Broccoli rabe

Broccoli rabe: plant 10 cm (3.9 in) apart in the row and 30 cm (12 in) between rows, 4 per square. Good neighbours: Dill, Onion, Celery.

Key facts

How it is started	Sown straight into the bed
Seeds per hole	2
Plants kept after thinning	1
Seeds per metre of row	20
Sowing depth	1.5 cm (0.6 in)
Soil temperature	from 7 °C, best 18–25 °C
Days to emerge	5–10 days
Light while germinating	Light makes no difference
Before sowing	nothing needed
When to sow	Indoors 5 weeks before the last frost; outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 10 °C

Pricking out	at 2 true leaves
Takes transplanting	Easily
Hardening off	7–10 days
Life cycle	Annual
Cold tolerance	Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost
Soil	Rich, with compost, stays moist, pH 6.5–7.5
In a pot	15 L, 30 cm (11.8 in)
Watering	Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; while heads form
Feeding	Hungry; at planting, while growing
Support and training	None needed

Days to first harvest	40–55 days, from sowing
Ready when	The buds are still tight
Harvest window	Picked again and again, 3–6 weeks
Sow again every	14 days
Typical yield	0.8–1.5 kg per plant
Botanical family	Brassicaceae
Watch out for	Cabbage white caterpillars, flea beetles, clubroot, aphids

Open the free planner, drop Broccoli rabe onto a bed and see how many plants fit.

Sow outdoors	Aug–Sep
Harvest	Oct–Nov

My country Last spring frost where I live

Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.

Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.

Plants of the Brassicaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.