Well, heat is very important for seeds to sprout. I grow hot peppers and they need about 80 degrees to sprout. Once they have germindated, then they can survive in cooler temps (lower than 80 degrees, but not freezing). I would suggest buy some lights if you do not have good sun light anywhere except your garage. It would be cheaper than heating your garage. ;)

Thanks Kingpepper! Ok, so since they've germinated (sprouted), they don't need to be at 70 or 80 degrees anymore? I threw a thermometer out in the gargage tonight and it's apparently 50 degrees since it's attached and we open the door so often to go out there. Not as cold as I thought. But is it too cold to grow broccoli and cauliflower?

Lights inside would not be much of an option since you'd see them all the time and that would be wierd. Ahh to have a basement.

As coincidence would have it, I am actually planning on heating that section of my garage. It's turning into a play area for my kids since it was originally a work shop. It's drywalled and partially carpeted. Tomorrow I'm actually running a gas line out there to install a manually controlled wall heater for the kids to go out and play with big toys. Maybe next year It will be a no brainer if I figure out a setting to keep it 70 degrees.

Anyway, 50 degrees and full sun or 70 degrees and iffy sun? Verdict? Thoughts? I appreciate them all.

Sinfonian

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...

From what I understand high temperatures and little light will give leggy plants stretching and stretching to get to that light. Lower temperatures and better light gives more compact and hardy plants that (at least in my climate) also makes it easier to transplant them outdoors. I have installed plant-lights in a cool storageroom just for that reason - while keeping the seeds in my warm office until they sprout.

I would not worry much about the heat if it stays around 50, broc and cauli are cold weather plants. They can survive outside when it stays 50 during the day as long as night temps do not drop below freezing. But if you think it gets too much colder than 50 in your garage my suggestion would be to tent your plants in plastic to hold in the heat of the sunlight coming in. Putting a few soda bottles filled with water will also hold the heat and release it if starts getting cold. Sun is much more important than high temps for broc and cauli. I hope thats helpfull. good gardening

Mary

Thanks, I will put them out there. I've got a thermometer out there with them so I can check regularly. It was between 45 and 50 today in there and it gets about 10+ hours of sun a day right now. I hope they love it.

Only three of my broccoli seeds sprouted so I'll be doing this again so I can plant them prior to April.

I really appreciate the advice, I'm new to this and the gardeners in my family do not believe in SFG. I'll show them it works and take good suggestions from them to heart, creating a hybrid SFG. Gotta keep family happy.

Thanks!
Sinfonian

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...

Progress report... The temp right next to the plants in the sunny window in my garage ranges from 60 degrees in the direct sunlight to 40-45 degrees when the sun goes down.

Since I put them out there a week ago, I haven't seen any growth. It's got me a bit worried since they grew so fast inside. They're still in the straight vermiculite because I haven't gotten side leaves yet to transplant to mini-Mels Mix peet pots.

-Should I be worried?
-Should I bring them back inside where it's warm but not sunny?

I started another batch of 4 seeds of each tonight and set them to sprout on the fridge. That's both for a staggered planting, or worst case, replacing these, though they'll be late to the party and I worry about the summer sun hurting them if they don't get out right away in the last week of February.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden in progress...