So, keeping that idea in mind, those of you with shelf systems could do the same, wrap them in plastic, leaving a flap (or two) on the front for access and ventilation.
If your room is still to cold for the lights to heat your seed flats you may want to make an inexpensive home-made heat table using incandescent light/fixtures, a dimmer switch, and some boards to frame it all into. There is a great plan for that here on DG somewhere...if interested in it I'll try to find the link.
Shoe
My first BROCCOLI of the FALL VEGETABLE garden are ready
Carminator, yep, you'll have much better fortune starting those pepper seeds earlier than tomatoes. I'd start your pepper seeds first, then eggplant, then your tomato seeds (with cherry tomatoes started a week or two after your standard tomatoes).
Honeybee, you're right about Bt not having an affect on the caterpillars once they are in the peppers. Hopefully what you have is what is also known as the tomato fruitworm (a.k.a. corn ear worm). If so, those tend to travel up the foliage, taking a bite and there, and you can dust/spray the whole plant, not just the fruit, and get rid of them before they see the light of day, er, uhh, I mean see the light of pepper. (I am also wondering if you have pepper maggot but I don't think they are as attracted to bell type peppers so you may be off the hook there. They really look more like maggots, are much smaller than the caterpillars, and the adults lay their eggs directly into the pepper, a chore to get rid of.)
Hope this is helpful. Hope everyone is staying nice and warm. Hope ya'll are enjoying winter but yet dreaming of spring!
Shoe
Shoe,
A VERY big thank you for those details. That's exactly the kind of issues that have been nagging me. I have spent so many $$ on this project already, and we're going to excavate part of our crushed limestone driveway to make our garden area larger, so I'm really nervous about being sure I give the plants a healthy start.
Happy Holidays,
G
Ditto, great post Shoe. Very helpful.
Thanks, Horseshoe!
From photos I've seen, I believe what I get are corn ear worms. I had thought the moth responsible was laying her eggs directly onto the peppers, but now that I've read your explanation, I think I might have a fighting chance to kill the ^&%%#$'s before they eat their way inside!
Thanks, Shoe!
For the very small scale growers, here's a lightkit compliments of gerryd41. I believe the tubs will hold the heat that Shoe recommends is necessary for good germination. If it isn't, Shoe will tell us!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=7216474
In this picture you can see the small BROCCOLI heads developing after I cut the main head.
They will keep producing those small heads untill the spring.
I will remove the broccoli plants in mid march to give room to my tomatoes
Hey guys I have a question, I did cut my main heads of broccoli more than 2 weeks ago but so far there is no side shoots at all, is this normal? Also some of the leaves, the outside ones are turning a dark red color, at first I thought it was the cold weather but now I am really kind of wondering if it is a deficiency in the soil, any ideas?
Horseshoe I love your setup, never thought of investing in a heat mat because it really does not get that cold here in Mobile but maybe I'll have to give it a second thought. By the way I planted all my peppers yesterday, will start my eggplant in about 2 more weeks.
Thanks for your thanks, Dogs, John, Honeybee, Linda...glad I was able to help. And Honeybee, glad you only have the worms on your peppers and not the maggots. (And yes, the moths tend to fly at night laying eggs directly on the silks of corn but lean more towards laying them on foliage of other plants; don't get me wrong, there's always the chance of them being laid on the fruit but I bet they choose the foliage because it is more protective.)
Linda, nice set up you linked to. I'm sure that'll hold in heat.
After much searching I found the heat box thread I was referring to. Paulgrow made it some years back and others followed suit, ya'll should check it out. Very easy to build and will last a life time:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/182057/#new
Carmin, congrats on getting those pepper seeds sown. By the way, some varieties of broccoli don't produce the side shoots, only the major head. As for the reddish leaves it may be a phosphorus deficiency but I wouldn't add any amendments at this time; phosphorus is difficult for a plant to take up when there is cool soil/temps. If the plants look nice and healthy otherwise I'd leave them be. If you want to help them in any way I'd recommend a foliar spray of kelp then pour the rest at the base of the plants.
Shoe, off to see some sunshine.
Thank you Shoe, the type of broccoli I am growing is called Early Dividend, it produced nice size heads but no side shoots so far, is this one of the broccoli's that wont produce a side shoot. Also if I don't have kelp would fish emulsion work?
I am off checking heat box forum, thanks Horseshoe. :)
I have different varieties of broccoli but not the Early Dividend. It will take a little bit more than 2 weeks to form the smaller heads ... don't worry and be patience.
I also have some red and yellow leaves after I cut the main head. I think they are just old leaves. New ones will form soon.
Fish emulsion is very high in Nitrogen. You should fertilize your broccoli for flowering. so high K and P
Thank you drthor, O.K so look for something different then, I should probably get some kelp then, I have heard really good things about it, and it never hurts to have more stuff in hand. Yes the reddish leaves started forming after I cut the main head, and also I did not have any holes on the stems of my broccolis which for what I understand is a boron deficiency. I really have not been feeding my broccolis much though just maybe every month or so with the fish emulsion.
Hmm, you should easily get side-shoots from Early Dividend, Carmin. That one is well known for multiple side shoots. As long as the main head was picked before the buds opened I'm sure you should see some at some point.
Fish emulsion is fine to use but I'd use it more than just once a month. Kelp is mainly for trace minerals but also to help plants deal with cooler temps.
drthor, I meant to comment on your pic above, that looks beauteous!
Shoe -- who is eating the last of his garden broc tonight for supper (with pork chops and gravy)!
Horseshoe more pictures for you to drull
lots more ...
I really planted lots of broccoli this year ... yummy yummy
Nice broccoli pics drthor. Can I direct sow here in the low desert do you think? It's so much more likely to get done if I can just drop a few seeds every now and then instead of dealing with germination, spouts, lights, etc. I'll try it and see if I get results but am interested to hear others' thoughts.
I really don't know if you can direct seed them. I am sure you can do it if you have the right broccoli germination temperarure and keep the soil moist.
By the way, growing your own seeds is too much fun
Well, not for a bookkeeper at year-end. ^_^
Here is my 1st harvest of side-shoots from 6 of my Pacman plants. I am still not harvesting as early as I should, though, by the looks of some of the florets. I have been using fish emulsion primarily, but I side-dressed one time a few weeks ago with 5-6-3 garden food from Rabbit Hill Farm. I fed my plants once a week but admittedly, it was every two weeks or so from time to time. We are in the midst of a drought, too.
I will try drthor's recommendation of higher P-K ratios next season for comparison.
Very nice JohnCrichton.
I am waiting to harvest some heads on the 25th. It is our Cristhmas tradition to have my broccolis.
I keep feeding the plants with 0-5-4 (from RooTs Organic: http://www.texashydroponics.com/shop/product.php?productid=2936&cat=398&page=1) and it shooting out lots of little side shoots. I found out if I use a high in N fertilizer I have nice plants with lorts of huge green leaves and small production.
I use mostly stuff from the RooTs Organic line.
drthor, your broc pics look good enuff to eat! Yumm!
John, looks like you have enough for a meal, too. Lookin' good!
I better go check my freezer for my frozen stuff, just to join you in ya'lls broccoli meals.
Shoe
Would my broccoli plant suffer if I were to harvest that little marble-sized head? I'm so anxious to taste my first crop!
I'm so happy that my broccoli is coming in so well. It's my best crop yet. Please indulge me as I show you all a couple pics...
And my second pic...
Your plant won't sufferTx_gardener, but if you are patient a few more days you will get a lot more broccoli!
but.... my patience wears thin! and my brussel sprouts don't seem to be doing anything.
TX_gardener, I remember planting Brussels sprouts once and swore I would not do it again, the thing took forever, I think it is one of the veggies that can take the longest to form the sprouts, I myself with the limited space much rather grow other ones such as kale which are a lot faster.
Car, I didn't realize the length of time it could/would take -- I just love BS :) and the selection locally comes in a little plastic box, extremely unattractive and unappetizing... I have kale and it's the only "crop" I've been able to enjoy so far. Broccoli's getting closer.
Believe me my DH loves them too but here's a video so you get a better idea how long they take.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwXoroAToHs
If I had more room I definitely would not mind growing them at all.
Thanks for the link. Will get back to it later when I feel like trying to figure out my volume problem -- have speakers on max and still can't hear what they're saying.
check the volume icon in the taskbar, sometimes it will mute itself (it seems), other times the balance is off of volume is turned low.
Had my speakers on max and also tried to adjust on the website; couldn't get it loud enough.
Just got my Jan/Feb issue of Texas Gardener magazine. There's a very good article about broccoli and several others as well. Good reading.