Would have been more timely to post this a couple of weeks ago. Ah well.
How effective is direct sowing for cool weather vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc in the fall? How about in early spring? While I'm at it, how about for tomatoes?
Frank
Direct sowing
I tried direct sowing of broccoli & cauliflower one year (late fall/early winter), and had problems with critters chomping off the growing tips before the plant could get anywhere. I've had better luck with starting things where I can give them more protection until they get big enough to fend for themselves.
With tomatoes, they can certainly be direct sown (as witness the number of volunteers I always end up with!), but my understanding is that if you do transplants, you can "plant deep" to end up with a much more extensive root system. I don't think that trick works with most plants, though, since only tomatoes and maybe a few others will form roots along the buried portion of the stem.
I agree with tucsonjill. The caterpillars and bugs really want your tender seedlings
I've planted such things thickly in a well prepared "nursery area" but I don't think there's really much advantage to it. I find it easier to plant about 5 seeds in a 4" pot and separate them as soon as they get big enough to handle. They go into their own pot and then later they transplant better and easier generally. Besides the bugs, if it rains a gully washer, it can carry your seeds away or beat the little plants to death.
Most people want nice size tomato plants to go in the ground as early as possible which means you have to start them in the house or somewhere besides in the ground. It's not just the frost but also the heat to worry about. When it gets too hot they won't set fruit and for some of us, that means to rush them out in the spring. I had loads of good tomato volunteers come up in my compost that could have been used for a fall crop.
I've had leggy peppers, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower that I planted deeper like tomatoes and they didn't seem to mind.
Frank, back in late summer I direct sowed winter veggies. I covered the area with a "floating row cover" - the edges were held down with stones - hubby watered the area three times a day. After the veggies were of good size, I removed the cover. When they started crowding one another, I transplanted the best-looking ones. From this I got 75 broccoli plants. We ate the first head last Monday.
I didn't count the number of Collards, but I've had enough to share with neighbors and co-workers for a couple of weeks now.
The Kohlrabi seeds didn't sprout, and the seeds that are supposed to be Brussels sprouts look like kale!
These were all seeds dated for 2007, so you can imagine I am quite pleased with the results.
Thanks, folks.
Frank
I direct sow some things like pac choi and kohlrabi, the others I start in rows in the garden and transplant. I have one area for seedlings. I have to water at least twice a day when it's hot (most of the time).
I've tried direct seeding tomatoes. I think one gets fruit faster by direct seeding, but a stronger plant by transplanting.
I've tried starting seeds in pots, not in the house but outside. I forget to water them.
I live in Vermont so I don't know how this applies to you, but I have always direct seeded brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.) in my garden with good results. The times that I failed was when I neglected to water the bed and young seedlings. Usually spring is wet enough so we don't need to water. How about direct seeding half the seeds to see if you can do it. It certainly cuts out a lot of work if you can do it.