Beginner Gardening: broccoli, brussel sprouts and caulifower , 2 by Gymgirl

Gymgirl wrote:
klcolvin22,

If I'm not mistaken, you're in a Zone 8a-8b-9a area, yes? I'm in Zone 9a, Houston, once removed from New Orleans, Zone 8b.

Those three plants are cool/cold weather plants. They could be swooning because they are too warm, and it's too late in the season to start them.

In the past, I have started my seeds indoors under fluorescent lights in early August, for planting outside by mid-September to early-October. I can grow these veggies (and cabbages) in my sleep, LOL!

Although the seed packets and planting charts say we can grow a spring crop of these cool/cold weather veggies in our zone(s), it is a relative prospect. What I've come to understand is that I need to be harvesting the last of these plants sometime between the end of February and the end of March, depending on how cold it stays, and for how long, LOL. The latest plant out of these seedlings would be around mid-December (at least in my backyard).

While they can comfortably handle average daily temps from the high-30s° to the low 60s°, once the daytime temps get consistently warmer than the mid-70s°, they will start to bolt, or swoon, or the bugs will move in and take them out.

This past season, I planted out my cauliflowers, broccolis, and cabbages very late (around mid-November), and they weren't far enough ahead to make large, mature heads.

This year, I will be starting my brassica (this family of cool/cold weather veggies) seeds in mid-June, inside under lights, and staggering them out every three weeks up until a last transplant around mid-December. By late August - mid-September, I'll start transplanting them outside under protective shade covering to keep them as cool as possible, and allow them to survive the end of our brutal summer without burning up, or having bugs jump all over them before the weather cools off.

If all goes accordingly, they should start perking up around the end of October, and be of a good enough size to salute the chilled air, LOL!

I could be picking some mature veggies as early as mid-November. If the staggering goes to plan, I'll harvest periodically, all the way to the end of March (depending on the cold).

That would be sweet!

Right now, I have cabbages growing in 1/2 of a 4x8' bed. Just holding my breath against the buggies, cause there's not enough cool for them to fully head. But, they have small heads and beautiful leaves that I will be harvesting this weekend. Good part about all those green leaves is that they can still be cooked for table (cabbage rolls, smothered cabbage, greens, etc.), or used raw in my green smoothies, so just the loss of the heads is all.

It's time to pull the winter crops and move into the spring/summer garden over here - and, quite probably, there, too.

Stay in touch with me, and we can do the next fall/winter garden together, from seed starting to harvest, if you'd like!

Hope this helps!

Linda

Pic #1 (front to back): Beets, Spinach, Mustards, Cabbages
Pic #2 Cabbage transplanted out too late to make full heads - not enough cold ahead
Pic #3 same as #2
Pic #4 Cauliflower making small curd on 02/03/14 - transplanted out too late to make a full head.

This message was edited Mar 19, 2014 2:13 PM