How to Transplant Broccoli

Spread 1 cup of 16-16-8 fertilizer over 25 square feet of garden. Cover the fertilizer with a 2-inch layer of compost. Work the compost and fertilizer into the top six to eight inches of soil with a hoe.

Place the broccoli seedlings, still in their pots, in a protected area outdoors seven days before transplanting. Bring the seedlings indoors at night or during freezing weather. This process, called hardening, helps the seedlings adjust to outdoor conditions before you plant them in the garden bed.

Dig a planting hole for each broccoli plant. Make the hole the same depth as the pot and twice as wide. Space holes 12 inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart.

Lift the seedlings out of their pots and set them in the holes so the plants are at the same depth they were growing at in the pots. Fill in soil around the roots.

Water the broccoli immediately after transplanting so the soil settles. Supply one inch of water or enough to thoroughly moisten the top six inches of soil. Water the seedlings weekly with one inch of water.

Cover the bed with a 2-inch layer of mulch such as straw. Mulch helps keep the soil cool, retains moisture and prevents weeds from growing between the plants.