How to Grow Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Early Purple Sprouting'
Brassica oleracea var. italica 'Early Purple Sprouting'
Purple Sprouting Broccoli is a beloved heirloom variety prized for its tender florets that emerge in succession, extending your harvest window. Gardeners value this cool-season brassica for its ability to tolerate light frosts while delivering sweet, flavorful heads perfect for roasting or steaming.
Starting Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Early Purple Sprouting': indoors or direct sow?
🏠 Start indoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost, then move the seedlings outside.
If starting indoors, move sturdy seedlings outdoors two to six weeks before the last frost once they have developed a few true leaves.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 before sowing seeds directly outdoors. As a cool-season crop, plant them two to six weeks before your last spring frost date. Press seeds into the soil at a depth of about one-quarter inch; they typically sprout within seven to ten days. Starting indoors is possible but direct sowing often yields stronger root systems for this variety.
Space plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart in rows to ensure good air circulation and prevent disease. While broccoli does not require trellising, keep the soil consistently moist with one to one-and-a-half inches of water weekly. Apply a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds, feeding regularly if growth seems slow.
Watch for cabbage worms, aphids, flea beetles, and cabbage root fly; use row covers or hand-pick pests early. Prevent clubroot, downy mildew, and black rot by rotating crops and ensuring good drainage. Harvest the first heads in twenty to twenty-two weeks after sowing when they are tight and purple-tipped, then pick subsequent florets as needed.
When to Plant Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Early Purple Sprouting'
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | April – May | June – July | December – September |
| Zone 2 | April – May | May – July | December – September |
| Zone 3 | March – April | May – June | December – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | April – June | December – October |
| Zone 5 | February – March | April – May | December – November |
| Zone 6 | February – March | April – May | November |
| Zone 7 | February – March | March – May | November |
| Zone 8 | January – February | March – April | October – December |
| Zone 9 | January | February – March | September – December |
| Zone 10 | January | January – March | September – December |
| Zone 11 | January | January – February | August – December |
| Zone 12 | January | January – February | August – December |
| Zone 13 | January | January – February | August – December |
Companion Plants for Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Early Purple Sprouting'
✓ Good companions
Repels cabbage white butterflies and other brassica pests
Attracts beneficial insects and may improve broccoli flavor and growth
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control cabbage worms and aphids
Provides ground cover and efficient space use without competing for nutrients
Repels cabbage moths and other brassica pests with strong scent compounds
Acts as trap crop for aphids and flea beetles, protecting broccoli from pest damage
Repel cabbage root fly and aphids while not competing for nutrients
Grows in broccoli's shade and helps suppress weeds around the base
✗ Keep away from
Can shade broccoli excessively and compete for space and nutrients
Both plants are heavy feeders that compete for nutrients, reducing yields
Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt broccoli growth through root competition
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
