Romanesco broccoli (Brassica oleracea), which resembles cauliflower more than broccoli, is a popular variety in Italy.

It’s the type of broccoli that doesn’t need to be smothered with sauce: a little melted butter dripped over the top of steamed Romanesco is a side dish you won’t soon forget.

A cool weather crop, it happily survives being planted out before the last frost date in your region. The Romanesco broccoli seeds, however, should be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks prior to that date.

Here’s what you’ll need to grow Romanesco broccoli seeds

• Germinating container
• Seed starting mix
• 4-inch planting pots
• Compost
• Garden fork

Germinating Romanesco Broccoli Seeds

The size of the germinating container you’ll need depends on how big of a crop you plan on growing. If you’ll be using a flat, we highly recommend these from Bootstrap Farmer. The humidity domes that come with the trays are a game changer.

Prepare the germinating container by filling it to within ½ inch of the rim with a quality seed-starting mix. Make sure the mix is soilless, to avoid damping off, a seed and seedling fungal disease.

Push the Romanesco broccoli seeds ½ inch into the mix. Space them at least 1 inch apart. Spacing is important with broccoli to prevent leginess. Cover the broccoli seeds lightly and don’t press the soil over them.

Place the flat in an area with lots of indirect sunlight. Romanseco broccoli seeds germinate within 10 days.

If it will be some time before you plant them out, transplant the seedlings into individual planting pots (at least 4-inch pots). You’ll find very inexpensive 4-inch pots at Amazon.com.

Give the seedlings lots of sunlight and keep the soil slightly moist.

Time to transplant the seedlings!

Transplant the broccoli seedlings into the garden 5 weeks after they sprout. They prefer cool weather, so if there is still one frost expected, they will be fine.

Prepare the outdoor planting area – a 3-foot by 5-foot bed for 15 Romanesco broccoli seedlings — by adding a 3-inch deep layer of compost to the soil and mixing it to a depth of 6 inches.

You’ll want to harden off the seedlings before planting them out. This gets them used to outdoor conditions. Move the seedlings to a spot outdoors that is sheltered from direct sun and wind and allow them to remain for one week.

Plant the seedlings at the same depth as they are growing in the flat. Water to a depth of 6 inches.

Tip: Romanesco broccoli is ready to harvest 75 to 100 days after transplanting the seedlings into the garden.

Shop for Romanesco broccoli seeds at Amazon.com and SeedsNow.com.

Did you know that you can grow broccoli in clay soil? We show you how, here.

Featured image: By Aurelien Guichard – Flickr: Borough Market, CC BY-SA 2.0