Broccoli...It's all about timing

“My Broccoli plants always get really big, but I never get any broccoli”.

We frequently hear some version of this story when folks warily eye our heirloom broccoli seedlings at the farmers market this time of year.  They shake their head and smile at the tender young plants like they’re the crossword puzzle in the Sunday New York Times.  Their faces say,” Someone out there can probably do it, but it’s out of my league.”

It’s not though. It’s all about timing.

It’s hard to conceive of planting anything on a steamy day in August, but cabbage family plants – broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and, um,  cabbage should be sown as seedlings mid to late summer. Sooner if direct sown as seed.

Why would you plant cool weather loving plants in the heat of summer? Sure, in areas like the southeast, it’s still plenty warm enough to start cabbage family plants even when mummies and witches start popping up around the neighborhood.  But just because the big box store is selling Brussels Sprouts seedlings right up until Thanksgiving, doesn’t mean it’s the best time to plant. At least if you want to have a harvest.  

It’s actually more about day length than temperature. Cabbage varieties need to achieve vegetative growth during the longer days of late summer in order to deliver a meaningful harvest mid fall.  It’s that simple. Want to actually have some Brussels sprouts on that giant Brussels sprouts plant this year? Hoping for a cabbage head bigger than a tangerine? Slather on some sunscreen, clear out those tired squash and bean plants, and get your broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, kohlrabi, and cauliflower started now.