SOWING: Start seed indoors from early spring in pots, or sow directly into the garden after danger of serious frost has passed, and again in late summer. Cover seeds with 1/8 inch of fine soil.
SPACING: Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart in rows spaced 2 to 3 feet apart depending upon available room.
THINNING & TRANSPLANTING: Thin or transplant seedlings when 2 inches tall. Transplant indoor started seedlings after hardening off and danger of serious frost has passed.
GERMINATION: 7 to 10 days. Keep soil moderately moist during germination.
Ed’s Special Advice: Broccoli grows best in a mostly sunny location during the cooler parts of the growing season. Prefers fairly rich soil kept somewhat moist Cut the main head when buds are still fight Continue to harvest side shoots for small heads ideal for salads or stir fry Purple Sprouting Broccoli can be sown in late summer in mild winter areas for an earlier spring harvest.
Hayley –
I knew nothing about fall gardening, so I planted a couple of these transplants way too late (like in October) that I had grown from this Ed Hume seed packet. Amazingly, the bigger ones that weren’t eaten by slugs were extremely cold hardy, hardly even affected by the couple of freezes we had (I’m in zone 8) and then due to vernalization, started giving me broccoli immediately come early spring. After cooking the purple turns into a beautiful forest green. This is a def must-grow again — I had no idea what I was doing and I still got decent results!