Broccoli is one of the most nutritious and delicious vegetables that can be grown in a home garden. But where exactly do those broccoli seeds come from that allow us to grow this healthy crop? In this complete guide, we’ll examine the full journey of broccoli seeds – from their origins within the broccoli plant itself to how they are harvested, stored, and planted to produce the broccoli we know and love.
An Overview of the Broccoli Plant
To understand where broccoli seeds come from, we first need to understand the structure and lifecycle of the broccoli plant. Broccoli is a cool-season annual vegetable that’s part of the cabbage family. It forms a central head or crown along with side shoots that are the edible portions we harvest
Corn plant starts as a seed and grows roots, stems, leaves, buds, flowers, and then seeds. It takes about 75 to 100 days to fully develop and make its first main central head. The plant will keep making side shoots and smaller heads for a longer harvest period after this is picked.
During its lifecycle, the broccoli plant will produce small yellow flowers. These flowers are the source of broccoli seeds. They form seed pods which contain the seeds inside.
Seed Pod Development and Seed Harvesting
Once pollinated the broccoli plant’s yellow flowers develop into long narrow seed pods. At first, these seed pods are bright green. But as they mature, the seed pods turn brown and dry out completely. This indicates the seeds are ready for harvest.
Gardeners have a couple options for collecting broccoli seeds:
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Allow seed pods to dry out completely on the plant itself. Once the pods turn brown, they split open naturally and drop their seeds. These can be gathered from the ground.
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Manually harvest seed pods once they turn brown and dry. Remove them from the plant and break them open to access the seeds within.
In either case, the small brown broccoli seeds need to be fully dry before storage. Any moisture can lead to mold growth and spoilage. The seeds should be stored in cool, dry conditions. With proper storage, broccoli seeds remain viable for around 5 years.
When and How to Plant Broccoli Seeds
Broccoli forms best in cool weather While soil temperature should be 40-95 F for germination, ideal growing temps are around 60-65 F Broccoli can be grown as a spring or fall crop in most regions.
You can plant seeds right in the garden two to four weeks before the last frost date. Seeds can be started indoors 4 to 6 weeks before planting, and seedlings can be moved outside once they are hardened off. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and space them out 12 to 24 inches apart.
The soil should be loamy, fertile, and well-draining with a pH between 6-7. Compost and fertilizer will encourage strong plants and large heads. Broccoli needs consistent moisture and full sun exposure. Protect young plants from pests like cabbage worms, aphids, and flea beetles.
Saving Broccoli Seeds
For gardeners who want to save seeds for later use, broccoli is a good plant to pick the seeds from. But care must be taken when the plant is flowering and making seed pods.
Broccoli readily cross-pollinates with other brassicas like cabbage, Brussels sprouts etc. This can result in hybridized seeds. Isolate the broccoli plants you want to collect seeds from or cover with fine mesh to prevent cross-pollination.
When the seed pods are completely dry, you can pick them and break them open to get the seeds inside. Keep the dry seeds in a cool, dark place in a container that won’t let air in. Broccoli seeds can be used for three to four years if they are properly dried and stored.
Purchasing High-Quality Broccoli Seeds
For most home gardeners, purchasing broccoli seeds from a reputable supplier is the easiest way to start plants. Look for seeds labeled for the current year with a high germination rate guaranteed by the company. Store-bought seeds sealed in a packet under optimal conditions will last for at least 2-3 years.
There are many open-pollinated, hybrid, and heirloom seed varieties to choose from. Gardeners can select seeds based on harvest timeframe, head size, disease resistance, and suitability for spring/fall planting. Consult local gardening resources to determine which types perform best in your specific region.
The Rewarding Journey from Seed to Harvest
When that first perfect tender, emerald broccoli head is harvested after patiently nurturing the plant from seed, it’s hard to beat the satisfaction for a gardener. Understanding exactly where broccoli seeds originate from and how the plant progresses through its lifecycle to eventually produce its own seeds gives us greater appreciation. With proper practices for harvesting, storing, and planting these seeds, we can enjoy growing bountiful crops of delicious broccoli.
Anatomy of a Broccoli Plant
When a broccoli seedling sprouts, it first forms a stem that thickens as it matures. This stem becomes the stalk that the head or crown will form on, which is comprised of florets.
Florets are tight clusters of tiny buds that form on individual stalks growing from the central base stalk. When left to mature past harvest time, the buds will open and become flowers.
If you’ve ever left a head of broccoli in your produce drawer past its prime, you may have seen it begin to turn yellow. It looks the same on the plant when it’s preparing to bloom.
The warmer the weather, the faster broccoli plants will bolt. Some gardeners don’t like bolting because they see it as a “ruined” plant that can’t be eaten. But bolting is an important process that helps the plant get ready for the next stage in its life cycle.
Stalks will often bolt to two or three times their height and form a mass of tall stalks that support the blooms as they open.
These small, yellow flowers will await pollination. Once the blooms have been pollinated, the petals will drop, and wispy tendrils will take their place.
At first, the tendrils will be thin and immature. No seeds are present at this stage, and it may take several weeks to a few months before the pods develop and fill out, ready for colllection.
As the pods mature, or “cure,” the plant will start to die off and turn yellow or brown. The pods will become visibly plumper, similar to small bean pods, when the seeds have formed inside.
Once the plant has died off and the stalks and pods appear brown, it’s time to harvest!
Why Save Seed from the Garden?
Whether you are a first time gardener or a seasoned veteran with many-a weed-pulling callus formed on your green thumb, saving seeds from your garden is a good idea.
When planning your garden space, consider including a few extra plants of each variety that you plan to collect seed from. This way, your main harvest is not reduced by allowing plants to bolt.
See our complete guide for comprehensive information on how to grow broccoli at home.
Most plants in the garden produce a large number of seeds. Actually, broccoli makes so many that you can grow crops on one plant for years and years without having to buy more.
By picking them from the best plants in the garden, you can control the growth of certain traits, like big, tight heads or resistance to disease.
In addition, seed saving is particularly attractive if you choose to grow an organic garden, without the use of pesticides or harmful chemicals, because you can guarantee that your own plants were not treated or exposed while they were growing.
Plants can absorb substances from the soil and also by foliar absorption, so anything that is applied to the garden has the potential to become part of the plant, and by extension, part of the seeds it produces.
Those saved from the home garden can also result in plants that are healthier and better suited to the environment that the parent plant grew in. Purchased seeds may come from plants that were grown in a very different environment, which can lead to growing challenges when propagated.
Some home gardeners choose to trade seeds with other locals, which increases the variety and productivity of the garden with little to no cost to you.
And many heirloom variety garden plants have been saved and passed along through the efforts of hobby gardeners, resulting in long lineage that makes it possible to grow the same crops that our ancestors grew – in some cases, hundreds of years ago.
Note that your selected broccoli variety and plant spacing are important considerations, to avoid cross-pollination and production of seeds that do not grow true to the parent plant.
When planning your garden space, aim to keep brassicas separated, because plants in this family can cross-pollinate. It’s recommended to plant brassicas at least one hundred yards apart to avoid these issues, so keep the cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and other related crops away from plants that you intend to collect from.
Hybrid varieties, which are themselves cross-bred versions of more than one cultivar, are not suitable for seed saving either, as this may result in plants that differ considerably from the parent.
Growing Broccoli, From Seed to Harvest
FAQ
How do you get seeds from broccoli?
To harvest broccoli seeds, allow the broccoli plant to flower and form seed pods. Once the pods turn brown and dry, usually when they start to split open, you can harvest them. Cut the stems with the pods and allow them to dry further, potentially indoors in a paper bag.
Where do the seeds come from in broccoli?
The broccoli plant may start to bolt, producing flowers and going to seed, especially in warm weather. Once this happens, the quality of the edible parts rapidly declines, and the flavor becomes bitter.
How to make broccoli seeds?
InstructionsSoak the broccoli seeds. After 8 hours, dump out the water. Sprout the broccoli seeds:Two or three times a day, rinse your and drain the sprouts. To rinse: Fill the jar with fresh water, swirl it around, and drain the water out through the mesh lid. By the 4th or 5th day, your sprouts will be long enough.
Are broccoli sprouts just broccoli seeds?
Broccoli sprouts are the germinated seeds of the broccoli plant. They hold tremendous nutritional value, even in small servings. Aug 27, 2021.