How Many Times Does a Broccoli Plant Produce?

Flower Head

• The edible part of the broccoli plant is a dense cluster of flower buds that develops at the top of the main stem of the plant, which may be up to 4 feet high. The flower head in most varieties reaches maturity about 60 days after transplanting. After the main head is harvested, additional continuous harvests of secondary side shoots will continue, sometimes for as long as two months.

Harvesting the Main Head

• The main flower head of the plant should be harvested when it has reached full maturity but before any of the flower buds begin to open. Although the size of the main head varies according to growing conditions and between cultivars, a mature head often is between 4 and 6 inches in diameter. When it is mature, cut the head from the plant along with approximately 5 inches of stem, making the cut at an angle so that water does not collect on the cut end of the stem and encourage rot. Cutting the main head will encourage the development of side shoots.

Side Shoots

• Side shoots will develop at the point where the leaves meet the main stem of the plant. These shoots will be similar in form to the main head but generally much smaller, often as small as 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Some cultivars will produce a large main head and relatively few side shoots, while others, sometimes called "sprouting" varieties, will produce smaller main heads and numerous side shoots. Green Comet, De Cicco and Packman cultivars are vigorous producers of side shoots, and in many varieties side shoot development will continue for several weeks after the harvest of the main head.

Multiple Crops

• If planting is timed correctly, two crops of broccoli can be harvested in a single growing season. Spring plants should be started indoors about six weeks before the last frost and transplanted outdoors by April 1. Plants for a fall harvest should be started indoors in midsummer and transplanted in July. Broccoli is tolerant of frost, and it can withstand even light freezes and continue to produce.