I really believe the KEY to growing beautiful, compact broccoli heads is in getting them planted early to avoid “bolting” during the heat of summer.  My neighbor is a green thumb.  He is so talented. But the one thing I have had success with that he hasn’t is broccoli.  The only difference in our methods is that I have planted them earlier and used straw to protect them.  He had his in tall wooden boxes and I think the boxes held the heat in, the broccoli bolted, and he ended up with long stringy broccoli plants.  So remember, Plant Early and use Straw to protect the plants.

Starting broccoli seeds indoors is pretty easy and will save you a lot of money.  This spring was really busy for me though, and I didn’t get any started.  I found 9-packs of “Pacman” Broccoli at the store.  Pacman is my favorite broccoli!  Each 9-pack was about $3.50 which means, if they live, I will get big bunches of broccoli for about $.40 each (plants plus other supplies).  That still represents a huge savings over buying broccoli in the grocery store, not to mention it will be fresher and I get to control what chemicals (if any) are added to it.

First, my teenage son tilled up the ground with a rototiller.  He did a great job and the soil was just like cocoa powder.  If your soil isn’t so great, I recommend you follow the suggestions in the book, Let’s Get Growing by Crow Miller. I have learned so much from that book! Crow calls it a “dirt under the nails primer”.  It is organized, easy to read, and so full of wisdom from a farmer dedicated to growing things organically.

Second, my other teenage son raked out the soil.  Then two more of my kids, plus a neighbor kid, joined in to help.

Whenever you buy little packs of plants, the roots are often wound up pretty tight.  You want to carefully pull the roots apart a little.  I really stink at this, and yet my plants still manage to live.

Our kitties are so frisky and so attracted to the freshly tilled ground and new plants.  They want to roll in it, roll all over you and roll all over the plants.  It’s a good thing they are so cute.