• Pick an area that is sunny or partially shaded.
• Fork in well rotted compost.
• Sow green broccoli under cover from March to April and outside from May to June.
• Plant seeds as thinly as possible about 1/4" deep. Before planting make sure that soil has been deeply dug. For best results sow in final maturing area as broccoli does not like being transplanted.

Preparing your Seedlings

• In early spring rake over and level an area to use as a seed be.
• Cover the bed with sifted mature compost or poultry pellets.
• Firm the bed and give it a light rake.
• Make shallow drills with a trowel or the edge of a hoe roughly half an inch deep and 6 inches apart.
• Lay the seeds thinly into the drills and cover them over with soil, carefully cover the drills back over with soil and firm the bed.
• Keep the seed bed moist, always using a very light spray. Be sure not to overwater.
• When the Broccoli plants are about an inch tall, thin the seedlings to about 3 inches apart in their rows. This will stop overcrowding which could lead to your seedlings becoming weak.
• When your seedlings reach roughly 5 inches they are ready to plant out.
• Water your seedlings the day before you plan to move them.

Planting Out your Seedlings

• Prepare your soil during the winter by digging in plenty of well rotted manure or if you don't have access to manure use poultry pellets.
• Level off the bed and ensure it is weed free.
• You should plant out your Broccoli during early morning or evening, as it will be cooler and less stressful on the plant.
• Keep as much soil around the roots as you can.
• Use two stakes with string stretched between them to form a straight line.
• Dig a hole slightly larger than the root ball of each plant, this will allow it proper room to develop.
• Leave a gap of 12 inches between each hole.
• Remove and plant one Broccoli plant at a time, never leave your plants sitting out in the sun waiting as it will dry out the roots.
• Plant the seedlings to just below the two lowest leaves.
• Carefully replace the soil around the plant and firm into place.

• As with most brassicas, avoid slug attack with regular use of slug pellets especially in early stages.
• Broccoli is also susceptible to attack from aphids and caterpillars.
• Make sure soil is kept moist in dry periods
• Carefully hoe around the plants to keep weeds down.

• Calabrese takes approximately 12-14 weeks to mature, so depending on sowing time, harvest will take place from August onwards.
• When cutting remove main bud first and allow plant to continue to produce further side-shoots.
• Make sure to cut all buds when they are still tight. If left on the plant buds will open to a yellow flower and will taste very bad.