De Cicco Broccoli

Brassica oleracea (Italica Group) 'De Cicco'

vegetable

De Cicco is an Italian heirloom broccoli introduced around 1890, prized by home gardeners for its long, generous production rather than one big supermarket head. It forms a modest 3 to 4 in. blue-green central head, then keeps pumping out a steady run of tender side shoots for weeks after the main head is cut. Plants mature somewhat unevenly, which is a feature for the kitchen garden - a continuous trickle of broccoli rather than a glut. Compact and quick, De Cicco is also excellent for fall sowing and for cut-and-come-again harvesting.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Onions — Their scent helps mask the brassica odor that draws cabbage pests
• Dill — Attracts parasitic wasps and ladybugs that prey on aphids and cabbage worms
• Nasturtium — Trap crop that pulls aphids and flea beetles off the broccoli
• Beets — Use a different root zone and tuck neatly alongside the broccoli
• Celery — Traditional companion said to improve broccoli growth while using different space

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Cabbage worms →

  Cover with floating row cover, handpick green caterpillars off heads, and use Bt for heavy pressure

• Aphids →

  Aphids nestle into the head - blast them off with water, soak cut heads in salt water before cooking, and plant dill for predators

• Flea beetles →

  Row cover young transplants against shothole feeding

• Cabbage loopers →

  Exclude the moths with row cover and treat larvae with Bt

• Cabbage root maggot →

  Use row cover at transplant and place collars around stems to block egg-laying at the soil line

🌾 Harvest & storage

Cut the central De Cicco head while the buds are still tight, deep green, and beaded - before any yellow petals show, which means it is bolting. Cut the main head with 5 to 6 in. of stem, and the plant will respond with weeks of pencil-thin side shoots; keep cutting these regularly to prolong production. Harvest in the cool morning. De Cicco side shoots are tender and quick-cooking, ideal for stir-fries and steaming.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Broccoli is an excellent source of vitamin C - about 89 mg per 100 g - plus vitamin K, folate, and fiber at only around 34 calories per 100 g. It is the best-known dietary source of sulforaphane, a compound formed from its glucosinolates that is widely studied for cancer-protective and anti-inflammatory effects. De Cicco side shoots deliver the same nutrition as the main head in tender, frequent harvests.