Broccoli, ‘Hijack’: A West Coast Game-Changer for Growers and Processors Alike

'Hijack' has quickly become a top contender for fresh market broccoli among West Coast growers, in both the Central California and Yuma regions. Its excellent agronomic performance, consistent field reliability, and earliness offer added versatility in the shoulder seasons. This variety delivers uniformity from seeding to maturity for a compact harvest window, meaning less labor and minimal waste in the field. With added attention to uniformity through rigorous seed size and weight standards, Tokita Seed in partnership with San Benito Seeds is working hard to ensure high quality results from this variety.

Superior Field Performance for West Coast Conditions

‘Hijack’ matures 7 to 10 days faster than the leading competition at 80–85 days from transplant, or 115-120 days from direct seeding. This faster turnaround makes it ideal for tight crop schedules or staggered plantings where harvest timing is critical.

Growers facing unpredictable rains or temperature swings in the shoulder seasons will appreciate this variety’s heat tolerance and resistance to pin rot, two key factors that help ensure successful harvests even under pressure. In addition, its firm, high-domed heads with small beads maintain their quality longer in the field. This proves to be an invaluable trait when harvest delays are unavoidable.

Built for Market Versatility

‘Hijack’ also sets itself apart with long, tender stems and outstanding flavor, which make it attractive not only for the fresh market, but also ideal for value-added processing, including stem slaw and cut florets. The uniformity of heads across a stand simplifies harvest and processing workflows, while its strong field-holding ability offers growers greater scheduling flexibility.

At a Glance: Broccoli ‘Hijack’

• Days to Maturity: 80–85 from transplant, 115-120 direct seeded

• Seasons: Short-day winter, spring, autumn

• Head Shape: High dome, firm, small bead

• Stem: Long, tender, flavorful – excellent for processing

• Uniformity: High

• Heat Tolerance: Medium-High

• Pin Rot Resistance: High

• Downy Mildew Resistance: High

• Harvest Window Holding: Superior. Meaning that heads stay intact if delayed. 

	Central California	Yuma
Sowing Window	Mid-June through Mid-March	September through October
Harvest Window	September through May	November through January

Why Choose ‘Hijack’?

Whether you're supplying fresh markets or processors, ‘Hijack’ offers a dependable, high-quality broccoli crop especially suited to the unique needs of the West Coast. Its quick maturity, strong field-holding ability, and high resistance to pin rot make it a standout in regions where timing and climate variability can make or break a crop.

 For growers aiming to stay ahead in yield, quality, and harvest flexibility, ‘Hijack’ offers you confidence with every planting.