4

I am growing sweet peas, broad beans and chickpeas for the summer, in an outdoor raised bed. I bought some nice organic broccoli, brussel sprouts and kale seeds for autumn-winter harvesting, and in my mind I was going to sow them now and then transplant the seedlings out in the legumes bed, because I learned it is a good rotation practice.

But, on the seed instructions it is suggested to transplant the seedlings in May-June, if sowing them in March-April. How do I proceed? Can I transplant them in September, when the legumes will be almost gone? And, if I were to follow this way, should I sow them later than April? Thanks!

enter image description here enter image description here

usumdelphini
  • 1,392
  • 10
  • 18

2 Answers2

2

Read the seed packets, they usually tell you length of time to harvest. Like 60-75 days, or something similar. Plan accordingly to when you want to harvest.

I garden by planting new seeds every two weeks so something is always ready to pick.

In the height of summer a lot of things won't grow well unless you are prepared to eat them as baby crops. Lots of stuff bolts (goes to flower) very quickly in the summer and doesn't taste good once that's happened. Then you have to wait until the end of summer to plant again and get some fresh fall veg before winter as well as winter storage crops like potatoes and winter squashes.

Escoce
  • 6,356
  • 12
  • 20
  • Thanks for your reply. I am in UK, so the summer is not incredibly hot (max 22°C). Does it make any sense to sow kale and broccoli in May or June and transplant the seedlings outside in the legumes bed in September? – usumdelphini Apr 11 '15 at 12:21
  • Escoce, often the days until harvest number shows the days from transplant, and often doesn't include the 4-6 weeks the plants spend germinating/growing into transplant size starts. – J. Musser Apr 11 '15 at 23:32
1

Brassicas are mostly cool season crops. In warm temperatures, they will try to go to seed before the next cool season.

Transplanting for the later cool season is a great way to extend into the cooler temperatures. Some heirlooms/cultivars can handle the later planting season better than others. Some can't handle the late summer heat.

For sowing, should be done in late summer. Sufficient water to allow germination.

rockerBOO
  • 510
  • 2
  • 3
  • Thanks for your reply. I am in UK, so the summer is not incredibly hot (max 22°C). Does it make any sense to sow them in May or June and transplant the seedlings in September? – usumdelphini Apr 11 '15 at 12:19
  • @usumdelphini Here in Pennsylvania, I can sow in March for an mid summer crop, and again in midsummer for a fall crop. I think, if you sow in June, the plants will be too large for transplant by September. – J. Musser Apr 11 '15 at 23:33