Brassica Variety Seed Kit
Brassica Variety Seed Kit
Plan a cool-season brassica bed with ten separately packed varieties. Leave room for full plants, and use young leaves while the slower heads and stems develop.
Includes: 10 separate seed packets. Packet quantities follow the individual labels.
What’s in the kit
- Premiere Kale
- Savoy Cabbage
- Pak Choi
- Dwarf Siberian Kale
- De Cicco Broccoli
- Morris Heading Collard
- Purple Kohlrabi
- Self Blanche Cauliflower
- Osaka Purple Mustard
- Red Garnet Mustard
When to plant
Use your local planting season for each crop. Cool-season greens, roots and brassicas generally belong in spring or fall in colder regions and the cooler months in South Florida. Warm-season crops go outside after frost and suitable soil warmth. The name of a kit is not a universal planting date.
Planting plan by crop
Depth, germination, final spacing and harvest clocks differ. Open each crop group below before sowing. These are planning ranges, not guaranteed dates.
Premiere Kale · Dwarf Siberian Kale
- Start: Direct sow, or start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 4–7 days around 65–70°F
- Final spacing: Thin to 12–18 inches for full-size plants; allow rows 18–24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 50–70 days from direct sowing; young leaves can be picked earlier
Pick tender outer leaves, leaving the center intact. For baby leaves, harvest by size rather than waiting for a full-size plant.
Savoy Cabbage
- Start: Start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting; direct sowing is also possible
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 4–7 days around 65–70°F
- Final spacing: Space mature plants about 12–18 inches apart; rows about 24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 70–90 days from transplanting; the seed-starting period is additional
Cut when heads feel firm and reach the desired size. Check frequently to avoid splitting.
Pak Choi
- Start: Direct sow, or start small transplants about 3–4 weeks before planting out
- Seed depth: ¼ inch
- Germination: Usually about 4–7 days in a moist starting mix around 65–75°F
- Final spacing: Allow about 6–12 inches for small rosettes, and up to 14–18 inches for larger mature plants
- Harvest planning: Harvest baby leaves when usable; larger rosettes generally take about 40–60 days from sowing
Pick small outer leaves or cut a whole rosette at the base while leaves and stalks are tender.
De Cicco Broccoli
- Start: Start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 4–7 days around 65–70°F
- Final spacing: Space plants about 12–18 inches apart; rows about 24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 50–70 days from transplanting to a first head; side shoots may follow
Cut the main head while buds remain tight. Leave the plant if the variety produces harvestable side shoots.
Morris Heading Collard
- Start: Direct sow, or start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 10–15 days in warm, moist starting mix; aim for about 75–85°F
- Final spacing: Thin to 12–24 inches apart; rows about 24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 70–90 days from sowing, or 50–70 days from transplanting
Pick outer leaves once they reach a useful size. Leave the central growing point and enough foliage for continued growth.
Purple Kohlrabi
- Start: Direct sow, or start small transplants
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 4–7 days around 65–70°F
- Final spacing: Thin to about 4–6 inches for ordinary-sized bulbs; rows about 18–24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 70–80 days from sowing, or about 50–55 days from transplanting
Harvest the swollen stem while tender and at the size described for the variety. It sits above the soil, rather than growing as a root.
Self Blanche Cauliflower
- Start: Start indoors 4–6 weeks before transplanting
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually 4–7 days around 65–70°F
- Final spacing: Space plants 12–18 inches apart; rows about 24 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 50–70 days from transplanting; seed-starting time is additional
Cut heads while firm and compact. Multiheading types should be checked for further shoots after the first cutting.
Osaka Purple Mustard · Red Garnet Mustard
- Start: Direct sow
- Seed depth: ¼–½ inch
- Germination: Usually about 4–10 days in a moist, mild-to-warm seedbed
- Final spacing: Thin to 5–10 inches for mature plants; rows about 12 inches apart
- Harvest planning: Typical crop window: 40–50 days from sowing for larger leaves; pick baby leaves earlier
Pick young leaves for milder flavor or larger tender leaves for cooking. Keep the growing center for further picking.
How to plant
- Sort the packets into cool-season and warm-season planting groups. Write the sowing and transplant dates on your labels.
- Direct sow root crops and peas where they will grow. Start the slower transplants and tiny-seeded herbs separately.
- Keep seedbeds moist, then thin to each crop’s final spacing. Pick young leaves selectively while slower crops develop.
Aunt E’s tip: You do not need to sow every packet on the same day. A small first planting leaves seed for another round.
Growing notes and sources
Count timing from the sowing or transplanting point stated for each crop. Temperature, moisture, variety and season change the result.
UF/IFAS planting guide · Iowa State germination guide · Johnny’s herb guide
Food Security Starts With a Seed.