Starting Cauliflower, Brocolli & Cabbage from seeds

[mascoloj]

Hi All,
I'm starting my seeds again for my vegetable garden and decided this year to try cauliflower, brocolli and cabbage. I've done some reading online but wanted to know if I could get some advice on when to start the seeds and when to transplant them outside. Usually I don't transplant my seedlings until May 15 after the last frost. Any help would be great.

Thanks,
Joe

[DoubleDogFarm]

Joe,

I start all three of those about now and transplant early April. Our average last frost date is April 15th. I will have low tunnels handy if needed.

Maybe for you, 6 weeks before your planned transplanting.


Eric

[rainbowgardener]

6 or 8 weeks before you plan to put them out, depending on if you like to have nice big plants for transplanting. But cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower are all cold weather crops. If you do a good job of hardening them off, they can withstand some frost. They do better planted earlier. They don't like hot weather and don't set heads very well once it gets warm. I'd think about getting them planted out before your last frost date.

[soil]

broccoli and cabbage can handle temps down to the low 20's and hard frosts. I have some outside that got covered with 4 inches of snow, then it melted, and froze solid the next night, the color on the plant gets a little dark but once the sun hits them they perk up and start growing again.

[quiltbea]

I all depends on your frost free date.

I start broccoli and cabbage seeds indoors 12 weeks before my last frost date and they will be transplanted outdoors 5 weeks before the last frost date. They can take a little cold weather.

My cauliflower I start indoors 10 weeks before my last frost date and transplant them outdoors 4 weeks before the last frost date. They too, can take some cold weather.

In fact, I've got broccoli and cabbage started as of yesterday in my mini soil blocks. Let the season begin!

[Bobberman]

these three crops you are starting come up quick even in cold conditions! I would make a raised bed cold frame and start them 30 days before the last frost. They will grow much better outside in a cold frame where you can spread them appart better and thin them to put into other areas easily! Just put a few windows or plastic over it and they will be happy! A little bit of sand in the top few inches of soil works best for me!

[mascoloj]

Thanks everyone for your advice and experience. I decided to go the route of starting them now and transplanting them in mid-April in one of my beds. Good luck with your own gardens!

Thanks again - Joe