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Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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Posted by ditnc 7 NC (My Page) on
Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 14:36

According to the planting guide I have, I should have planted Brussels sprouts by August 1st. But I didn't, so I bought some plants at the garden center. I also bought broccoli.

But it's very, very hot and humid here in central North Carolina. Right now it's 91F with a dew point of 70. It will be in the 90s all next week, too. And in the sun, it's just brutal with the heat and humidity.

Is it too hot for them? Should I wait a few weeks? It will hopefully drop into the 80's in a few weeks. First frost, according to NCSU is Nov 5, (although that sounds quite early to me, and I've been here over 20 years). It just seems too hot for cool season veggies! But I'm a newbie at cool weather gardening.

TIA!

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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I can't say for sure that its too hot for the brussel sprouts to produce heads, but even if they did, you want to wait for frost for them to taste their best. Same with carrots.

I live where the summers are hot and then we get frost usually around the end of Sept. BS has been challenging to grow here. I remember there was a variety I bought from Stokes that was reliable, but other varieties didn't produce heads by the end of the growing season. Or maybe I didn't start them early enough.

Broccoli doesn't taste very nice in hot weather, or perhaps I didn't give it enough water. Kohlrabi was also kind of peppery tasting.

Maybe someone in your area can give you tips about when to plant cool season crops, as that may be the secret.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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The only problem is keeping the transplants alive until the weather cools. Even the early broccoli transplanted now will head around Thanksgiveing. Brussels take so long, you will be lucky if they begin heading by Christmas. I am going to hold off transplanting my broccoli, cabbage, collards, cauliflower until this heat wave breaks. If it holds past this week, I will transpalnt, irrigate and shade the plants. I clip branches off the Carolina cherry laurels and stick the in the gorun shade the plants. By the time the leaves dry up, the plants are usually established.
Christmas broccoli Barbados photo barbados4.jpg

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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farmerdill - I am so glad you responded to this post. I know last year your advice was to plant around Labor Day here at my location. But with this heat wave, I was reluctant. I am glad you said you were going to wait a bit. I purchased some broccoli transplants on Thursday with the intention of planting this weekend. Oh well, I can keep them happy on my back porch with the ceiling fan keeping them somewhat cool.

This post was edited by yolos on Sat, Aug 30, 14 at 18:02

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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If the choice is between planting them and letting them sit in their cell-packs, I would plant them now. The fan won't do anything for them - they don't thermoregulate like mammals. Also, don't worry about the first frost. Both will chug through light frosts (brussels sprouts being hardier than broccoli).

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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We don't worry much about frost down here. But while we have had a moderate summer, the current conditions are the hottest we have had. Air temps of 100 degrees, powder dry, and in the after noon soil temps will burn your bare hand. Established summer plants like okra are laying down in the afternoon even with irrigation. Plant a nursery brassica without shade and it will be dry enough to roll up and smoke the first evening.

Yolos; nursery plants are especially tender, so I would recomend that you place them to receive sun light in the morning and afternoon shade to help harden them off. Hopefully we will get some rain to cool the soil. I grow my own plants so they are quite tough, but not tough enough to take present conditions in the open field.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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I don't have the heat that farmerdill has, but I still set out cauliflower and broccoli [two plantings] while it is hot. The main thing for me is to water it very well. It works for me very well.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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Mmmm, smokin' broccoli! Yeah, we're having a heat wave up here too, hotter in September than July, what? I put mine out in the more moderate heat we had earlier and they are well established, and well mulched and watered. Was thinking of putting some shade over the lettuce in case it is thinking of bolting, so maybe that combo would work for your brassicas if you had to plant them? I mean water, mulch, and shade cloth.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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I do as farmerdill mentioned in his 1st post--- if temps are in the 90's or above, hold off until 80's. Then water real well and get ready to shade because inevitably it will heat up a couple more times in our fall.

Like slimy said though, don't let them sit in those pony packks too long...brassicas don't like it.

Kevin

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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ditnc, it sounds like we probably live near each other. I have never had success with fall plantings of anything except carrots, radishes and kale. (Meaning that I planted them late summer and harvested in the fall.)

That said, obviously people are able to do it. But don't get discouraged if you don't get a harvest this fall. They will overwinter nicely (even if it snows) and you could get a spring harvest instead. The best broccoli I've ever tasted was a crop I planted in the fall and harvested in the spring.

I'm really curious to see how the Brussels sprouts turn out. I've never gotten them to head. The leaves are very tasty, by the way, so if you don't get sprouts then eat the leaves.

- Anne

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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Transplanting mine this evening. Still no rain but the approaching cold front looks promising. Temps predicted low nineties to high 80's tomorrow thru next week. Nevr been able to successfully grow Brussels here. Can't get the timing right. Use to grow them in Virginia by transplanting in July and they would start heading about Thanksgiving. Can't transplant in July here and they have such a long season they never head up and promptly go to seed with increasing daylenght in late winter.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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  • Posted by yolos 8A (GA) (My Page) on
    Sun, Sep 7, 14 at 16:37

I planted my Broccoli Transplants (Premium Crop) yesterday evening. Put them under Tulle to keep the bugs out and put a shade cloth on the south side of the bed. It will get morning sun and very shaded shade in the afternoon. Just after I spread the wheat straw mulch we got a thunderstorm with 1 inch of rain. The soil temp this morning in that bed is 80*.

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RE: Too hot for broccoli and Brussels sprouts?

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I have carrots sown, rutabagas and turnips up, lettuces sown, and broccoli transplants set out. Hopefully can get the bed ready for the greens this weekend. I consider Farmerdill my personal mentor on fall gardening. I have used his dates for about four years now with consistent success.

It is in the low nineties daily right now, with lows in the low to mid seventies. Still hot. I am watering everything daily for the time being. So far, so good. Of course, my garden is small and I can give it this kind of attention.

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