Instructions

• 1). Plant your broccoli seeds in the starter trays 12 to 14 weeks before the first frost in your area. Begin by adding the commercial potting medium to the starter planting trays. Leave ¼-inch space remaining between the potting medium and the top of each cell. Water the trays until the potting medium is thoroughly soaked. Let the medium dry out until it is damp to the touch. Use a pencil or your finger to create a shallow indentation in each tray. Place one or two broccoli seeds in each indentation and then lightly cover with planting medium. Do NOT pack the medium down. Place the starter trays in a sunny window. Be sure to water regularly, following the directions on your broccoli seed packet.
  
  
• 2). Prepare to transplant your broccoli seedlings once they are four weeks old. Choose the healthiest seedlings to transplant; the best choices are those that have at least two to four leaves and a sturdy stem. Broccoli is a good container plant, so you can transplant your seedlings into larger containers, or you can transplant them directly into the garden. In either case, choose a location that will receive six to eight hours of sunlight.
  
  
• 3). Plant the broccoli seedlings on an overcast day. Begin by amending the garden soil with organic mulch and fertilizer. Sprinkle the granular fertilizer over the bed. Add a thick layer of organic mulch over the bed and, using a small shovel, turn over the soil, mixing the organic mulch into the garden bed six to eight inches. This will also loosen the soil in preparation for planting.
  
  
• 4). Using the gardening trowel, dig holes 12 to 18 inches apart and twice as deep as the size of the container the broccoli seedlings were planted in. Remove each seedling from its container in the planting tray. To establish a strong root system, place each seedling deep enough in the hole that its first pair of leaves will be level with the garden bed. Gently cover with dirt and water.
  
  
• 5). Use containers that measure at least 12 inches x 12 inches for container gardening. Make sure the container has a drainage hole. Fill the container with commercial potting soil stopping when you are one and one half inches away from the top of the container. If you choose a potting soil designed for container vegetables, it may already contain time released fertilizer. If not, mix in granular fertilizer---measure according to the directions on the fertilizer. Follow the directions in step four for transplanting the seedlings. Do not plant more than two seedlings in each 12-inch x 12-inch container.