Broccoli and other brassicas

[R.R.]

This is the first year I'm gonna try to grow them, so I was wondering how true the advice they give in this video is.

 

[Chuck]

I wouldn't expect the heads of caluiflowers grown here in Texas to be quite as big as that shown but basically that is how to grow them. I wished I had buckets of worm castings but unfortunately all I have is compost. I have never thought to use a bucket to tamp down the soil as I always just step on the soil. It looks like in the video that the seedlings being planted have one set of true leaves with the second set just forming. The only way you will find plants that young is to grow them from seed yourself. Most of the time by the time they arrive at the nursery they already have at least 2 full sets of true leaves and are quite leggy not nice and compact like the ones shown. In my experience planting leggy brassicas deep does not work like it does with tomatos. The stalk tends to become very thin at ground level if not rot totally. On leggy brassicas the stalk has an area of a purplish color sometimes half as long as from the rootball of the plant to where the leaves start. I have found it safe to plant them to just where the stalk changes from purplish to green and no deeper. Depending on how leggey the seedling is it can be 3"-4", maybe more. I have also found that planting leggy brassica while it will grow and produce the heads are not as large or tight as that from short compact seedlings

 

[headfullofbees]

If I was to choose the area where I seem to do best, it's brassicas.
So here's where my methods coincide and differ, from his.
Firstly, I sow the seed quite thinly, in a pot at least 30cm (1ft) deep.
This allows them to form deeper roots and there is less chance of them drying out (a BIG no-no with caulis).
I let them remain in there until they're at the 6-leaf, rather than 4-leaf stage before transplanting them. Explanation shortly.
In order to remove them from the bucket, I soak it, let it stop dripping, thentap round the side.
I give the sides a good spanking and then, with left my hand covering as much of the suface as possible, I invert the pot and get the whole lot out in one piece.
I turn them the right way up, and drop the lot, from standing height, onto the ground to separate them. (More than once if nec.)

Having previously prepared the soil a few days before with a general purpose organic fertiliser, like fish blood and bone, or chicken manure, I dig nice deep holes with a trowel for each plant.
I now REMOVE THE BOTTOM TWO LEAVES and then plant it as deep as on the video, as, again, this will give the (practically rootless) brassicas a greater depth, and a better chance of avoiding drying up.
Rather than firming the soil prior to planting, I tend to tramp round the plants when they're in, to firm them in. Seems to me you're wasting your time firming the soil then digging it up.
Water them WELL in.
As they grow, remove any leaves which turn yellow (they're dead, no use to you, and may invite disease) and EARTH UP THE STEMS like you would for leeks or potatoes, again tramping down the soil.

Unfortunately, there are things beyond your immediate control.
Cauli's are difficult to grow on light soils, and it may take anumber of years before you can include enough organic matter to grow them without burning them.

Taller brassicas, like sprouts or sprouting broccoli, I support with a bamboo stake.

 

[Chuck]

If I was to choose the area where I seem to do best, it's brassicas.
So here's where my methods coincide and differ, from his.
Firstly, I sow the seed quite thinly, in a pot at least 30cm (1ft) deep.
This allows them to form deeper roots and there is less chance of them drying out (a BIG no-no with caulis).
I let them remain in there until they're at the 6-leaf, rather than 4-leaf stage before transplanting them. Explanation shortly.
In order to remove them from the bucket, I soak it, let it stop dripping, thentap round the side.
I give the sides a good spanking and then, with left my hand covering as much of the suface as possible, I invert the pot and get the whole lot out in one piece.
I turn them the right way up, and drop the lot, from standing height, onto the ground to separate them. (More than once if nec.)

Having previously prepared the soil a few days before with a general purpose organic fertiliser, like fish blood and bone, or chicken manure, I dig nice deep holes with a trowel for each plant.
I now REMOVE THE BOTTOM TWO LEAVES and then plant it as deep as on the video, as, again, this will give the (practically rootless) brassicas a greater depth, and a better chance of avoiding drying up.
Rather than firming the soil prior to planting, I tend to tramp round the plants when they're in, to firm them in. Seems to me you're wasting your time firming the soil then digging it up.
Water them WELL in.
As they grow, remove any leaves which turn yellow (they're dead, no use to you, and may invite disease) and EARTH UP THE STEMS like you would for leeks or potatoes, again tramping down the soil.


Unfortunately, there are things beyond your immediate control.
Cauli's are difficult to grow on light soils, and it may take anumber of years before you can include enough organic matter to grow them without burning them.

Taller brassicas, like sprouts or sprouting broccoli, I support with a bamboo stake.

Why do you remove the bottom 2 leaves. Are these true leaves or those little sprouting leaves

 

[headfullofbees]

Why do you remove the bottom 2 leaves. Are these true leaves or those little sprouting leaves

They are the first two true leaves, I remove the cotyledons (seed leaves) too.

The reasons I do this are:
1) If you remove the first two true leaves, you can plant it much deeper in the ground, often 2-3 inches deeper.
2) Brassicas grow slowly, especially at the start, & by the time the plant has 6 true leaves, often the first two are starting to turn yellow.
This is not because they need magnesium, this is because they are dead, and beginning to show it, so of no use.

 

[Chuck]

They are the first two true leaves, I remove the cotyledons (seed leaves) too.

The reasons I do this are:
1) If you remove the first two true leaves, you can plant it much deeper in the ground, often 2-3 inches deeper.
2) Brassicas grow slowly, especially at the start, & by the time the plant has 6 true leaves, often the first two are starting to turn yellow.
This is not because they need magnesium, this is because they are dead, and beginning to show it, so of no use.

By planting deeper does the stalk make roots the same as tomatos do when they are planted deeply

 

[R.R.]

This is very interesting. Thanks for the answers!

 

[headfullofbees]

By planting deeper does the stalk make roots the same as tomatos do when they are planted deeply

Far fewer, but some.
Doesn't sound as if they'd make much difference, but brassicas only have thread roots, and are greedy feeders, so the more the merrier.
There is also the stability issue; wind-rock can break those thread roots, and having more stem underground whilst the plants get established is also helpful.
A third advantage is that the deeper the roots, the less likely they are to dry out.

 

[headfullofbees]

Three months ago, a fellow allotmenteer (We'll call him Brian, because that's his name) gave me a few "cabbage seedlings" that he had to spare.

I planted them as cabbages, but as they grew, it became obvious that they were Brussels sprouts, not cabbage, and so, far too close together.

Although these plants were, by this time, (six weeks ago) nearer my thigh than my knee in height, I decided to transplant them.
I took off a few of the bottom leaves, and sank them a spade's depth into the ground, tramping them in.

I now have nice, firm sprouts, ready for picking, weeks before anyone else.

 

[Chuck]

Three months ago, a fellow allotmenteer (We'll call him Brian, because that's his name) gave me a few "cabbage seedlings" that he had to spare.

I planted them as cabbages, but as they grew, it became obvious that they were Brussels sprouts, not cabbage, and so, far too close together.

Although these plants were, by this time, (six weeks ago) nearer my thigh than my knee in height, I decided to transplant them.
I took off a few of the bottom leaves, and sank them a spade's depth into the ground, tramping them in.

I now have nice, firm sprouts, ready for picking, weeks before anyone else.

I planted broccoli and cauliflower seeds on July 1 hoping to plant at least by Sept 1. A dismal failure. The weather was at least 100F for weeks and in fact has just now returned to what is called normal here with highs in the high 80's. All of the plants were at least a foot tall with only 3 sets of leaves and the stalks not much thicker than 1/8 inch. So today I am going to attemp it again. The weather here is so unpredictable that getting a decent fall crop is mostly a matter of luck. Winter gardens are usually a bit more predictable

 

[headfullofbees]

I planted broccoli and cauliflower seeds on July 1 hoping to plant at least by Sept 1. A dismal failure. The weather was at least 100F for weeks and in fact has just now returned to what is called normal here with highs in the high 80's. All of the plants were at least a foot tall with only 3 sets of leaves and the stalks not much thicker than 1/8 inch. So today I am going to attemp it again. The weather here is so unpredictable that getting a decent fall crop is mostly a matter of luck. Winter gardens are usually a bit more predictable

Sorry chuck, far too high for brassicas.
It's unusually mild here at 70F and that's just nice for outdoor germination.

 

[R.R.]

I checked today, and some of the seeds already sprouted! I hope they're not leggy

 

[Chuck]

I checked today, and some of the seeds already sprouted! I hope they're not leggy

I planted mine yesterday. If the weather will just cool off a little more we should be OK

 

[R.R.]

Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

[headfullofbees]

Good luck guys, the weather here (hopefully) won't have much influence on my winter brassicas.