Broccoli — Vegetables

Brassica oleracea (Italica)

Full sun, moderate watering — hardy in most of the UK.

Photograph of Broccoli — Wikimedia Commons via EOL

Sow: Mar
Plant out: May
Harvest: Aug–Sep

Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Difficulty: Demanding
Hardiness: H4
Season: summer
Height: 100–150 cm
Spacing: 100 cm
Pets: Safe around pets

Grows well with

Calendula (Pot Marigold) — Pot marigolds next to broccoli are said to turn aphids away with their strong scent, and the open flowers feed hoverflies whose larvae eat aphids.Coriander — Coriander left to flower beside broccoli draws in predatory insects and parasitic wasps that take out pests.Dill — Let dill flower next to your broccoli. The open flower heads feed the predators and parasitic wasps that work through the pests.Wild Fennel — Flowering fennel near broccoli brings in predators and parasitic wasps. Give it room, as it grows tall and seeds about.Nasturtium — Nasturtiums grown with broccoli cut the damage done by cabbage looper and cabbageworm caterpillars in a field study.Onion — Onions grown with broccoli cut the damage done by cabbage looper and cabbageworm caterpillars in a field study.Sage — Sage is recommended among cabbage-family crops such as broccoli, where it is said to put off flea beetles, cabbage looper and cabbage root maggot. Its flowers also bring in bees.Thyme — Thyme grown with broccoli cut the damage done by cabbage looper and cabbageworm caterpillars in a field study.

Growing notes

Grows to 1-1.5 metres. Space about 50-100cm apart. At its best in summer.