broccoli, brussel sprouts and caulifower

This is my 1st your to plant from seed (planted 2 1/2 weeks ago) ... I think I'm having trouble with these 3 veggies .... they are growing but most of them are limp ....what do I need to do or is this my 1st screw up of many :)

I am not very familiar with your growing area, but in my experience that occurs when they are not getting enough sun or water, or you let them grow in the little Jiffy greenhouses too long (and a combination of the other two).

Are they in the ground? Is your area warm enough yet?

You could try cold frames too if it is just a little cold, but if it gets over 50 during the day you have to make sure you open them up every morning.

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

Do you mean you sowed the seeds 2.5 weeks ago or that you planted the plants in the garden 2.5 weeks ago? They are all cool weather plants but it hasn't been very hot and they seem too young to be affected by the temps, at this point. I've planted them this late, bc I didn't know what they were, the plants grew fine....but they bolted ( turned to flowers didn't set edible heads). So basically they were a waste of space but they grew and flowered just fine.