Growing Romanesco Broccoli Seeds

Romanesco broccoli (Brassica oleracea), which resembles cauliflower more than broccoli, is a popular variety in Italy. It's the type of broccoli that doesn't need to be smothered with a sauce: a little melted butter dripped over the top of steamed Romanesco is a side-dish you won't soon forget. A cool weather crop, it happily survives being planted before the last frost date in your region. The seeds, however, should be started indoors six to eight weeks prior to that date.

Germinating container
Seed starting mix
Compost
Garden fork

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare the germinating container by filling it to within 1/2 inch of the rim with a quality seed-starting mix. Make sure the mix is soilless, to avoid damping off, a seed and seedling fungal disease.
- 2
  Push the Romanesco broccoli seeds 1/2 inch into the soil. Space them at least 1 inch apart. Spacing is important with broccoli to prevent legginess. Cover them lightly and don't press the soil over them.
- 3
  Place the flat in an area with lots of indirect sunlight. Romanseco broccoli seeds germinate within 10 days.
- 4
  Transplant the broccoli seedlings into the garden five weeks after they sprout. They prefer cool weather, so if there is still one frost expected, they will be fine.
- 5
  Prepare the planting area -- a 3-by-5-foot bed for 15 Romanesco broccoli seedlings -- by adding a 3-inch layer of compost to the soil and mixing it to a depth of 6 inches.
- 6
  Plant the seedlings at the same depth as they are growing in the flat. Water them after transplanting to a depth of 6 inches.

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