Broccoli should be ready to harvest this month — check for size and colour.
Growing Calendar
This month: Jul
Log to journalReady to harvest now
- •Check size and ripeness
- •Harvest regularly
- •Store or use fresh
Watch Out For
Cabbage white caterpillars strip leaves. Check undersides weekly from late spring and net plants early in the season
Heads run to flower within days once mature. Check plants every couple of days and cut as soon as buds are tight and green
Clubroot distorts and kills roots in acidic soil. Test pH before planting and lime to above 7 if growing on susceptible ground
Grown Organically
Every method in this guide works with natural systems — no synthetic chemicals, no shortcuts.
Read our approachCommon Questions
About growing Broccoli in the UK
What's the difference between broccoli and purple sprouting broccoli?
Calabrese (usually just called 'broccoli') is a fast summer crop, sown in spring and ready in three to four months with one large central head plus smaller side shoots. Purple sprouting broccoli is a much longer-season crop, sown in spring but not harvested until the following winter and spring, producing many small purple spears rather than one head.
Why has my broccoli flowered before I could harvest it?
This is called bolting, usually triggered by heat, drought stress, or a check in growth from a cold snap. Water consistently, harvest promptly once heads are tight, and consider some light shade in hot spells.
How do I get more than one harvest from a broccoli plant?
Cut the central head first while still tight and green, leaving the plant in place. Smaller side shoots develop from the leaf joints below over the following weeks, so keep cutting these regularly to encourage more.
Can I grow broccoli in containers?
Yes, in a container at least 30–40cm deep and wide. Water more frequently than in open ground since containers dry out fast, and feed every couple of weeks once heads begin to form.
Member guides
There's more to growing Broccoli than this guide covers.
A Garden Journal to log what worked, a personalised sowing planner in My Garden, and monthly reminders timed to the calendar.
