From seed to harvest, I share my knowledge about how to grow broccoli.

This lesson is one of 30 that comprise From Seed to Harvest online course.

• Each lesson concentrates on one vegetable, occasionally more if you grow them in a similar way, and is structured in the same format – listed below.
• My aim is that you understand each vegetable’s special needs and qualities so that successful harvests are almost certain.
• The broccoli lesson is 4185 words, with 57 photos and 1 exclusive video.

The structure follows these headings:

1. Introduction to vegetable
2. Harvest period
3. Why grow them
4. Suitable for containers/shade?
5. Conditions for success
6. Varieties
7. Sow and propagate
8. Sowing conditions
9. Sowing time
10. Pot on?
11. Transplant, size, time of year
12. Spacing
13. Support
14. Water – how often, how much, extra mulch to retain water?
15. Container growing
16. Feed
17. Prune and train plants/thin fruit
18. Harvest time and method
19. Potential problems – which pests are likely and when, disease, other likely difficulties
20. Clearing
21. Follow with

Soil care

There is occasional reference to weeding, feeding and basic bed preparation. Thanks to no dig these are minimal jobs, and are almost the same for all vegetables.

If you are not yet practising no dig, it’s simple. The key part is to stop digging and loosening your soil. Then rake level and cover the surface with a thin layer of compost, into which you sow and transplant. Or, if you have many weeds, lay cardboard and cover with some compost.

Compost is anything decomposed and does not have to be perfect in appearance. It is organic matter which feeds soil life, maintaining soil with an aerated structure, and far more effectively than we can do it with tools.

On all soil types, you can grow fine broccoli using the no dig method. And you will enjoy the process much more, thanks to there being many fewer weeds.

I have created a bank of useful information which can be used alongside any of my online courses, books or web pages.

It contains:

• Information on the seasons and weather
• A comprehensive glossary of gardening terms that I use, explained in a few words
• A table showing which vegetables belong to which plant family
• A harvesting timeline detailing the main months for sowing and harvesting 

The glossary, plant family information and harvesting timeline can all be downloaded as PDF’s.

It is available to purchase for £15 here.