Monitor the temperature as hot spells for more than 7 days can cause your plant to bolt and flower quickly, which is not ideal for harvesting. Harvest your broccoli immediately if there are any signs of flowers or yellowing
If you lightly squeeze the head, it should feel tight as there should be very little space between the florets. Don’t worry if the head isn’t as tightly packed as store-bought broccoli. Since it doesn’t have to be transported anywhere, it can be harvested at a later stage. [4] X Research source
Try to make the cut in one motion to avoid tearing the stalk.
Clip these in the same way you harvest the main head, ensuring you cut the stalks at an angle and leave a couple of inches of stalk at the bottom. You can get several harvests throughout the season by following this process, and side shoots will take longer to bolt/flower. [8] X Research source If your plant is flowering, you can still harvest it as the flowers are edible, and can be used in a variety of soup, salad or stir-fry recipes.
If you have a compost system, you can add the plant to your pile and it will create nutritious food for future crops.
