Spinach, Chard, Kale, Broccoli

PLANTING DATES

MARCH (Indoor Start) | APRIL (Outdoor Start)

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Cold tolerant crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, spinach, chard, kale, and lettuce can be direct seeded into your garden around March 29, in Colorado, assuming the ground can be worked. That said, it's better to start them indoors around the first week of March and then transplant them into the garden around the last week of April. 

MARCH (INDOOR START) | Indoor Grow Time: 2 months 

Start indoors around March 1st, or the first weekend in March.

We like to use 4” pots made of compostable material (from your local garden store) because it’s really easy to just tear the bottom of the pot off and pop the whole thing in the ground when it’s time to transplant. This protects the tender roots from shifting soil and makes it an easier task.

FROST or SNOW

Heavier Frost (colder temperatures 26-31* F) may burn the foliage, but will typically not kill, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, beets and leeks. That said, Colorado snows can be intense, so make sure to adequately cover your seedlings if planting outdoors.

APRIL (PLANT OR TRANSPLANT OUTDOORS)

In April, identify a sunny spot where they’ll be planted outdoors or in a cold-frame (these thrive in full sun). Make sure to remove weeds, adequately till the soil, and add any required nutrients (NPK) or amendments (compost). This creates a healthy environment for your veggies to thrive. 

Then, around end of April, or early May you can go ahead and transplant those into the ground where they’ll live. 

SOIL

The Big Three. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) known as "primary nutrients," are the three main ingredients in most fertilizers, along with necessary trace minerals such as magnesium,  and are vital to tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. Plant growth and chlorophyll production depend on nitrogen, and phosphorus helping these plants grow and cope with stress while aiding in energy production. 

WATER

Ample water from drip or sprayer will produce healthy happy plants with adequate yield.

LIGHT

Identify a sunny spot where they’ll be planted outdoors. These require at least 4-5 hours of sun per day for decent production. Spinach, Chard, Kale, and Broccoli will do OK in partial sun, but you'll have to wait longer for a full crop and they may be more susceptible to pests. The more light you have, the faster they'll mature and the healthier their immune system will be.