Broccoli seeds - when to start

[LA47]

I printed off a seed planting chart (calendar) for my zone. It says to start broccoli on April 14 to 28 and plant outside May 26 to June 9. Our average late frost date is June 1st. I thought they could be planted the first or second week of May as they are a cool weather crop. How long before the last frost date do you plant yours? What plant calendars do you recommend?
Also the package of broccoli says 10 to 30 days to sprout?? That's a large gap! I do have heat mats and a grow light. When should I start them?

[rainbowgardener]

Geez... my broccoli on the heat mat sprouted in 3 days!


I move my broccoli seedlings in to the garden a month ahead of my average last frost date. Once hardened off, they are extremely cold hardy. I also direct sow broccoli seed in my garden in Oct. It has been through snow, ice, temps in the teens, and is hanging in there. Once it warms up a little, it will take off. Start it indoors a month or 6 weeks ahead of when you want to move it out.

[LA47]

Thanks, RBG. It didn't sound right to me. I printed off a chart for soil temps but that doesn't tell me when to start the seeds indoors! I think I better look for a better chart. Quite a few of the dates seem way off. I thought I saw a post or link to one on here but can't find it through the seach engine.

[rainbowgardener]

I don't remember what zone you are in, but here's a planting guide that can be set for your zone:

https://www.thevegetablegarden.info/plan ... g-schedule

Here's a spring seed planting schedule for Boise, Idaho:

https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planti ... code/83713

[applestar]

While reading this thread, I remembered a chart for how long seedlings take to grow to tranplanting size that I saw in Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog and went looking for it -- they have an interactive calculator on their site:
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/e-PDGSeedStart.aspx

I've also posted the link in this sticky:
https://helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewt ... 611#287611

[LA47]

Those are much better than I found. Thanks a lot. Looks like I'll be starting my seeds sooner than I thought!

[soil]

We start broccoli in august for a fall crop. It produces all winter long. And into spring. Spring broccoli bolts too fast with the semi warm weather of late spring here.

[applestar]

What do you use to control against cabbage butterflies and moths? Harlequin bugs? Those are so prevalent in the summer that I'm almost giving up on fall planting them..... I see the kale looking so pitiful withstanding the onslaught -- which they do and go on to grow in the fall -- that it's almost unthinkable to start tender new babies....

[rainbowgardener]

By starting later, I don't get a fall crop, but I do get winter/early spring and it is too cold for the bugs.

Anyway summer stuff was there earlier, so there's not really room to start them in August (never quite figured that out...).