Does Broccoli Grow In Florida?


broccoli growing
Thanks To Kelly Hunter for this pic of baby broccoli heads!

Can broccoli grow in Florida? Sometimes the intense Florida heat can make it seem like nothing would enjoy growing here.

Broccoli enjoys our mild Florida winters. You can successfully plant broccoli seeds in the Fall and winter. The most popular Florida friendly variety of broccoli is Waltham 29.

Broccoli takes about three months to mature and will bolt if temperatures are too warm. Getting your timing right is an important step when planting any vegetable.

North, central and south Florida all have slightly different climates.

When To Plant Broccoli In Florida

In all parts of Florida broccoli should be planted in between August and September

North Florida actually has legitimate frosts and freezes that roll through during the winter time. Broccoli is a cool-season crop, but that doesn’t mean that it likes to be frozen.

Freezing temperatures will kill broccoli. Those in north Florida(and some parts of central Florida that get cooler winters) should be mindful this.

Broccoli takes about 3 months to grow and produce. Broccoli will bolt when soil temperatures rise. So we want to plant in a window where it’s not too hot but it’s not too cold.

The above recommended dates are just guidlines, they are not written in stone. Some years you may be able to plant earlier and some years you may have to wait.

Use your best judgment to give your broccoli at least a 3 month window of ideal conditions.

Florida Friendly Broccoli Varieties

  • Broccoli Raab
  • Calabrese
  • De Cicco
  • Early Dividend
  • Early Green
  • Packman
  • Waltham

This isn’t an all-inclusive list, there are other varieties of broccoli that you could try growing in Florida. Robert Bowden (Author of Florida fruit and vegetable gardening ) also suggests ‘High Dividend’, ‘Green Comet’, and ‘ Goliath’.

Some varieties like Packman and Goliath are fast producing kinds. They usually mature in about 2 months instead of 3.

Planting Broccoli

Thanks Kelly Hunter for this awesome photo of broccoli starting to form!

Broccoli can be direct sown or transplanted into the garden. I usually find it easier to plant my seeds directly int the garden. I don’t like to mess with hardening off transplants. But if you don’t mind dealing with transplants you can get a little head start on growing your broccoli.

When growing broccoli make sure that each plant has at least 18 inches of room all the way around. This might vary slightly depending on the variety you get. Check the seed packet, it should have recommended plant spacing on it.

Best Soil For Broccoli

Broccoli is a shallow rooted plant and when the Florida heat starts pounding down on the roots this causes broccoli to ‘bolt’, or flower.

for this reason when preparing your soil you must lay down a thick layer of mulch. This will help with water retention and with keeping the plants roots cool.

If planting directly into the Florida dirt you should at least add some compost to the mix in addition to mulching.

If you are planting in containers or a raised bed I’ve always had good luck with a mix that looks something like this:

  • 40% Peat moss
  • 40% Compost
  • 20% perlite
  • Worm castings
  • Mykos

Most of this stuff is available at any local nursery including lowes or home depot.

The only things that you might have a hard time finding are the worm castings and the Mykos. While neither of these is absolutely necessary I think they will give you better results.

Worm castings add an extra boost of fertilizer to your soil and the Mykos is a beneficial fungus that helps the plants absorb more nutrients. Both things lead to a happier healthier plant.

How To Fertilize Broccoli

Fertilize broccoli with a well rounded fertilizer. A 5-10-10 or something simliar would work great.

Broccoli can be a little demandedning when it comes to feeding. You should fertilize before you plant, you should get on a regular fertilizing schedule of once every three weeks.

The fertilzer that I like to use is Garden Tone (Check price on Amazon) I bought mine at my local nursery but it’s organic, well rounded and easy to use.

A quick break down on how fertilizers work in the plant. the there numbers represent how much Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P), and Potassium(K) is in the blend. Each nutrient does something different for the plant.

Nitrogen helps the plant grow green leafy growth, Phosphorus helps the plant grow stronger roots and more healthy flower and fruit production. Potassium is a good overall health booster for the plant helping with a number of different roles.

Harvesting Broccoli

Thanks, Daniel Mee for the awesome photo of these broccoli flowers just about to open up.

The ideal time to harvest broccoli is when the head is fully mature but the flowers on the plant have not yet opened.

The main head of broccoli is not the only harvest you can get from this plant. Broccoli can provide you with multiple harvests.

This is the best window to harvest broccoli, after flowers are open taste begins to decline.

After you cut off the first head of broccoli the plant will begin to create more little shoots off to the side, which will give you more harvests. The heads won’t be as large but so what, you’re getting more broccoli.

Growing Broccoli In Florida

  • In all parts of Florida broccoli should be planted in between August and September
  • Florida friendly varieties of broccoli are Broccoli Raab, Calabrese, De Cicco, Early Dividend, Early Green, Packman, Waltham
  • Give each plant at least 18 inches of space all the way around to grow.
  • Lay a thick layer of mulch down, broccoli has sensitive shallow roots, you need to protect them.
  • Fertilize with a well-balanaced fertilizer, something like a 5-10-10 or a 3-4-4.
  • Broccoli will provide you with multiple harvests.

Want More To Know More Vegetables That You Can Grow In Florida? 27 Vegetables That Are Easy To Grow In Florida

Also special thanks to freepik.com for supplying elements to make our Pinterest image for this article.

Josh

I've been gardening in Florida since 2014. I'm an FNGLA certified horticulturist and a Permaculture design apprentice. I just want to share my love and passion of growing plants with other in the state of Florida to help them grow beautiful gardens.

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