Starting Brassica Seeds (10 Weeks Before Last Frost)

[@vcesped5366]

Oh thank you I've been looking for someone like you who understands how to plant in these crazy colder climates because I may have planted things a little too early watching others not where I live. I am here in Newfoundland and just woke up to a foot of snow this morning. We just don't get those hot summers like you and I remember living in Ottawa. I got some fancy onions seeds in the mail yesterday and that's about all I'll plant today haha... inside of course.

[@FiveCanadianAcres]

I am guilty of planting things early too! Sometimes it' okay and the plants will do fine they just end up taking up a lot of room and it's make hardening them off a little more work. Happy planting, always fun getting some seeds going :)

[@canadiangemstones7636]

Is this the best time of year, or what! Love your enthusiasm, you’re going to have an amazing garden!

[@FiveCanadianAcres]

Thank you :) It really is the best time, I'm feeling a little more pep in my step, lol

[@DoubleVisionHomestead]

These are some of my favorite plants to grow!

[@FiveCanadianAcres]

Me too! Some people don't grow them because of the cabbage worms/moths. But fresh broccoli from the garden tastes way better than from grocery store :)

[@meaghanshomestead]

Love the video, I think my last frost is a few weeks behind you and I’m just thing about trying brassica again. Can you tell me about your hardening off process for these crops? I’m confused as I have only ever put plants out after the last frost

[@FiveCanadianAcres]

For sure :) I still harden them off generally the same, start with one hour and each day add an hour. If we get a really cold or windy day I will skip that day (a light rain is okay but not a heavy rain). A cloudy day works well because then they can get used to the elements and get a little UV but not get burnt. Of course they do need sun exposure to harden off too, just not too much at first (I have definitely fried a few of my seedling before). The main difference is that I start putting them out in the evening and not day. So the first day would be say 5-6pm, 2nd day 5-7pm, then maybe 4-7, 4-8, and so on. Basically alternating between adding an hour earlier and then later. Sometime I end up having to bring them inside in the dark, lol. But this way they get a good transition of that temperature dropping, unlike most inside environments with consistent temps. And then once they are pretty much hardened off and close to being planted I will leave them out overnight in their containers for a night or two before transplanting them. I always plan to transplants 4 weeks before my average last frost date. Sometimes I have to delay a week or so if the weather is really bad. They can handle a few degrees of frost but a big freeze would kill them. But unlike tomatoes and peppers that get stunted if the weather is cold it doesn't bother these crops at all.