How to Grow Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) From Seed

Rapini is a fast, cool-season crop, so aim for the mild shoulders of the year. Direct-sow in early spring, about four to six weeks before your last frost, and again in late summer, eight to ten weeks before your first fall frost, for an autumn crop that many growers say tastes best. It races to flower in heat, so skip midsummer sowings and instead put in a fresh short row every two weeks while the weather stays cool.

Sow rapini right where it will grow, since it matures too fast to bother transplanting. Plant the small round seeds about a quarter to half an inch deep in rich, well-drained soil, spacing them an inch or two apart in rows around 18 inches apart. Keep the bed evenly moist and seedlings appear in about 6 to 9 days. Thin them to 4 to 6 inches apart once they have a couple of true leaves, and eat the thinnings.

Keep rapini moving fast and cool and it stays tender and mild. Water regularly so the soil never dries out, mulch to hold moisture and keep roots cool, and give it a light feed of nitrogen to push leafy growth. Climate really drives the schedule: in hot regions like Texas, Florida, or the Deep South, grow it as a fall, winter, and early-spring crop, because once daytime highs pass the mid-70s it bolts within days. In cooler areas like the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, both spring and fall sowings do well, with fall usually the sweeter, more reliable crop.

Rapini is an easy garden neighbor and its quick turnaround means it fits into gaps around slower crops. These four make especially good companions, and you can add any of them in one click:

Harvest rapini once the flower buds have formed but before they open, usually 40 to 50 days from sowing. Cut the main stalk about six inches down, taking buds, tender stems, and leaves together. Leave the base and lower leaves and the plant often sends up smaller side shoots for a second, lighter picking. Pick in the cool of the morning for the mildest flavor.

Use rapini where you want a pleasant bitter bite. Blanch it for a minute or two in salted water, then saute with garlic, olive oil, and chili flakes, the classic Italian way, and pile it onto crusty bread or toss it through orecchiette pasta. It is also good stirred into soups and beans or laid over a sausage sandwich. A quick blanch before cooking softens the bitterness if you prefer it milder.

• Bolting: heat makes rapini flower and turn bitter fast. Grow it cool, harvest at the bud stage, and resow every couple of weeks.
• Flea beetles: these tiny pests shot-hole the leaves. Cover young plants with row cover and plant a nasturtium trap crop nearby.
• Bitter, tough stems: usually from heat or harvesting too late. Pick before the flowers open and blanch briefly before cooking.
• Aphids: rinse them off with a strong spray of water and let borage or nasturtium flower nearby to draw in their predators.