Description

Green Sprouting Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a cool-season, fast-growing brassica known for its prolific production of tender green shoots rather than a single large head like traditional heading broccoli. This variety yields a central head initially, followed by numerous side shoots, providing an extended harvest period—ideal for home gardeners who enjoy continual picking throughout the season.

Reaching 45-90cm in height, Green Sprouting Broccoli features lush, dark green foliage and tightly packed florets that are nutritious and have a mild, earthy and slightly sweet flavour. It thrives in South African winters, performing best in regions with mild daytime temperatures (15–25°C) and cooler nights. In warmer parts of the country, it can also be grown as a late summer or early autumn crop, provided it is protected from excessive heat and water stress.

This variety is well-suited to raised beds, in-ground gardens, or deep containers, and benefits from rich, well-drained soil with added compost. It is relatively pest-resistant when grown in rotation and companion planted with herbs like dill or rosemary, which help deter common brassica pests.

Benefits

Easy to Grow & Productive

• Produces multiple harvests from side shoots after the main head is cut.
• Tolerant of cooler temperatures and light frosts.

• Excellent choice for succession planting throughout the cool seasons.

Culinary & Medicinal Uses

• Can be eaten raw, steamed, roasted, or stir-fried.
• Used in soups, salads, casseroles, and side dishes.
• Traditionally believed to support digestion and immune health due to its sulphur compounds.

Insect Repellant & Pollinator

• Repels certain soil pests when interplanted with aromatic herbs like rosemary or thyme.
• Attracts beneficial insects like lacewings and ladybirds when allowed to flower.
  
• Flowers provide food for pollinators if left to bolt at season’s end.

Nutritional Benefits

• High in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and dietary fibre.
• Rich in glucosinolates, which may help reduce cancer risk.

• Contains antioxidants like lutein and sulforaphane that promote eye and heart health.
  

 

How To Use

Broccoli flourishes under the following conditions:

• Season: Spring to Autumn
• Temperature: 15-25°C
• Germinate: 7-14 days
• Depth: 3 mm
• Spacing: 25x45 cm
• Harvest: 60-120 days 
• Height: 45-90cm
• Flowering Season: Late spring to early summer if not harvested
• Exposure: Full sun 

Ideal Growing Environment

• Prefers a well drained substrate with amendments or pre-made soil containing all the necessary base additives. Ideal pH of 6.0–7.0. 
• Keep soil consistently moist; water at base to avoid wetting leaves and reduce disease risk.
• Use a balanced organic fertiliser every 3–4 weeks. Apply mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Prefers moderate humidity (60–70%). Ensure good airflow to prevent fungal diseases.
• Best suited for cooler regions in South Africa or grown in late summer for autumn harvest in warmer areas. Tolerates light frost but not extreme heat.
• Organic mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Benefits from being planted alongside onions, garlic, celery, beets, herbs like chamomile and dill.
• Intercropping: Pair with basil, marigolds, or clover for pest control and soil health.
• Crop Rotation: Follow with peas, clover, or lettuce. Avoid same family (nightshades or brassicas) in the same bed for 3 years.
• Soil Rejuvenation: Plant after nitrogen fixers to restore nutrients. Namely red clover, white clover, lucerne (alfalfa), peas greenfeast.
• Avoid planting with tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, and climbing beans – may compete or attract pests.

 

For placement of large orders contact us at: office@greenhouston.co.za