Broccoli in the garden (www.grow-it-organically.com)
My daughter came home from her HealthBarn Seedlings graduation with a baggie full of broccoli seeds. She’s so excited to plant them, but I have no idea how! What should we do with the seeds?
I’m so glad she’s excited about planting her broccoli seeds! This is the perfect time of year to get into the garden and start planting seeds (like broccoli!) for an early summer harvest. Broccoli is actually pretty easy to grow; however, as a home gardener you may not yield the big green heads that you see in the grocery store, but the buds are still deliciously good! Here are your two options for planting the seeds:
- If you wait until the weather warms up a bit more, probably mid-May, you can plant seeds directly in the ground.
- Or, you can start growing the broccoli seeds in pots indoors to give them a head start. All you need to do is put the pots on a windowsill, where the seeds will get plenty of sunlight, and water it regularly so it sprouts into a seedling. Once it becomes warmer out with no chance of frost, you can transfer the seedlings outside and into the ground. To use recyclable pots, check out my recent blog post.
Little hands love making “mini” muffins!
Both methods are equally effective, though the indoor head start in option #2 will get you a full grown broccoli plant in less time than option #1. Wondering what to do when that broccoli is ready for harvest? Check out this fabulous recipe for a Broccoli Quinoa Bake, submitted by a HealthBarn mom! We served it at the Seedlings graduation in March, and it received thumbs up from kids and parents alike.
Have you ever grown broccoli at home? Share your gardening tips!
– Stacey Antine, MS RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA
What puzzles you about keeping your family healthy? Tell us what’s on your mind by emailing [email protected]. Stacey will answer those questions here weekly.
