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Vegetable Crop Calendars (A–C)Broccoli Planting Calendar: Spring vs. Fall
Broccoli wants cool weather as it forms its head, so both the spring and fall plantings are really exercises in counting backward from heat or forward from frost.
Key points
- Plant spring broccoli from transplants a few weeks before last frost.
- Match days to maturity to the weeks before heat arrives.
- Count back from first fall frost and add a cushion for slow growth.
- Harvest before yellow flowers show, then watch for side shoots.
- Use row cover against caterpillars and flea beetles.
When should you plant broccoli in spring?
Spring broccoli is almost always started from transplants. Seedlings go into the garden a few weeks before your average last frost, because mature plants tolerate light cold better than most gardeners expect. The aim is to have heads forming while days are still cool, before summer heat arrives.
Your state extension guide lists the lead time before last frost that works in your area, and it will differ between a short northern season and a long southern one. Use the guide for the number, and use your local frost data for the date.
Start seed indoors several weeks before transplanting, and harden seedlings off for about a week by giving them gradually more outdoor exposure. A worked check helps. Count the weeks between your target transplant date and the date when your area usually turns hot, then compare that number with the days to maturity on the packet. If the packet needs more weeks than you have, choose a faster variety or accept a smaller crop.
Why does heat ruin spring heads?
When the weather turns hot while the head is forming, the buds open early, the head loosens and may flower. Broccoli grown under warm, stressful conditions often produces small, loose heads. That is why late spring plantings are risky in places where summer arrives quickly.
Pick varieties by days to maturity and match that number to the weeks you have before the warm weather usually arrives. A shorter-season variety may be the safer pick for a late start.
How do you time a fall crop?
Fall broccoli begins in summer, which is the hard part. Count backward from your average first fall frost, using the days to maturity on your seed packet, and then add extra time because growth slows as days shorten. The result tells you when to start seed or set out transplants.
For example, if your first frost usually arrives in late October and your variety needs about two months from transplant, you would work back from that date and add a cushion. This is an illustration of the method, so confirm numbers for your own area with a local guide.
Young transplants set out in summer heat need shade and steady water for the first week or so. Fall broccoli often tastes sweeter after cool nights.
- Find your average first fall frost.
- Subtract the days to maturity for your variety.
- Add extra days for slower fall growth.
- Plan seedlings to be ready for planting at that date.
What soil and feeding does broccoli want?
Broccoli is a heavy feeder that does best in fertile, well-drained soil with steady moisture. A soil test tells you pH and nutrient levels, and your extension office can translate the report into local recommendations. Nutrient management rules vary by state, so follow local rules.
Lime and fertilizer timing matter. Applying them well ahead of planting, as the soil test suggests, gives them time to work. Mulch to keep soil cool and hold water.
Mulch around transplants to hold moisture and keep roots cool, and keep weeds down while plants are small, because broccoli competes poorly early on.
What should you check as heads form?
Cut the main head while the buds are tight and before yellow flowers show. After that, side shoots often keep coming for weeks, so leave the plant in the ground. Check plants every day or two when heads are forming, because the window from ready to past-ready can be short in warm weather.
Watch for buttoning, which is small premature heads, often caused by stress, cold exposure when young or lack of nutrients.
After you cut the main head, make the cut on a slant so water drains, and keep the plant watered and fed according to your soil test so side shoots stay productive.
Which pests and problems come with the crop?
Cabbage worms, aphids and flea beetles are common in brassicas. Floating row cover over the planting is a widely suggested non-chemical measure, and it needs to be sealed at the edges. Ask your extension office what is active in your area.
If a pesticide is ever considered, use only products labeled for the crop, follow every label direction, observe the pre-harvest interval and protect pollinators. Applicator licensing rules vary by state.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.