Broccoli 

Companion planting:
Likes: beans, chamomile, celery, coriander, cucumber, dill, marigold, lettuce, marjoram, mint, nasturtiums, onions, oregano, peas, potatoes, sage, tomatoes
Dislikes: strawberries

Purple sprouting broccoli:
Sow February, harvest November to January
Varieties used:
Purple sprouting early (The Lost Seed): an attractive, large, purple broccoli; 1 or 2 heads, but no side-shoots

Green sprouting broccoli:
Start in greenhouse in August, plant out mid September. Sow September to mid February, harvest side-shoots most of the year. 
Varieties used:
Waltham 29 (The Lost Seed)
DeCicco 
Green sprouting calabrese (The Lost Seed)
Broccoli ‘Romanesco’ (Diggers)

After central head is harvested, side-shoots will develop over a long period. Broccoli can be cut back severely several times to encourage new side-shoots. Some of our broccoli plants are in their second year and still produce tasty side-shoots.

Sow four or five seeds in a clump, space clumps at least 60 cm apart. Then gradually thin out seedlings. Thinning should be completed when the best seedling has made three true leaves. Side-dress heavily to encourage side-shoots

All brassica are attacked by the cabbage moth and the cabbage white butterfly. Companion-planting with marigold, dill and oregano helps, also scattering crushed eggshells around the plants. If infestation is heavy spray with Dipel (try mixing in a drop of detergent to help the droplets to cling to the leaves).

Preserving:
We don’t preserve many broccoli, as we have a good supply most of the year.
To freeze, water blanche for 2 minutes. Cool quickly and freeze.