Waltham 29 is an older heirloom variety that yields well.

Planting: Grow spring broccoli from started plants; start fall or winter broccoli from seeds sown in the garden in late summer. Where summers are’t too warm, Sow seed in the garden in early spring. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart. Later transplant to 21/2 to 3 feet apart. Spring broccoli will mature in 50-60 days; winter crops need 75-90 days to form heads.  Care: Give broccoli plenty of water and push it along with frequent applications of high-nitrogen plant food to develop the big, vigorous plants that are necessary to support large heads. Plant short rows; six plants ace sufficient to feed four people. To avoid having many heads maturing at once, plant three plants at three— week intervals.

Pests: Broccoli heads are so large and tight that cabbage worms and aphids can be difficult to eliminates hosing off aphids or using a soapy solution on them. If you use malathion, spray and follow label precautions. Control cabbage worms with a spray of the biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis.

Harvesting: Cut the central heads while the buds are still tight. Include up to 6 inches of the edible stem and leaves. Pierce the lower stem with your thumbnail; peel off and discard the skin where it is hard and woody. Broccoli will send up edible shoots after you harvest the central head. Keeping shoots harvested before flowering will encourage production as long as the weather is cool.

Seed Saving: When the weather warms, the heat will force broccoli to flower—then it’s past the good-eating stage.

Planting Depth: .5-1”
Seed Spacing: 1”
Row Spacing: 30-36”
Germination temp: 65-85 deg.
Germination Time: 3-5 days
Planting Dates: 2 weeks after last frost
Seed Per Foot Row: 1
Spacing After Thinning: 24″ apart
Days to Maturity: 50-60