Horticulture Research Station
Authors: Anne Carey (Iowa State University) , Ajay Nair (Iowa State University)
Broccoli is a popular and lucrative crop grown on several organic vegetable farms in Iowa. A member of the Brassicaceae family, broccoli is a cool-season crop, with an ideal growing temperature being 60-65oF. Vegetable growers in Iowa normally transplant spring broccoli in mid- to late-April, giving time for the broccoli to grow in the cooler temperatures of spring and avoiding the highest temperatures of the summer. High temperatures often lead to early bolting, increased disease incidence, and a high rate of unmarketable heads. In the spring, it can be difficult to predict when high temperatures will occur and being one of the busiest seasons on a farm, other events may limit a grower’s ability to transplant broccoli at the ideal time. Growers also might have a desire to extend their broccoli harvest and sales later in the summer.
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How to Cite: Carey, A. & Nair, A. (2021) “Comparing Broccoli Cultivars in Late Spring Planting”, Iowa State University Research and Demonstration Farms Progress Reports. 2020(1).