There should be no problem. Fertilize once, but heavily, they are a brasisca, but they make better sprouts if you don't fertilize later in the season. Other veggies that might like the afternoon shade include cabbage,celery and lettuce. Cabbage, BS and celery like a lot of water.

Never heard that one macky. I think they all prefer pretty fertile soil. I think it's all about a timing thing. I've had differently timed successions of broccoli and cauli in the same plot turn out different sized heads. I can plant them from Aug-Feb, but I notice the closer I get to the winter solstice to planting, the smaller the head. Which makes sense because the amount of sunlight. I also notice that my winter harvests(when planted in late/summer/early fall) are a bit better than my early summer summer harvests. With my Brussels, I get big plants and I get sprouts. They're just always loose leaf sprouts. I read last year that July is supposed to be optimum for them here, so I'll give it one more shot I don't know how that's supposed to work out though -- our summers don't really get going until late july. Kevin

I have two kinds of sprouts. Last night, some of the pots had more than 2 plants, so I pulled up the smaller ones. They are now at almost 3 inches tall today! Some pots had none showing yet, so I carefully lifted a few from the pots that had more than one, and replanted these in the other empty pots. I also do this with peppers and tomatoes. The two types I planted were Long Island improved and Bubbles. When these get transplanted into the garden, I will be putting down some heavy brown paper mulch to block weeds. The stuff is biodegradable and will remain until they are picked in fall once we get a couple of frosts. Usually I put down a woven black plastic fabric, which has lasted me 4 years now. The black plastic is one of the best weed blockers I have ever used and so I bought a 6 foot wide 300 foot long roll of it. I'm not planting many tomatoes or peppers this year, but instead, watermelons, and cantaloupe, started indoors, and corn directly planted at the end of May. My dill has also been showing up right now. Its from fallen seeds from last summer, and is everywhere along the edges of my garden, as well as between the concrete walk and patio, and in my saffron crocus patch. I also need to plant my fig tree outside as its starting to leaf out already, and has outgrown its very heavy 2 foot square pot. It was always stored in my garage for the winters, but this year it needs a better chance outside. Its a brown turkey variety, and has 5 new shoots emerging from the soil. The 'gus if it was planted last year, should be fine, but if you add any high nitrogen fertilizer it would be good to water it in. Corn gluten will convert to nitrogen but that takes a few months, so by then the 'gus has passed it harvesting time. I am closly watching the few purple spears I have, and they are still slow in growing. Usually when the 'gus is in its peak, I harvest every two days. I added some fish meal to my 'gus patch after putting down the corn gluten. You can't ever over apply the gluten. Here, we have had very little rain yet (odd for April). I planted some assorted onions and these were watered a few days ago. I also added liquid potash and phosphorous to their watering, and also added some fish meal around the soil as well. My garlic plants are getting huge right now with larger than half inch diameter stalks at a foot tall. They are the Music type hard neck and are huge cloves.

I am going to stagger my planting. I will set out transplants in March and then another round later in spring. I have never grown them but love em so it only costs me some seeds. I have some seedlings growing now see my blog. Here is a link that might be useful: gardening by the seat of my pants