Thompson Broccoli is a classic Brassica that delivers dense, tight heads ready to harvest in just 70 days from transplant. This cultivar packs serious nutritional punch, loaded with vitamins C and K plus minerals your body actually absorbs more efficiently than from other sources. Grow it in full sun with consistent moisture, spacing plants just 4 inches apart in rows 18 inches wide, and you'll have tender florets for the kitchen within about 10 weeks.
4
Full Sun
High
3-10
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High
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Thompson Broccoli produces the tight, dense heads serious home gardeners demand, harvested just before the flower buds open. The calcium in broccoli is absorbed by your body more effectively than calcium from milk, ounce for ounce. Cutting the main head encourages side-shoots to keep producing throughout the season, extending your harvest well beyond the initial 70 days.
Thompson Broccoli heads are harvested fresh and used raw in salads, roasted as a side dish, steamed, or incorporated into stir-fries and casseroles. The long stems, often 6 inches or more, are as edible as the florets themselves when cooked properly. Regular harvesting of side-shoots keeps the plant productive, making this variety excellent for cooks who want continuous supply from a single planting.
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Start seeds indoors in containers at least 4 to 6 weeks before your target transplant date. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Transplant seedlings outdoors when they've developed true leaves and outdoor temperatures have warmed.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they are sturdy and outdoor soil has warmed adequately for Brassicas. Space plants 4 inches apart in rows 18 inches wide. Handle seedlings gently to avoid root damage, and firm soil around each transplant to eliminate air pockets.
Direct sowing is possible; sow seeds in the garden in early spring (April timing mentioned in catalog sources). Direct-seeded crops will require an additional 25 to 35 days beyond the standard 70-day transplant-to-harvest timeline to reach maturity.
Harvest when the main head feels dense and tight to the touch, before any yellow flower petals have emerged. Using a sharp, clean knife, cut the head with at least 6 inches of stem attached, angling the cut downward to shed water and prevent rot at the cut surface. Once the main head is removed, monitor the leaf axils regularly for side-shoot development and harvest these smaller clusters as they reach usable size, continuing to cut them off to promote further branching.
Once you've harvested the main head with a sharp, clean knife cut at a slant angle, do not remove the plant. Instead, cut side-shoots regularly as they develop from the remaining stem and leaf nodes. This encourages the plant to produce prolifically throughout the season, extending your harvest window significantly beyond the initial head.
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