Broccoli (Sprouting) Bordeaux seedlings - please help!

[leerthorp]

Hi there,

I sowed some Broccoli (Sprouting) Bordeaux seeds at the end of February in small 7cm pots and they were doing fine until about a week ago. The majority of the seedlings seem to have died / shrivelled up now though. I water the seedlings every couple of days and they are situated on a S facing window sill at home - so they get plenty of sunlight. The tomato and pepper seedings that I sowed at the same time and are on the same window sill seem to be thriving. Does anybody have any experiance of this and know what I may be doing wrong with the broccoli seedlings and why they are dying?

Many thanks
Lee

[SarzWix]

I think they're probably too warm, brassicas are hardy plants, and they'll be happy enough outside at this time of year. Try moving outside any that are still ok, or re-sow them if they've all keeled over - plenty of time for some new ones to grow

[Eyren]

Yes - they are too hot. Brassicas are hardy and prefer cool conditions - they will easily shrivel if kept indoors after germinating. I nearly lost mine to the sudden warm sunny spell we had recently, so they are now outside!

EDIT - Snap, Sarah

[leerthorp]

okay great - thanks for the advice !

[PAULW]

Hi Lee nice to meet another drowner, I have managed to drown a few dozen brassica's so far this year I have gone to the trouble of putting them in a place where I dont see them to often therefore forget to water them and they are doing fine sometimes I get the twitchs and shakes wanting to pour water all over them but so far I have still managed to fight the urge and hopefully I will get some plants to put out on the lottie.

[leerthorp]

Thanks Paula. So you think I am watering them too much then? How do you know when they need watering then. I just assumed that when the soil has dried out in the pots that they needed some more water?

[shirlthegirl43]

I am a bad mummy and mine get left till they are starting to droop in their desert dust dry pots Then they are watered from beneath (seed tray standing in gravel tray) left for 5-10 mins to soak up what they want, extra water tipped away.

Mind you, mine are currently outdoors and have been for a week or so - the situation is now go out to check they didn't wash or blow away overnight and tip out all the rainwater (They are big enough to survive a bit of drowning now)

[PAULW]

Lee the problem is the soil at the top looks parched while just a smidgen under the top is soaking, as shirl says water from the bottom when the plants look like they are going to droop brassica's will take more abuse from being too dry than they will from being wet

[RobintheBobin]

I too am a brassica killer - my sprouts are wilting almost in front of my eyes so I'm about to resow. I think it was the boiling hot greenhouse a fortnight ago that did 'em in guv!

[Victoria26]

I had 3 butternut seedlings doing great but now they're all dying off too. I might move them outside in an unheaded greenhouse.