Did you know that Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi all come from the same plant? They are different varieties of Brassica oleracea and have the same growing requirements! They love cool days in the spring and autumn and will sprout and grow as long as daytime temperatures are generally rising above 50 degrees.

The easiest Brassica plants to grow are kale and cabbage because they can be harvested as soon as they start growing large leaves. Broccoli and cauliflower can be tricky, The crowns of these plants are 100s of flower buds, and they must be picked before the flower buds open. Extreme heat or drought can keep these flower heads from growing properly. It's best to grow these plants in March for a harvest in June or July.

Other leafy greens you can plant now include snap peas, cilantro, parsley, radishes, and lettuce. Snap peas are one of my favorites because the flowers are absolutely beautiful and legumes can improve nitrogen levels in your soil, which will help your other plants grow more quickly.

Steps to starting from seed:

Here's what I do to get these seeds to sprout!

Why plant these in early spring?

Not only are they cool weather tolerant, but they also actually prefer cooler days! Some gardeners swear that cabbage tastes sweeter after a light frost. When daytime temperatures regularly start to rise into the 80s, these plants spend their energy making blooms instead of prioritizing flavor.

I start my cool weather plants from seed inside in mid-February in containers and leave the containers outside in March. The containers go inside the house if nighttime temperatures drop below 25 degrees. By the end of March the seedlings will be big enough, and the weather will be consistently mild enough, for these plants to stay outside.

Absolutely it is worth growing from seed. Not only does it give you an opportunity to grow plant varieties that are unusual, but it also is cheap and easy. For just a few dollars, you can grow dozens of plants from a single pack of seeds!