I have started mine outside. I will start more when I find my other seeds. I need a seed secretary, I cant keep up with anything.

Larry

I'd just direct sow. The recommended planting period for putting transplants in the ground has passed and time is of the essence. Just by direct-sowing now instead of putting transplants in the ground, you still are 3-5 weeks "behind" the recommended planting dates. (That doesn't mean you won't get a crop, just that it just gets trickier with a later planting....not that an earlier planting wouldn't have burned up in the August heat, either.) Starting inside means spending all that time hardening off the seedlings, which takes another week at best. Right now when there is good soil moisture and cooler temps is an absolutely perfect time to direct-sow.

If it was spring and soil and air temps were cold and freezing nights were more of a threat, I'd say it was better to start transplants inside.

Most cool-season plants sprout and grow well when direct-sown in August, so I wouldn't worry about doing it. You know, if you want (and this is how we all learn what works for us) you could direct sow some in the ground and start some inside. Compare how they do and see which method worked best for you. Every single thing that I do in my garden is a method I have developed over years of experimentation to determine what works best in my soil in my weather in any given year. Learning what works best for you in your soil in various conditions will require the same kind of experimentation. Never be afraid to try something in more than one way---sometimes the results are the same but sometimes they are different. It keeps it all interesting.

Dawn

Well, I waited on purpose this year because of the heat. I was worried that with the soil temps being as high as it was the seeds would just sit in there and cook, with me not being able to keep it moist enough. I would just have "seed stew". LOL.

I direct sowed some yesterday, and may look at the OSU guide and see what I am not too darn late for. It really is not that big of a deal whether I am growing broccoli or not, I got enough out of the spring garden. I just gotta grow something! I am thinking of trying my hand at kale...

Thank your everyone for your thoughtful replies!

Ezzirah, I dont worry a lot if the plant matures or not, of course I plant it with that in mind, but if not it is still organic matter and feeds the soil. The plant I gamble with are from bulk seed and cost very little. I had rather not gamble with my expensive seed.

I got some bulk Kale seed from Busy1, I think the pack cost less than $.50. I think this is my 3rd planting from it and I doubt I have used half of the pack. If I can grow more Kale than I can eat for $.10 a year, I think that is a pretty good investment.

Larry

I understand the concern about seed germination in hot soils, but since the soils here cool off a reasonable amount at night, I don't think there is too much that won't germinate in our soils in August or September.

One way around it is to soak your broccoli seeds in water for a few hours and then put them in the ground. Or, soak them, them wrap them in a coffee filter or paper towel and put them in a zip-lock bag for a day or two to pre-sprout them. As soon as you can see them sprouting, take them outside and immediately put them in the ground, watering lightly to settle the soil in around them. Since they are pre-sprouted you avoid the heat issues that might inhibit germination.

Kale is a great fall and winter crop and, as Larry noted, a packet of seed will last a long time. I'm on about my fourth year on one packet of kale seed 9actually, three different packets of different kinds of kale) and still get really good germination.

Keep in mind that you can plant later than OSU's recommended dates if you don't mind taking the risk. With most fall crops I won't plant too much earlier than OSU recommends because our August heat still has the potential to be brutal. The exception to that is if I am planting a succession crop in June or early July that follows an earlier crop I've taken out. At that point, it is debatable whether my succession crop is a late-planted spring crop or an early-planted fall crop.

I am going to link an old thread, where I've converted the OSU dates to a sequential format I find easier to follow. Remember that the earlier date in a sequence is for the more northern parts of the state and the later date is for the more southern parts of the state. If you're a risk-taker, you can ignore the dates and do whatever feels right for you.

You'll see that the recommended date for planting kale isn't quite here yet. If I were you, I would not let that stop me from planting it now. After all, your soil has moisture now that it may not have when the recommended planting date rolls around. If the kale seed doesn't germinate by the time the recommended planting date rolls around, then you can sow more seed and you'll still be planting on time.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Sequential Fall Planting Calendar

I swear you guys are a wealth of knowledge. I am a risk taker, this is a nice hobby that I can eat. That is the way I look at my garden. And using your dates, Dawn, it looks like there is time for quite a bit actually. :)

Thanks!