How to Grow Broccoli in the North

Coronado Crown

Broccoli grows very well in the north because it’s a cool-season vegetable but due to the short growing season, it’s important to choose an early variety. (See below) It’s best to use nursery bought transplants or start seeds indoors. I’m happy to report that last year I harvested broccoli well into November before my plants died off.

Plant Type: Annual
Genus: Cabbage Family
Name: Brassica oleracea
Zones: 3-10

How to Start Broccoli Seeds Indoors

Supplies Needed

• Starter Trays or Pots
• Broccoli Seeds
• Mix of Sandy, Loamy Soil w/Organic Matter

Directions

• Start broccoli  indoors 2-3 weeks before last spring frost
• Fill trays or pots ¾ of the way with soil
• Plant 2-3 seeds per pot according to depth instructions on back of seed packet
• Loosely top with soil
• Water 
• Keep seedlings watered. If soil hardens and cracks, water more often
• After seedlings sprout, thin to 1 per pot or every 1-1 ½ inches
• Harden off broccoli seedlings at 6-8 weeks old before transplanting outdoors

How to Grow Broccoli Outdoors

When to Plant: Transplant up to 2 weeks after last scheduled spring frost

Light Requirements: Full sun

Soil Type: Mix of loamy/sandy soil mixed with compost or year-old manure

Spacing: Space broccoli seedlings 24” apart - do not cage

Watering: Keep soil moist and well-watered. Spare heads while watering to prevent rot

Fertilization: Fertilize with organic matter 3 weeks after transplanting

Weeding: Take care when weeding to not disturb shallow broccoli roots

Mulching: Mulch 2-3 inches around and in between broccoli plants to keep weeds down and retain moisture in soil. Mulch also helps keep soil temperatures cooler

Garden Pest and Disease Control

Imported Cabbageworms: Look for larvae (caterpillars) that are green in color with  yellow stripes down their backs. Adults are 1 ½ inch butterflies. Imported cabbageworms leave behind large holes in broccoli leaves and green-black frass (droppings). Handpick worms and cocoons from backside of leaves and drown in soapy water.

Cabbage Loopers: Larvae are 1 ½ inch long worms with two white or yellow lines down their backs. Control using the same method as imported cabbageworms.

Aphids: Look for tiny, pear-shaped yellow, green or brown insects with long antennae and legs. Treat by spraying with a mixture of 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and ½ teaspoon of liquid soap mixed into a quart of water (shake well before using).

White Flies: Look for powdery-white, ½0 of an inch long flies on the undersides of leaves. They leave behind clusters of white rings with dark centers. Control with yellow sticky traps or insecticidal soap.

Flea Beetles: Adults are 1/10 of an inch long and bronze, brown or black in color with long legs. They leave behind lots of small holes in broccoli leaves. Gently cultivate soil around plants to kill flea eggs. Control adults with floating row covers.

Downy Mildew: Look for yellow patches on leaves. Mildew is typically caused by too much moistness. Avoid spraying broccoli leaves when watering. Plant downy mildew resistant varieties.

Nitrogen Deficiency: Leaves yellow starting at the bottom and working up. Treat deficiency with composted manure, a fertilizer high in nitrogen but low in phosphorus or Blood Meal.

Clubroot: Caused by a fungus. Stop fungus from spreading by digging up and removing all broccoli roots and tendrils. Place in plastic bags and dispose - do not add to compost or fungus may be left behind. Test soil pH and raise above 7.2 if need be.

How to Harvest Broccoli

Harvest the main heads of broccoli while buds are tight and before they yellow or flower. Cut stems at a slant 5 inches below heads with a sharp knife. Continue cutting all side shoots to encourage an extended harvest.

Storage

Rinse and dry heads before storing in fridge for up to 5 days. Blanch and freeze up to a year for longer storage.

Last year I had what I thought was a bright idea at the time. After transplanting my seedlings in the garden, I placed a tomato cage around each plant. My reasoning was, since broccoli plants have shallow root systems and mature plants tend

Related Articles

List of Broccoli Types and Varieties

How to Make Your Own Seed Tapes

Guide to Backyard Composting

How to Control Weeds Organically Using Mulch
Average Frost Dates for the North (2012 – 2013)
How to Blanch and Freeze Vegetables

Varieties of Broccoli to Grow in the North

Apollo Broccoli

There are plenty of broccoli varieties to grow in the north. The best one’s have shorter days to maturity. Always start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the average last frost date or buy transplants from the local plant nursery for a healthy and productive harvest in the north.

Mini Broccoli Varieties (Broccoli X Gailon)

Happy Rich: Produces large florets sweet in flavor. Plants are dark green with lots of side shoots. 55 days.

Atlantis: High yield potential. Florets are even bigger than “Happy Rich.” Harvest mature head to encourage side shoots to grow for an additional 4-6 weeks. Slightly sweet flavor. 60 days.

Broccoli Raab Varieties

Sessantina Grossa: Early variety. Shoots and buds are thick and tender, resembling “mini” versions of full-sized broccoli. Best when used for an early harvest. 35 days.

Spring Raab: Best pick for growing and harvesting all season long. Large plants mature late. Great for pairing with Sessantina Grossa for extended harvest. 42 days.

Spigariello Liscia: Leaf variety grown similar to broccoli raab. Individual leaves or bunches can be harvested. If left to mature, mini broccoli heads will form. Sweeter taste. 45 days, 70 days for mini heads.

Full-Sized Broccoli

Green Goliath: Great garden variety. Produces bluish-green heads with tight buds and lots of side shoots. Large heads can be harvested over a 3 week period. 53 days.

Calabrese: Heirloom variety. Produces dark, bluish-green heads averaging 5” across on large 30-36” plants. 60-90 days.

Green Duke: Great southern variety. Vigorous grower producing high yields of dome shaped heads. Tolerates heat well. 70 days.

Broccoli Hybrids

Blue Wind: Early variety. Produces medium-sized blueish green heads. Uniform in size. Easy to harvest. 49 days.


Flash: Early variety. Produces bluish-green heads sweeter in flavor than most. Tolerates heat and Downy mildew. 50 days.

Amadeus: Early variety. Produces medium-sized heads blueish-green in color. Produces lots of side shoots. Attractive heads look good at markets with fine beads and uniform shape. Plants are medium-sized and vigorous. 56 days.

Green Magic: Early variety. Produces smooth, uniform heads that are attractive to look at in markets. Plants are medium-sized. 57 days.

Packman Broccoli

Packman Broccoli: Early Variety. High-yielding. Produces  8” dark-green domed heads with medium-large beads. Lots of side shoots. Freezes well. Tolerates heat. 57 days.

Premium Crop: Early variety. Produces 9” heads with tight beads. Plants can grow up to 2’ tall. Flavorful. 58 days.

Gypsy: Early variety. Produces uniform, well-domed heads with a medium-large bead size. Stems are medium in size. Produces a good amount of side shoots. Plants grow large and resist downy mildew well and have a good heat tolerance. 58 days.

Coronado Crown Broccoli

Coronado Crown: Great northern/southern variety. Produces solid, dome-shaped heads with tender, stringless stems. Produces lots of side shoots. Tolerates heat well. Freezes well. 58 days.

Green Magic: Produces blueish-green heads uniform in size and full of flavor. Tolerates downy mildew. Freezes well. 60 days.

Bay Meadows: Adaptable variety. Produces blueish-green heads with good domes. 60 days.

Arcadia: Cold variety. Produces firm, dark-green heads with a frosted look. Grows vigorously maturing mid to late season. Resists downy mildew, head rot & brown heads. Tolerates stress and cold well. 63 days.

Batavia: Produces dark-green heads with tight, medium beads. Adapts well. Resists powdery mildew. Heat and cold tolerant. 65 days.

Belstar Broccoli

Belstar: Adaptable variety. Produces medium-green heads with good domes and medium beads. Good shoot production. Tolerates stress well. 66 days.

Diplomat: A great variety for the north. Produces dense, dark-green heads medium-large in size with small beads. Good for bunching or crown cutting. Resists downy mildew well. 68 days.

Marathon: Fall/winter variety. Matures late in the season. Tolerates cold very well. Harvest in late summer and fall. 68 days.

Apollo: A cross between Calabrese and Chinese Kale. 24” tall plants are great for small gardens. Produces long, tender stalks. Harvest main head for lots of side shoots. Heavy producer. 80 days.

Open Pollinated Broccoli

De Cicco: Italian variety. Produces clusters of 3-4" main heads and lots of side shoots for an extended harvest. Good for spring and fall production. 48 days.

Resources: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Gurney's Seed and Nursery Co., Park Seed Co., Generic Seeds 

Too Many Green Tomatoes? How to Wrap, Store & Ripen Indoors

Image: S.mini

I don’t know about you, but my tomato plants are slowly dying off as we transition into fall. The problem is, I still have lots of healthy green tomatoes on my plants and I don’t want them to go to waste. The good news is I have a secret to ripen green tomatoes indoors and I’ll share it with you. Wrap them up and store in a cool, dark location to enjoy ripe tomatoes well into November.

What You’ll Need

• Healthy Green Tomatoes
• Pieces of Brown Paper Bags
• Elastics
• Magic Marker

Choose Healthy Green Tomatoes

In order for this secret to work, you really need to be picky about which green tomatoes you choose to ripen indoors. Only choose those that are healthy and firm and have no signs of rot. If they’re already beginning to rot on the plant, they’ll continue to rot indoors.

Make sure there are no splits as these can lead to rot as well. I always go a step further and inspect my green tomatoes for bugs picking off any I see and ensuring they haven’t left any damage behind, i.e. holes or bite marks that could lead to rot.

Wrap Green Tomatoes in Brown Paper Bags

I prefer to use pieces of brown paper bags that are a little thicker than some of the cheaper brands sold in stores. When fall rolls around, I save the bags I get from the convenience store when I pick up the odd gallon of milk and a couple of cans of cat food. Only use bags that are clean and dry - no grease stains from your favorite Chinese takeout or pizza joint.

Cut your brown paper bags into pieces large enough to wrap the entire green tomato. Leave a little extra room to tie the bags with elastics or to fold securely. Remove any stems, even the little nubs because these will begin to decompose and can cause your green tomatoes to rot while they ripen indoors.

Tightly wrap your green tomatoes with your pieces of bag without bruising or injuring the tomatoes in any way. Secure the tops of the bag pieces with an elastic or fold in a way that secures the bag in place - I haven’t figured this out yet so I use elastics. The point is to wrap your green tomatoes so no air can find its way in.

Choose a Dark, Dry & Cool Storage Location

Find a dark, dry, cool spot in the house to place your wrapped green tomatoes. I’ve found that a closet I use for storage and don’t go in very often works best for me. If you’re running a wood or pellet stove, choose an area as far away from the direct heat as possible - I learned this the hard way. One year I stored my wrapped green tomatoes in a closet directly above the wood stove and they rotted before ripening.

Place your wrapped green tomatoes in a single layer and make sure none of them are touching. If one happens to rot and is touching another wrapped tomato, the rot can quickly spread. Write the date you placed them in storage on the paper bags.

Check on your wrapped green tomatoes occasionally, about once a week after the first 2 weeks of being in storage. Unwrap them to check on their progress tossing any showing signs of rot. Re-wrap tightly once again and mark the date you checked them on the bag as a simple reminder. Lastly, be patient because it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a month to ripen green tomatoes indoors.

Do you know how to wrap green tomatoes tightly without having to use an elastic to secure the bags? I’d sure like to know and if you can teach me, please leave a comment below. 

Time to Dig up Outdoor Herbs and Bring them Indoors

Image: freedigitalphotos.net

Fall is here and we all know what that means; an end all be all frost is soon to follow here in the north. If you have potted outdoor herbs or any in the ground, now is a good time to bring them indoors. I've already dug up my basil plants, potted them and brought them in for the winter. Annuals, when brought in before the frost, last well into winter.

Which Herbs Should You Bring Indoors?

Before you put your shovel to work, take a good look at the herbs you want to pot. Are they healthy? Are they already knocking on death’s door? Only pot those that are healthy and aren’t showing any signs of dying off as these won’t last very long indoors. Checking for insects and keep in mind that small to medium sized plants transplant the best.

How to Pot Outdoor Herbs

Step 1 Choose the Right-Sized Container: Potted herbs benefit from well-draining containers and those that allow for ample air circulation. Untreated containers such as terra cotta and wood are porous and work well for potted herbs because they let air in and excess moisture out. Choose a container size that will accommodate the root ball of your plants. I prefer to use containers that are twice the size of the root ball of my plants.

Step 2 Dig Up Outdoor Herbs: On a cloudy day, give your herbs a good watering. Gently dig around the plants, about twice the circumference, and coax them out of the ground. It’s okay not to get the entire root ball. When transplanting from the ground to containers, it’s normal for some of the root system to be left behind.

Step 3 Potting Outdoor Herbs: Transplant your freshly dug up herbs to containers that are of the right size and filled with one part peat moss, 1 part sand and 1 part potting mix. Water your plants and move them to a shady spot outdoors.

Step 4 Acclimating Newly Potted Herbs: If the weather permits, let your newly potted plants rest outside in the shade for 1 to 2 weeks before bringing them indoors. This helps to acclimate them to indoor growing conditions. If need be, bring them in at night if the temperatures dip or the average frost date is growing near.

Step 5 Choose the Right Spot Indoors: Before bringing your potted herbs indoors, check them once again for insects. Inspect the leaves and stems of plants thoroughly and remove any insects or eggs you find. Next, choose a spot indoors that receives lots of sun. The sunniest spots of the house are usually those that face south.

Continue to water your plants as they need it. Harvest herbs to use fresh and dry any extras. It’s best to keep harvesting to encourage the plants to keep growing. Don’t worry if your plants look limp for a few days after potting or bringing them indoors; some may go into shock but usually they’ll snap out of it in a few days time. My basil plants wilted but after a good watering they came back a few days later.

Helpful Articles

Average Frost Dates for the North

How to Freeze Herbs

How to Dry Herbs

Grow Radishes and Carrots Indoors this Winter

Image: MartinKozák via Wikimedia Commons

Don’t let winter thwart your love of gardening, especially if you live in a cold climate like the north. Try growing something new in a window box or container like radishes or carrots, both of which are easy to grow indoors. In a few simple steps you can provide your family with the taste of summer while the snow piles up outside.

Choose an Indoor Container

There are a few rules of thumb when it comes to choosing a container to grow radishes and carrots indoors. First, it must have drainage; your root vegetables will thank you. Radishes and carrots grow best in well-drained soil. Soggy soil often leads to root rot.

Secondly, the container needs to be at least twice the depth of the root vegetables when they reach maturity. For instance, if the variety of carrot you choose to grow matures at 4", your container should be at least 8" deep.

Thirdly, the container should be a proper fit in your home. Think about where you’ll be placing your containers - remember they need sun. Will you go with a window box or pots to line a sunny stairwell?  

Preparing the Soil for Indoor Growth

Radishes and carrots both prefer a light, well-drained sandy soil. Stay away from heavy soils like clay and loam. Think about the soil in your outdoor garden bed where you grow radishes and carrots. The soil in your indoor containers should mimic that soil.

Radishes and carrots don’t need to be fed quite as much as other heavy feeding vegetables. A little compost or man made fertilizer goes a long way. When fertilizing, keep the amount of nitrogen you introduce to the soil to a minimum. Too much nitrogen will cause your radishes and carrots to focus on growing foliage rather than developing their roots.

I prefer to grow organic vegetables, so I either use composted manure or finished compost. If you choose to buy a man made fertilizer, opt for one with a low nitrogen ratio. Look at the three numbers on the bag # - # - #, nitrogen should appear first.

Great Indoor Radish and Carrot Varieties

While there are some jumbo varieties of radishes, many have short, round roots making them great to grow in a container. The same can’t be said for carrots because some varieties can grow 10 - 12" in length. I’ve put together a list of varieties that will do well in an indoor container. If the local nursery is closed for the winter and the garden center doesn’t have any seeds in stock, check online. You can order from online seed catalogs at any time.

Indoor Radish Varieties

• Cherry Belle
• Champion
• Black Spanish Round
• Easter Egg
• Rover

Indoor Carrot Varieties

• Atlas: Matures at 2"
• Baby Mokum: Matures at 4"
• Caracus: Matures at 4 1/2"
• Scarlet Nantes: Matures at 6"
• Danvers Half Long: Matures at 6 - 7 ½"

Sowing for a Winter Crop

Sowing radish and carrots seeds is easy in a container. Simply follow the directions on the back of the seed packet remembering to thin the root vegetables once they reach a height of 2". To eliminate the thinning process and make sowing easier, make your own seed tapes.

When you grow radishes and carrots indoors during the winter, you’ll have a nice supply of fresh, crunchy vegetables that you’d normally have to buy at the grocery store. To make sure all your radishes and carrots aren’t ready for harvest at the same time, sow your seeds at different intervals. Growing vegetables indoors during the winter makes a great project for kids and is one that can be turned into a learning experience.