Spacing
45 × 60 cm
Sowing depth
1.5 cm
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
Days to maturity
60–90
Containers
Needs open ground
Plant family
Brassicas
Soil temp. to sow
≥ 7°C
Practical notes
Any check — dry soil, root disturbance, a heat spell — makes it button up and flower tiny. Keep it watered and firm the soil around the stem well.
Knowing when to pick
Cut while the beads are tight and dark green — the first open yellow flower means it is past its best. Side shoots follow for weeks.
Storing the crop
Five days in the fridge. Blanch three minutes and freeze in florets for the winter.
Crop rotation
Rotate on a 4-year cycle: clubroot spores survive in soil for up to 20 years.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: broccoli diseases and pests (5) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.