Help with broccoli

My broccoli and brussel sprouts aren't looking too good. So I'm hoping someone can help me figure out the problem.

I started them inside. I hardened them off for two weeks. They were looking wonderfully healthy when I planted them a week ago. We've had a few cold nights, but nothing below freezing. We aren't having hot weather yet. We haven't had much rain, but I have been watering every couple of days. When I checked on them today, the soil was dry about an inch down but moist under that.

We are new to this. I did mix my five composts/manures - 2 types of cow, chickety-doo-doo, worm castings, mushroom compost and cotton burr compost. I fluffed the peat, and tried to keep the ratio of peat, compost and vermiculite at thirds.

Nothing is eating them. I had two batches of broccoli that I started 2 weeks apart. The 2nd batch was showing the same thing on the leaves yesterday, even though they hadn't been planted.


The brussel sprouts have this on the leaves but seem healthy otherwise:


Some of the broccoli have the same thing:


The broccoli is also limp:


My lettuce is also not doing well, it hasn't died but seems stunted but I figure that was because I forgot to harden them off.

Second picture down .. it looks like the plant is beig rocked by the wind .. as it has a tiny stem at the ground . you also get that effect if you don't water the plant in when you set it in place or sow seed too shallow if direct sowing . Purchased starts get that appearance because they are sown too close and are grown too fast under heat & light.

Carefully dig it out and replant a bit deeper , push a stake in next to it , water it in well and use a soft tie to gently secure it to the stick .....a bit like my own kale picture I took this afternoon





The funny marks look like you have watered it when the sun was strong and the beads of water have made a magnifying glass & burnt the leaf.. if does not seem to be a problem as the rest of the plant seems very healty . Snip it off aboit 3/4 inch from the stem . The stalk you leave behind will die back and fall off with or without your assistance in about a week .

It could also be where the leaf has had prolonged contact with damp MM .

Snip it off as above in any case

A agree, the spots look like sunburn. They'll get over it.

I agree with QB probably water and sun damage, but otherwise loo healthy, just snap or snip these damaged and early leaves off, it will look better, especially as the plants put out new growth.

plantoid wrote:Second picture down .. it looks like the plant is beig
rocked by the wind .. as it has a tiny stem at the ground . you also
get that effect if you don't water the plant in when you set it in place
or sow seed too shallow if direct sowing . Purchased starts get that
appearance because they are sown too close and are grown too fast under
heat & light.

Carefully dig it out and replant a bit deeper ,
push a stake in next to it , water it in well and use a soft tie to
gently secure it to the stick .....a bit like my own kale picture I took
this afternoon





The
funny marks look like you have watered it when the sun was strong and
the beads of water have made a magnifying glass & burnt the leaf..
if does not seem to be a problem as the rest of the plant seems very
healty . Snip it off aboit 3/4 inch from the stem . The stalk you leave
behind will die back and fall off with or without your assistance in
about a week .

It could also be where the leaf has had prolonged contact with damp MM .

Snip it off as above in any case

When I planted them, I dug down about as far as I could go (and I did
water immediately). I'm not sure I can plant it any deeper. We've had
some really strong winds the last few days. I will stake them and I
could mound the MM around the plant more, too, if you think that will
help.

I have been watering when it is sunny. I need to get my soaker hoses
placed so I don't splash water on the plants anymore. Good to know it's
nothing serious. I'll take off those lower leaves.

Thanks, Plantoid, QB and Camprn for your help!

Kate, making a mole hill mound around the plants wil actually increase the amount of surface area that will be dried by the winds / sun . Plus any watering you do will tend to run off away from the plant.

In Mels book he suggests having / planting the plant in a saucer shaped depression to take the cup of water as it kind of makes a funnel to direct the cup of water down onto the root area.

He suggests using a cup of water rather than a hose , I suspect it is because you don't slpash the plant and there is no pressure in the cup water that will disturb the fine hair close to the surface feeder roots of the plants .

Water before the suns heat of the day starts to occur and water an hour or so after it decreases in the evening which wil give the water more time & cooler temperatures to soak in rather than have it evaporate from the top of the MM which it what happens in hot day /sunshine watering.

plantoid wrote:Kate, making a mole hill mound around the plants wil actually increase the amount of surface area that will be dried by the winds / sun . Plus any watering you do will tend to run off away from the plant.

In Mels book he suggests having / planting the plant in a saucer shaped depression to take the cup of water as it kind of makes a funnel to direct the cup of water down onto the root area.

I do this as well. When ever I place a transplant in the garden i dig the small hole, place the plant roots in to the desired depth, push the soil around the stem then gently push down around the stem making a little well about 2"-4" depending on the size of the plant. This well is where I focus the watering wand.
Something like this