How to Grow Broccoli in Your Own Garden: 8 Tips from Experienced Gardeners

Broccoli cabbage is a real treasure trove of vitamins and nutrients.

This is probably the main reason why it is worth cultivating this crop, says Anastasia Kovrizhnykh, an expert of the online publication BelNovosti, an agronomist, and a landscape designer.

In addition, broccoli is generally easy to care for, and the right variety will be cold-resistant and highly productive.

To be successful in growing broccoli, consider the following tips.

1. Before sowing, be sure to treat the seeds to increase their germination and yield. Select large seeds that are free of any damage and soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then dry them slightly.

2. To sow seeds for seedlings, place them in a container or peat cups at a depth of no more than 1 cm. The distance between the seeds should be 2-3 cm. After you moisten the soil, cover it with film and leave it in a place that is well lit by the sun.

3. When sprouts appear, remove the cover. The seedlings are distributed into separate cups after the seedlings form 2-3 true leaves.

4. The next step is transplanting into open ground. Broccoli should be grown in sunny areas that are protected from drafts, having previously enriched the soil with compost. Plant the plants at a distance of 30 cm from each other. At the same time, it is necessary to leave 50 cm of free space between the rows.

5. To improve the access of oxygen and moisture to the roots of plants, loosen the beds from time to time.

6. For the same purpose, weed and hill up the bushes.

7. As for watering, it should be regular and abundant. It is worth appearing in the garden with a watering can every 6-7 days - in the morning or in the evening. There should be enough moisture to saturate the soil to a depth of 12-15 cm. In hot weather, it is recommended to additionally spray the foliage.

8. And, of course, don't forget about fertilizing. The first time broccoli needs to be fertilized with nitrogen fertilizers 2 weeks after planting the seedlings, and 3 weeks later - with saltpeter. When a month has passed after the second fertilizing, use potassium-phosphate fertilizers on the beds.