I realize that I'd be getting a late start, but I'm wondering if I could grow broccoli and cabbage now via direct sowing and get a harvest or will they bolt? The varieties I have are heat tolerant/bolt resistant. If I start them now, they'd be harvested in about August; will it be too hot for them? I realize I live in northern MI and that the heat is milder here, but it's still hot here in July and August.

I agree with Donnabaskets.. have always had great results with Premium Crop. It has been my go-to performer. Others which I've tried with good results are Everest, Majestic Crown, and Packman. All of the preceding are hybrids. The only OP broccoli that has done well for me is Green Goliath. I don't usually plant cabbage; I prefer to use all avaible space for broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. However, Flat Dutch would be what I would plant if planting cabbage. The list below might be helpful. It is not complete as Diplomat (a new cultivar I am trying this year) is not on the list... The sad news is that folks at the garden center in town are telling that they will not likely be able to get Premium Crop any longer. Diplomat is their trial replacement. Here is a link that might be useful: Broccoli Cultivars

Pull out the weeds surrounding it and one day you will have -- a cabbage or a broccoli (you don't know what you planted?). Might want to protect it with floating row cover so the cabbage butterflies (caterpillars) and aphids do not get it. :-)

I started a flat of cole crops first of july. I put them out in my Hoop house(which doesn't have the cover on in the summer)the first or second week of August. I did 2 kinds of sprouting broccoli, which are specifically bred to overwinter. You cut the head at the first sign of it, and they are supposed to sideshoot like mad real early in the spring and continue for some time. The seed pack had days to harvest as 220, reflecting the need to grow in summer, overwinter, then sprout through spring and into early summer. They are supposed to be extremely cold hardy, and if I remember they have some cross with kale in them. Kind of a commitment, but I'm going for winter/early spring harvests out of the hoophouse as much as possible. I also had January King cabbage in the same flat. The sprouting Broccoli plants are about 2 feet tall and wide, so they are big. The cabbage(again, a winter variety) is just starting to form heads now. They are also bigger plants than I was expecting. We have a few more days in the 80's, next week should be in the 60's for a high, and I doubt we will climb into the 70's much after the cold front comes through, so I will be covering soon. I was also thinking of putting in some fall clearance plants from the nursery, but I don't know that they will have enough time to mature into anything. My understanding is for the plants to be approaching maturity when the cold comes, and they grow under protection(slowly) throughout the cold winter and you harvest them as needed. Come spring warm up and longer photo-period, they start bolting. I dunnno, might try anyway. Check out Territorial Seed's winter growing catalog, there is some cool stuff in it, pun intended.