The snow is melting. Flashes of green are showing up around semi-arid Boulder. I'm ready for spring but, I know there are a few more frosts in my future.Sheltered from the cold, our seedlings are growing strong. Only one Chocolate Bell Pepper slot never germinated. After our second planting last week, the greens are looking great - except the Spinach and Mache. No signs of germination there, yet.
The broccoli and kale have been getting spindly and tangled. So, Brian and I moved them into the larger flat (with 18 instead of 72 slots). I used a kitchen knife and small spoon to pry the plants out of their narrow slots. While my technique improved, I hope my sloppiness didn't cost the fragile plants too much.
When transplanting - whether outside or into a bigger flat - remember to water your plant immediately after transplanting it. Prepare the new spot before you take the plant out so that you can put it back into the soil right away. This way, you can reduce exposure to young roots which might otherwise be scorched in the sun.
Gardeners' guides recommend that you start broccoli seeds about 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Transplants should move to the garden about 4-5 weeks after they start. Kale is also often transplanted after 4-6 weeks indoors.
When they are moved, it's best to "harden" the plants for about 4 days. Hardening a plant gives it a chance to adapt to a changing environment. By bringing seedlings outside for increasingly longer periods of time each day (and eventually overnight), plants can more gradually transition to their new home outdoors.
5 week old broccoli plants can usually survive frosts, with temperatures as low as 20 degrees for more mature plants. Kale is even more cold-hardy. “Kale not only withstands frost, its flavor is improved with each chill,” says Linda Tilgner in her really great gardening book: Tips for the Lazy Gardener (page 114). The book is full of accessible advice and interesting facts.
When they are moved, it's best to "harden" the plants for about 4 days. Hardening a plant gives it a chance to adapt to a changing environment. By bringing seedlings outside for increasingly longer periods of time each day (and eventually overnight), plants can more gradually transition to their new home outdoors.
5 week old broccoli plants can usually survive frosts, with temperatures as low as 20 degrees for more mature plants. Kale is even more cold-hardy. “Kale not only withstands frost, its flavor is improved with each chill,” says Linda Tilgner in her really great gardening book: Tips for the Lazy Gardener (page 114). The book is full of accessible advice and interesting facts.
This picture shows the newly tranplanted broccoli and kale plants.
No comments:
Post a Comment