Premium Crop Broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italica 'Premium Crop'
An award-winning F1 hybrid that produces large, dense blue-green heads with exceptional flavor and texture. This reliable variety offers excellent heat tolerance and produces abundant side shoots after the main head is harvested. A favorite among both home gardeners and commercial growers for its consistent performance.
Harvest
82-85d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
6–9
USDA hardiness
Height
10-24 inches
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Premium Crop Broccoli in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 brassica →Zone Map
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Premium Crop Broccoli · Zones 6–9
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | March – April | May – June | May – June | July – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | May – June | April – June | July – October |
| Zone 5 | February – March | April – May | April – May | July – November |
| Zone 6 | February – March | April – May | April – May | June – November |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – May | March – May | June – November |
| Zone 8 | January – February | March – April | March – April | May – December |
| Zone 9 | January – January | February – March | February – March | April – December |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – March | January – March | April – December |
Complete Growing Guide
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.
Harvesting
The fruits dry and split when ripe.
Color: Brown/Copper, Green. Type: Siliqua. Length: > 3 inches.
Garden value: Edible
Harvest time: Fall, Summer
Bloom time: Spring, Summer
Edibility: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.
Storage & Preservation
Fresh Premium Crop broccoli stores best in the refrigerator, wrapped loosely in perforated plastic bags in the crisper drawer. At 32-35°F with high humidity, heads maintain quality for 10-14 days. Never wash before storing, as excess moisture promotes decay.
For freezing, blanch florets and tender stems in boiling water for 3 minutes, then immediately plunge into ice water. Drain thoroughly and freeze in portions. Properly blanched Premium Crop maintains excellent texture and flavor for 12 months frozen.
This variety's dense, uniform heads also work well for fermentation – try making broccoli kraut or adding florets to mixed vegetable ferments. The sweet, nutty flavor of Premium Crop intensifies beautifully through lacto-fermentation, creating a tangy preserved vegetable that keeps for months refrigerated.
History & Origin
Premium Crop was developed in Japan during the 1980s by Takii Seed Company, specifically bred to address the challenges commercial growers and serious home gardeners faced with inconsistent head formation and poor heat tolerance in existing varieties. Japanese plant breeders focused on creating an F1 hybrid that combined the large head size desired in American markets with the reliability and disease resistance prioritized in Asian breeding programs.
The variety gained recognition after winning All-America Selections honors, validating its superior performance across diverse growing conditions throughout North America. Takii's breeding program emphasized selecting parent lines with exceptional uniformity and the ability to produce quality side shoots after main harvest – a trait highly valued in Japanese cuisine where the entire plant is utilized.
Premium Crop represents the success of international collaboration in vegetable breeding, combining traditional Japanese attention to consistency and quality with American preferences for large, dense heads suitable for both fresh market and processing applications.
Advantages
- +Attracts: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.
- +Wildlife value: It serves as a host plant for butterflies, moths, flies, sawflies and beetles.
- +Edible: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.
Companion Plants
Plant Together
Nasturtiums
Act as trap crop for aphids and flea beetles, protecting broccoli from pest damage
Marigolds
Repel cabbage worms, aphids, and other brassica pests with their strong scent
Dill
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that prey on cabbage worms
Onions
Repel cabbage moths and root maggots with their sulfur compounds
Lettuce
Provides ground cover and efficient space use without competing for nutrients
Spinach
Grows well in broccoli's partial shade and has similar water requirements
Celery
Repels cabbage white butterflies and provides natural pest deterrent
Thyme
Repels cabbage worms and flea beetles while attracting beneficial pollinators
Keep Apart
Tomatoes
Both are heavy feeders competing for nutrients, and tomatoes may stunt broccoli growth
Strawberries
Compete for space and nutrients, and may attract slugs that also damage broccoli
Pole Beans
May shade broccoli excessively and compete for nitrogen despite being nitrogen-fixing
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #747447)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Resistance
Excellent resistance to downy mildew and black rot
Common Pests
Cabbage worms, aphids, flea beetles, cabbage root maggots
Diseases
Clubroot, black leg, alternaria leaf spot, bacterial soft rot