Last edited on November 02, 2026. View history
De Cicco Broccoli
A variety of broccoli
How to sow de Cicco broccoli: Sow seeds indoors and transplant outside
Sun requirement for de Cicco broccoli: Plant in Full Sun
A heritage broccoli that travelled the world with Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Medium-sized heads followed by multiple side shoots, and the leaves and stems are very edible. Much improved over the years from its original New Zealand state. Sow from summer to spring in trays, prick out at 2.5 cm and transplant at 30 cm diagonal spacing. Protect from slugs and snails when very young.
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De cicco broccoli facts
Lifespan
Crop cycle
Max altitude
Optimal light
What are growing degree days?
A plant grows with warmth, not with days. A growing degree day is one day's worth of useful warmth: how many degrees the day's average temperature is above the lowest temperature the crop grows at. Add them up from planting and you know how far along the crop is, whatever the calendar says.
Say that lowest temperature is 10°C. A day averaging 17°C gives 7 growing degree days. A day averaging 8°C gives none, as it is too cold for the crop to grow. That is why the same lettuce takes about 50 days in a summer and 90 in an autumn: it needs the same total warmth either way.
For de Cicco broccoli, the FAO EcoCrop database gives a lowest growing temperature of 3°C and a shortest growing cycle of 80 days at its best temperature, about 1320 growing degree days to a first harvest.
Where you've told us where your garden is, we use this and the weather there to predict when your de Cicco broccoli will be ready to harvest. We don't use it for how long a plant lives or when it finishes: we go by what members have logged for that.
Growing de Cicco broccoli
- Sow seeds in trays 5 weeks before planting out
- Dig compost into the bed 1 week before planting out
- Harden off the seedlings 1 week before planting out
- Net against cabbage white butterflies at planting out
- Set or refill beer traps for slugs and snails at planting out every week
- Water regularly at planting out every week
- Check leaves for caterpillars 2 weeks after planting out every week
- Feed with a nitrogen fertiliser 4 weeks after planting out
- Cut the main head while the buds are tight at first harvest
- Pick the side shoots 1 week after first harvest every week
- Pull out finished plants 8 weeks after first harvest
Plant de Cicco broccoli with
everest broccoli
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Time to harvest
If sown now, expect a first harvest in about 80 to 120 days.
From the growing cycle in the FAO EcoCrop database, which is the same wherever it is grown.
Ecological requirements
Data from the FAO EcoCrop database for Brassica oleracea var. italica L. [Plenck]
| Family / Taxonomy | Magnoliopsida Dilleniidae Capparales Cruciferae |
|---|---|
| Killing temperature | growth: -1 °C, rest: -5 °C |
| Life form | herb |
| Life span | biennial |
| Habit | erect |
| Optimal soil depth | medium (50-150 cm) |
| Optimal soil texture | medium, organic |
| Optimal soil fertility | high |
| Optimal soil drainage | well (dry spells) |
| Optimal soil salinity | low (<4 dS/m) |
| Photoperiod | short day (<12 hours), neutral day (12-14 hours), long day (>14 hours) |
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