Last Updated on September 13, 2026
How Many Broccoli Plants per Square Foot?
1 broccoli plant per square foot. Broccoli is a big, leafy plant that needs the whole square, and after you cut the main head it keeps producing side shoots for weeks.
The spacing pattern
| Square foot method | 1 per square, planted in the center |
|---|---|
| 4 x 4 bed (16 squares) | 16 broccoli plants |
| 4 x 8 bed (32 squares) | 32 broccoli plants |
A broccoli plant spreads about a foot and a half of leaves and needs steady water and cool weather to make a tight head. One per square keeps air moving through the leaves and gives each plant the root room to size a head.
Planting the square
- Start indoors 8 weeks before the last frost, or buy transplants.
- Set one plant in the center of each square 4 to 2 weeks before the last frost; broccoli likes cool weather.
- Cut the main head while the buds are tight, then keep harvesting the side shoots that follow.
Tim’s growing notes
Broccoli goes out with the other cool-season transplants; timing is on the Seed Starting Calendar, and the setup for starting it is in How to Start Seeds Indoors.
Soil temperature for germination
From my Seed Germination Temperature Chart: broccoli germinate from 40°F, do best at 60-85°F, and stop above 95°F.
When to plant broccoli
These are the windows the Plan My Garden planner uses, counted from your average last spring frost. Enter your frost date on the seed starting calendar to turn them into dates. Broccoli goes out weeks before the last frost; a late planting bolts in the heat.
| Start indoors | 8 weeks before to 6 weeks before your last frost |
|---|---|
| Transplant out | 4 weeks before to 2 weeks before your last frost |
| Days to maturity | about 80 days |
How I grow them, in brief
Broccoli is started indoors eight weeks before the last frost with the rest of the cool-season transplants and set out four to two weeks before the frost date, one to a square. It wants steady water and cool weather to make a tight head; the main head is cut while the buds are still tight, and the plant then produces side shoots for weeks, which is most of the harvest. A second sowing in midsummer gives a fall crop that tastes better than the spring one. The seed-starting setup is in How to Start Seeds Indoors.
Where I get seed
Wood Prairie’s organic broccoli includes De Cicco, Waltham 29 and Purple Peacock. Code PMG5 takes 5 percent off.
Quick questions
How many broccoli plants do I need?
Four to six for a family, planted in spring and again in late summer for a fall crop.
Why did my broccoli bolt?
Heat. Broccoli heads up in cool weather; a late spring planting flowers before it makes a head.
Let the planner place them
Plan My Garden is free to start: draw your beds, pick broccoli and everything else you want to grow, and it places each plant at the right spacing and gives you a planting schedule for your zip code.
Related: Square Foot Gardening Chart · Seed Starting Calendar · Seed Germination Temperature Chart
