Crop fact sheet · Cool season
Broccoli
Not in season right now in Houston. Dates below.
Your dates in Houston
| Window | Order seed by | Start indoors | Plant | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | Jun 17 | Jul 8 | Aug 19 – Sep 30 | from Oct 18 |
| Spring 2027 | Nov 2 | Nov 23 | Jan 4 – Jan 18 | from Mar 5 |
| Fall 2027 | Jun 17 | Jul 8 | Aug 19 – Sep 30 | from Oct 18 |
Worked out from AgriLife planting windows (days before/after average frost) and Houston's average frost dates. "Order seed by" is our own 3-week heads-up, not an AgriLife date.
The numbers
- How to plant
- Set out transplants 0.5" deep, 18" apart, rows 36" apart.
- Days to harvest
- 60–80 days
- Yield per 10 ft of row
- 10 lb
- Keeps producing
- about 5.7 weeks
- Start indoors
- 6 weeks before planting out
- Sun
- Full sun
- Family
- Brassicaceae (for rotation)
Water
Keep soil moist but not soaked; water is most critical at establishment and heading, and drought stress can cause buttoning (tiny early heads).
Feeding
- At planting: 1-2 lb of complete fertilizer (e.g., 10-20-10) per 100 sq ft or about 30 ft of row, mixed 2-3 inches into the soil.
- About 4 weeks after transplanting: 1 lb complete fertilizer (or 1 cup ammonium sulfate/nitrate) per 30 ft of row, watered in; repeat about 4 weeks later.
Not sure what your soil needs? Get a soil test first.
Texas heat
Best at 70-80°F days with 40-50°F nights. Warm temperatures and longer days cause early, small heads and quick flowering. Plant so heads form before steady 90°F weather.
Pests to watch
- cabbage loopers
- imported cabbageworms
- aphids
- harlequin bugs
- armyworms
Diseases
- black rot
- Alternaria leaf spot
- downy mildew
- bacterial soft rot
What to do about them: pest sheet · what's wrong with my plant?
When it's ready
Cut the center head when buds are full-size and tight, before the first flower shows yellow; cut 6-7 inches below the head. Leave the plant for side shoots.
Storing it
Refrigerate in the cold drawer and use within 3-5 days.
Texas tips
- Fall planting is often more successful in Texas; late spring planting exposes plants to heat before heads mature.
- Start transplants 6 weeks before spring transplanting or 3-4 weeks before fall transplanting.
- Broccoli matures quickly and gives several harvests from side shoots, making it the best cole crop for most Texas gardens.
- Crowding gives small heads and fewer side sprouts.
Varieties that do well in Texas
Arcadia, Bonanza, Green Comet, Green Magic, Packman, Premium Crop, Southern Comet