Growing broccoli at home provides fresh, crisp florets superior to store-bought varieties. This cool-season vegetable requires specific planning to ensure a steady, usable harvest. Determining the exact number of plants depends on your family’s consumption habits and whether you plan to eat the harvest fresh or preserve it.
Baseline Plant Count for a Family of Four
For a family of four, the total number of broccoli plants needed for a single season ranges from six to twenty, depending on the intended use. For moderate, fresh consumption, plan for 1 to 2 plants per person, totaling 4 to 8 plants. This quantity provides a manageable volume for regular weeknight meals.
Families intending to blanch and freeze a significant portion of their yield should increase their planting density. For heavy consumption or preservation, plan for 3 to 5 plants per person, totaling 12 to 20 plants. Since each plant produces only 0.5 to 1 pound of usable florets, this higher number is necessary for accumulating enough biomass for preservation. Proper spacing, generally 18 to 24 inches between plants, encourages healthy growth and maximum head size.
Maximizing Your Harvest Through Plant Selection
The selection of a broccoli variety significantly influences the total yield per plant. The most common type is heading broccoli, often called Calabrese, which develops one large, dense central head. While the plant produces smaller side shoots afterward, the majority of the yield comes all at once. To meet a high-volume goal, you must plant a greater number of these heading varieties.
An alternative is sprouting broccoli, which does not form a single large head but produces numerous smaller florets over a prolonged period. These varieties are known for their “cut-and-come-again” habit, yielding a continuous supply of spears for up to two months. Selecting a sprouting type provides a longer overall harvest window from fewer plants, as the plant’s energy is directed toward continuous axillary bud development.
Staggered Planting for Continuous Supply
To ensure a continuous supply rather than a glut of produce, implement staggered or succession planting. This technique involves planting small groups of the recommended number of plants at regular intervals. Instead of planting all 8 to 12 plants on the same day, divide them into two or three smaller groups.
The most effective interval for staggering is every two to four weeks, starting around the last frost date. For example, a family might plant four transplants in early April, four more in late April, and a final four in mid-May. This strategy ensures that as the first group matures and is harvested, the second group is just beginning to form harvestable heads. This continuous cycle allows for a steady stream of fresh vegetables throughout the cool season, which is far more practical for fresh eating.