Cool-season produce

Broccoli

Brassica oleracea Italica Group

Also known as Broccolini · Sprouting broccoli

Choose a quick-maturing type and protect young starts from lingering heat. Cut the main head before buds open; some varieties make side shoots.

EdibleCool-season crop

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)

Life cycleAnnual crop

Phoenix planting windowStart seed in August–September; transplant September–January, preferably October–December.

How to plantStart in trays for fall transplants, or direct sow early in the fall window.

Plant spacing18–24 in

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestAbout 90–100 days from transplants; 120–130 from seed in the Maricopa calendar

SuccessionStagger fall transplants by 2–3 weeks.

Special categoriesEDIBLE

Typical harvestWinter into early spring heads and side shoots.

Right plant, right place

Will Broccoli grow at your Arizona property?

Choose a quick-maturing type and protect young starts from lingering heat. Cut the main head before buds open; some varieties make side shoots.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.