How to: Planting Broccoli in Fall?

Planting time can greatly impact your success as a gardener. Too early or too late can significantly reduce yield quality and quantity.

Intense heat in summer can make broccoli to bolt resulting in smaller heads. On other side, mild weather conditions in fall allows the broccoli to grow larger heads and reduce the risk of bolting.

If you wish to enjoy tasty broccoli from your backyard, then plant them in mid-July or early August for a fall harvest.

Depending on climatic conditions in your region, you can still grow broccoli in early September with transplants.

Just remember that you need to plant broccoli 6-8 weeks before first fall frost is expected.

When to Plant Fall Broccoli?

Broccoli prefers to cool-season with ideal temperature ranging between 50–70F.

While seeds can sprout in slightly warmer soil, around 75F, the plant can’t thrive in temperature above 85F.

Hot days resulting in bolting or premature flower drop, which ruins head development. Thus, making it ideal to grow in fall. The cooler autumn days prevent bolting and encourage firm, healthy heads.

For growing broccoli in fall start seeds 3 months before your first frost date – typically between mid-July to early August depending on your zone. In most regions, this means:

• Direct sow seeds: Early June to mid-August
• Start transplants: June to early July
• Plant out transplants: July to August

How to: Planting Broccoli in Fall?

As already mentioned, planting broccoli in the fall comes with several advantages that make it the ideal season for this cool-weather crop.

The cooler temperatures encourage steady growth, resulting in tight, firm heads with a naturally sweeter flavor. At the same time, pest activity is much lower than in spring, so plants face fewer threats.

Most importantly, the risk of bolting is greatly reduced in fall, since the mild weather prevents premature flowering and allows broccoli to reach full maturity.

Best Broccoli Variety for Fall Planting

As different varieties mature at different rates, it is important to choose the right broccoli type depending on your USDA zone.

Picking adaptable and reliable varieties tailored for cooler weather helps your broccoli thrive as temperatures drop, resulting in sweeter, firmer heads throughout the fall season.

Cold Tolerant Varieties:

• Marathon: Widely adaptable with excellent cold resistance for extended fall growing
• Waltham 29: Open-pollinated heirloom known for superior cold tolerance
• De Ciccio: Italian heirloom that thrives in cooler climates
• Emerald Crown: Uniform heads with good cold weather performance

Shorter Growing Season Varieties:

• Green Goliath: Early-maturing with quick harvest potential
• Blue Wind: Extra early variety for fast fall production
• Calabrese Green Sprouting: Traditional quick-growing Italian type
• De Ciccio: Fast-maturing heirloom perfect for shorter seasons

Mild Heat Tolerant Varieties:

• Belstar: Excellent temperature fluctuation tolerance
• Emerald Crown: Adaptable to varying temperature conditions
• Green Goliath: Performs well in transitional weather periods

Disease Resistant Varieties:

• Marathon: Strong resistance to common broccoli diseases
• Belstar: Robust variety with good disease tolerance
• Emerald Crown: Reliable performer with natural disease resistance

Also Read: 19 Vegetables to Plant in Fall

Planting Broccoli Seeds

Planning your fall broccoli timing might seem tricky at first, but it’s actually quite straightforward once you know your local frost date.

You’ll want to get those seeds started indoors or in a protected area about 12–14 weeks before your area typically sees its first frost. Think of it like working backwards from that important date on your calendar.

Once your little seedlings have grown for 4–6 weeks and developed their first real leaves (not just the initial seed leaves), they’re ready for the big move outdoors. This usually happens around 6–8 weeks before that first frost arrives.

In other words, sow seeds in July or Early August and move your broccoli seedlings outdoors into early fall.

Growing Broccoli in Fall

In this section, you’ll learn how to transplant and take care of fall broccoli.

Plant Location & Soil

When it comes to finding the perfect spot for your broccoli, think sunshine—lots of it! Your plants will be happiest in a location that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day.

As for soil, broccoli prefer nutrient rich, well-draining soil that’s slightly on the acidic to neutral side—aim for a pH somewhere between 6.0 and 6.8.

Before planting, take some time to pamper that soil by working in generous amounts of compost or well-aged manure. Your broccoli will thank you with better growth and more delicious heads.

Pro tip: If you had cabbage, cauliflower, or other brassica family members in that same spot during the previous growing season, pick a different area for this year’s broccoli.

Transplant Broccoli Seedlings

When it’s time to get your broccoli seedlings outdoors, space each plant about 18–24 inches apart—think of it as giving each one its own personal space bubble.

Your rows should be even wider, around 24–36 inches apart, so you can easily walk between them for weeding and harvesting later on.

Here’s a simple transplanting trick: plant each seedling at exactly the same depth it was sitting in its pot. No deeper, no shallower—just keep things consistent.

Once they’re all tucked into their new spots, give them a good, thorough drink of water. This isn’t just about quenching their thirst; it helps settle the soil around their roots and reduces transplant shock.

Check this: 18 Vegetables to Plant in September

How to Care Fall Broccoli?

Once you moved broccoli to garden soil, mulch around the base of each plant to keep the soil moist and warm.

Mulching broccoli will avoid weed growth.

Ensure the plant is watered regularly. To avoid overwatering or underwatering, insert your finger 2 inches deeper in the soil to check the moisture.

Water generously and check for signs of underwatering and overwatering broccoli.

Enrich your broccoli with nitrogen rich fertilizer to boost its growth.

Don’t let your guard down though, because uninvited guests might show up to the feast.

Keep your eyes peeled for tiny aphids clustering on leaves or cabbage worms munching away. The key is catching these troublemakers early and dealing with them before they turn your hard work into their all-you-can-eat buffet.

Also Read: 19 Vegetables for Your Winter Garden

Common Growing Problems of Fall Broccoli

If your broccoli heads turn loose or start flowering too early, it usually means the weather was too warm at planting—try starting seeds a bit later next season to avoid heat stress.

• Yellowing lower leaves may signal a nitrogen deficiency; feeding your plants with a balanced, nitrogen-rich fertilizer can help them green up and grow strong.
• Slow or stunted growth often points to poor soil quality or overcrowding, so make sure your beds are rich in compost and that each plant has plenty of space.
• If you spot holes in the leaves, check for cabbage worms or caterpillars and remove them by hand, or use an organic insecticidal soap to keep pests under control.
• Aphids tend to cluster on tender new growth and can cause plants to wilt; spraying them off with a strong jet of water or introducing ladybugs can keep their numbers down.
• Broccoli heads turning brown or developing soft spots may signal overwatering or fungal disease—ensure good drainage and avoid getting heads wet when you irrigate.
• If your plants look droopy even when the soil is moist, root rot or poor drainage might be the culprit; amend beds with organic material to improve aeration and drainage.

Also Read: 30 Best Vegetables to Grow in Buckets

Conclusion

The beauty of fall planting is that nature does half the work for you. Cool weather naturally prevents your plants from bolting too early, keeps most pests from becoming major headaches, and brings out that incredible sweetness that makes fall broccoli so special.

Sure, it takes a bit of upfront planning—getting your timing right, preparing good soil, and staying consistent with care—but trust me, it’s worth every bit of effort.

When you’re harvesting those firm, beautiful heads and then enjoying weeks of tender side shoots afterward, you’ll understand why so many experienced gardeners swear by their fall broccoli crops.