Broccoli
Brassica Oleracea Var. Italica

days to maturity: 70 days
plant spacing: 2 square feet per plant
sunlight requirements: 8 hours
look out for: improper spacing or not enough sun
harvest notes: harvest when it looks like broccoli. keep plant around for making side shoots
seasons: fall, winter, spring

Broccoli can be a really fun food to grow in the garden however keep in mind it makes a large plant that needs to be in the garden for a long period of time. When growing your own broccoli you can take full advantage of the plant by also eating the rough outer leaves like collard greens, plus once the main head is harvested smaller shoots will form and can also be eaten. Only grow broccoli during the fall and winter months in south Florida, it prefers the coolest weather we can give it, and we often don’t recommend it to home growers because its a huge plant that takes a long time to mature and if you don’t have more than 8 hours of sun for it then you wont get a nice sized head to harvest. That being said, there is something very magical about growing a broccoli, and watching the tight florets form in the center of the plant and get bigger every day until you finally get to harvest and eat your very own head, especially if you or your kiddies are broccoli lovers.