I've also been timid about putting baby cole crops out in the dead heat of summer but other people do it every year.
Maybe if you stagger your plantings.
No way to know if we will have a real winter this year or a repeat of last year's weirdness.

I was told by an authority to start broc/cauliflower as you did in mid-July in the light shade outside (either in pots or ground) and plant out/transplant in early September. That's what I'm trying this year for my first time- we'll see... Best of luck!

royceag, I'm just curious how your plants are doing outside? I'm going to start hardening mine off and try to get them outside soon, probably stagger as dottie in charlotte suggested. what is your first frost date in Charlotte? This is my first fall attempt with my own seedlings and with the heat/dry I'm just not sure when to try to plant them out--I'm concerned they will just bolt from the heat.

Hi there love2garden-nc,
Well, I did as instructed and started my broccoli & cauliflower in soil-less mix in little pots outside in the light shade. They germinated quickly- apparently I'm a genius at germinating stuff. They've all had their 1st true leaf by Day 12 but, growth is SLOW in my inexpert opinion- my 1st year with brassicas. I'm still aiming to plant out in early Sept.

My plants in the ground are just meh.. Struggling with bugs, disease, heat, etc. Carrots, beets & pak choi are harvested as are various onions- not great, wrong season. I've harvested & removed all my summer squash and many winter squash/pumpkin vines due to bugs boring into babies. The pole beans have blossom drop & rust; the bush beans are harvested & removed. The tomatoes are still going but are showing early signs of disease or too much rain? The eggplant has slowed considerably but is still producing new babies- just taking long to mature. The watermelon is very lackluster but I'm going to blame the seed quality. I'm a bit tired of the constant battle against nature so please excuse my lack of zeal- I'll get it back!

As for bolting, my only experience is with my pak choi this spring- it bolted quite early as did my lemon basil. I think the trick there is to get bolt-resistant varieties and perhaps provide a little shade in the afternoon.

For Charlotte frost date, the one I found was Nov.5 with a 13 day window- we'll see.

Please let me know how you're faring. Fight the good fight!

Best,
Royce

Brad Panovich Chief Meteorologist for WNCN (channel 6 or 36 if you have reg tv) ALWAYS says the first frost date is Oct 15 for our area, Charlotte and surrounding areas and the last frost date is April 15th and he is usually right.

I noticed my brassicas seemed to be growing slowly this year too. I ended up killing mine before they got in the ground because they just didn't make me happy.
I do plan on starting some more soon. I know they will pretty much make it through the winter here (in my area) then I will re-plant in early spring.
Now is the time to plant so we all still have time to start them. Hopefully we will get good results from them.

This year has been horrible my plants seem to be doing the same as royceag, so disappointed with the cukes and other stuff. They all seemed to get diseased this year! I thought it was our ground, I have no idea what it is. I know it isn't a good thing though.

:) Aqua

Hi Aqua,

Good to know I've got the wrong date. As for April 15 being the last frost- not here, at least this year. Much earlier. Then just HOT!

So sorry about your crummy harvest! I'm also blaming the soil, everything but myself.

Hey, stop killing your ugly brassicas- hehe! I just did that this morning too, I've no patience for the homely ones. Get pretty or DIE, hehe.

When you say "re-plant", do you mean plant out or did you start in the ground? Just curious, because I was told expressly to start in pots but, I prefer to direct sow. Less work.

Keep plugging away.

Best,
Royce

Well, I'm not messing with fall plans until closer to Sept
and I will limit my planting to what I can fit in two 4x4 beds I have pole structures with zip on plastic covers to protect the young plants. Probably just brocolli,spinach and leaf lettuce I will direct sow under suspended shade cloth.
So many of these hard fast tstorms have begun with hail, some as large as quail eggs. So I'm not going to put a whole lot of effort into this when the same can be accomplished in planters on the covered porch. Best of Luck

Royce, we did have a frost here April 15 ironically enough BUT it was the last one.
We had already planted some tomatoes but we were covering them up at night.
However after that it was hot, then cool, then hot, then cool then HOT and more HOT....and STILL HOT!

I started my stuff in 6 packs, I will do them again when I am ready. I haven't been in the mood to plant anything else at the moment. I have lost so much stuff this year I am totally disgusted with this years weirdness, we want rain then we get it then other stuff happens!

I will do broccoli, cauliflower, beets, spinach, collards and mustard
and maybe some Brussels sprouts I might throw in some carrots for good measure just to see if I get anything.

The spinach, collards, mustard and beets I will direct sow but the others I want to place them where I want them so those will be going in the cell packs. I don't think I am going to plant to many of them though.

I planted some field peas and noticed they have something all over them at the moment, not sure what it is I have never encountered this before.
The squash bugs and cucumber beetles are out in droves and are on the watermelon, cukes, squash, pumpkins and probably the eggplant too I just let them go. I am getting produce so they must not be doing too much damage.
Planting in different spots don't work for these little critters they find them no matter what.

Dottie does your lettuce do well? I have never tried to grow it under protection for winter, I have seen it on gardening shows though. I am just not sure it is worth the trouble. Does it grow slower in the winter? I did some this summer and it lasted a while, I planted them out under a tree so they would be in the shade most of the time, I think it helped, they just seemed to grow really fast though. OR at least I thought so, maybe that is how they grow, this is only the second year I have ever grown it.

Happy Gardening,
:) Aqua