Well, it's not exactly cold here. Usually I start seeds in June and July on a picnic bench in the sun. On the very hottest days it is good to move the flats of containers to shade for the hottest part of the day. After about 26 days I find it is best to then transplant them into the ground. They then need watering every day it doesn't rain for a time and some mulching is good too....mine are rampaging with growth.

I started seeds with lightweight row cover over the pots. I hardened off. I transplanted with plenty of mulch.

Dan

I find it is too hot to start in full sun, specially with black trays (maybe not now that we are experiencing late summer temps). When it is really hot (90s), and specifically for brassica, I germinate in the basement, where it is 70, or in a north room (75-80). Then, as soon as some cells are showing some white, I move to shade, then, when most seeds are up, to dappled shade (yes, my patio table moves about a lot). Seedlings are somewhat leggy but at least they germinate. Transplant in the evening, with plenty watering for a few days.

I don't know how well it will work, but I've been direct sowing my fall vegetables, using a covering of peat-based potting soil to keep them moist between waterings. I planted them in beds I'd cleared of spring plantings like peas and spinach.

They sprouted soon and, I hope, will grow quickly in the heat before hitting their groove as the weather cools.

Unless you need the space for summer plantings, I'd try sowing some of your fall veggies outdoors. You'll save the hassle of plant trays and grow lights, and the plants will already be well-established outside when fall arrives.

nygardener,

With sowings out in the garden, you need to be on the special watch for small flea beetle types that devour the tiny seedlings. They are not usually a problem near the house.

I started from seed sugar snap peas, radishes, kohlrabi, and carrots, all while the temperatures here were consistantly in the upper 80's and low 90's. The seeds germinated in a matter of 3 days, and are growing quite well. I was pleasantly surprised by that, because temperatures don't normally get that hot here in Wisconsin, but they sure seemed ok, in fact, I had to thin them out because all of the seedlings came up. The only one I had trouble with was a late crop of pole beans, but I got enough to germinate that I can get a harvest. The key to my success? Plant them, and keep them moist. I didn't do anything special, except have misting sprinklers timed to water 3 times a day for 20 minutes....just enough to keep the surface damp. The only reason I tried it was because I read that cool season veggies like to MATURE in cool weather. For example, the sugar snap peas will germinate and grow fine in hot weather, but will abort their flowers or fruit in anything above 80. I figure by the time they are flowering, it won't be 80 here anymore. I have also had no real insect issues, just birds picking at the peas.

Joe

Joe, that's encouraging! That was my theory too. The layer of potting soil really helped -- germination rate is very high and I can water once daily even when the sun is broiling.

I'll look out for flea beetles. In the spring, they were a problem with arugula but not with brassicas.

It depends on which brassica, too. What are you seeding right now? IMHO, turnip is best and bok choi is worst (for summer germination), everything else is in between.

In the past couple of weeks, I've seeded broccoli, Romanesco cauliflower, rutabaga, Savoy cabbage, carrots, basil, Spigariello Liscia, and collards. I'm planning on sowing turnips, broccoli raab, and beets next week, and may plant lettuce and spinach in a few weeks, since they like cooler germination temperatures. Then some greens in mid to late September, to see if they'll overwinter, and garlic in early October.

Thanks, guys! Let's see, most of the brassicas I think might still do for me at this point are leafy greens- mizuna, kale, etc. My broccoli starts are beginning to show crispy edges, I guess I'll try moving them to the shade and out from under the lights. I can keep the plant room around 80, but not much cooler, so maybe they can't be allowed to grow as close to the lights as in spring? I'll try my kale and such in the garden under the row cover and see how that works.

Cheers!

Okay. Last year, farmerdill gave me his planting schedule for fall gardens. I copied it all into my garden journal so I wouldn't forget. Here goes.

Mid July: Start collards, brocolli, cauliflour, and cabbage from seed. Sow it into pots, barely covering the seed with a light dusting of potting mix. Set the pots into dappled shade and water daily. Dappled shade for me is on my deck under the deck benches. Underneath there, the plants get full sun in the morning until approximately midday and light to full shade the rest of the day. It works. This year too, remarkably.

Also, in July, I pull most of my first crops: tomatoes, beans, squash, etc. which are now finished and replant them, beginning to leave room for cool season crops. This year I have successfully seeded okra, cowpeas, cucumbers, and squash, though last year mildew got the squash and cucs. Also, it's helpful to keep the squash under row covers to keep squash vine borers away from them at least until they begin to bloom.

August:Late month direct sow turnips, rutabagas, mustard greens, and Asian greens. You can also sow carrots and beets, though I have yet to get a good stand of beets.

Septembmer: set out your seed started brassicas from July around the middle of the month. You can still direct sow leafy greens too. Mid month, start onion seeds (short day) in flats. And in the third or fourth week, plant lettuce, garlic, spinach (tough), and red mustard.

Plant the onion seedlings into the garden in late November or early December.

It helps to get better germination in extreme heat if you cover the sown beds with fabric row cover and water through the fabric. I guess it holds the moisture in the beds longer. You certainly need to water daily until germination, which is really fast, 3-4 days for most things.

I have only had a fall garden two years now, but it's wonderful! I keep all my greens and lettuces under floating row covers draped over fence wire hoops and both years, absolutely everything lived and produced all winter long. (Temps above 10 both winters.) I also mulch the beds well with pinestraw. This is for freeze protection, but it also has a benefit of keeping the greens perfectly clean. If you harvest the leaves with scissors and don't pull the plants out by the roots, cleaning the greens is a snap.

I hope this helps you!

Mizuna is one of the small greens that I have allowed to naturalize, and it is germinating on its own right now in shade, with temps in the 70s with some good rain. Red mustard is doing the same. I am guessing that 80 will do for mizuna.

80 will do for kale also. I made several trays in shade for two beds, one of which now has 18" kale. I found that russian (red) kale is more sensitive to heat than regular, but I seeded red kale directly last week in sun and it is all up! again temps in the 70s, a few good rains.