Randy, What you need to know is that the cole family is picky, picky, picky. Productivity can be impaired by low soil moisture, low soil fertility, and temperatures that are either too high or too low. Other than that, they're a cinch to grow. Beyond those issues, broccoli plants can bolt and go to seed if exposed to hot weather, or can form buttonheads (small heads about the size of a quarter) if exposed to cold weather while small although you won't know the weather was 'too cold' for them until you get those buttonheads.

Normally, if you plant broccoli a couple of weeks before your average last frost date, it will grow and produce well. Unfortunately, we've had later and later 'late freezes' the last 3 or 4 years and I have been sliding my broccoli planting date later and later every year because of that. I have been planting more like the week or two weeks after my average last frost date instead of 2 weeks before and that's worked out fairly well.

If you used transplants that had 4 to 6 leaves, were about 4 or 5 weeks old, had good healthy green color and were not stalled in their growth, you should get broccoli heads from 60 to 80 days after you transplanted, assuming you planted varieties that perform well in Oklahoma. Last year's weather was oddly rainy at our house (almost 13" of rain in one day in late April which severely waterlogged our entire garden and stalled its growth) and cooler than usual, and we didn't harvest broccoli until June. Usually by late-May here in southern OK, the broccoli has either formed heads and has been harvested or has bolted and flowered. This year, our broccoli is just beginning to form heads the last few days, and it has been subjected to very cold temperatures and snow and also to temperatures in the upper 80s, so I have no idea if I'll get buttonheads or no real heads or nice, big heads or what.

Cauliflower is even harder to grow successfully in Oklahoma in the spring. I have better luck with it as a fall crop--planted in mid- to late-summer for harvest in the autumn. It has the same temperature requirements as broccoli--performing best if it matures before temps begin regularly exceeding 75 degrees, but has even less tolerance for early cold weather. Even if you set out transplants that are the right size/age (roughly 4 or 5 weeks old) at the so-called right time, you have to cross your fingers and hope the weather doesn't get too high or too low during its growth.

So, even though you do everything right...choosing the right varieties, transplanting them out at the right size/age, etc., there is so much you cannot controlo...namely the extreme temperature variations we usually have here in spring.

As long as the broccoli and cauliflower plants are not yet going to seed and forming flowers, you still have a chance of getting a harvest. However, the closer our daytime highs get to the 90s, the less likely the chances of a good harvest. My broccoli has been very slow this...

My broccoli plants are good size and just now starting to form heads--later than normal. My daughter and I usually spend Memorial Day putting up broccoli and super sugar snaps but I don't think either will be ready this year. Last year was late too. Had a few of each by M. day but picked most in mid June. I don't even try to raise cauliflower any more.

Thank you both. I knew I was probably late, but wanted to plant something and the transplants were cheap enough. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I will try again for a fall crop. If I get one head each from this planting it'll be worth it, and I'll that much wiser for the fall.

Dorothy, I hope I get broccoli this year. The sugar snap peas have been in 'harvest' mode for 2 or 3 weeks and I've harvested about 13 lbs. so far with more to pick today. The broccoli, though, just sits there and looks green although I am starting to see some small heads emerging. Unfortunately our temps are forecast to start hitting the 90s this week. Last year, the abnormally cool weather held well into June and I harvested a lot in June. I don't know if I'll be that lucky this year.

Randy, You're welcome. I want to emphasize that cool-season crops are always iffy here because we so often go from "too cold" for them to "too hot" for them so very, very quickly. Every now and then, though, we have a good year like last year and the harvest is bountiful. I've had better luck with cool-season crops in the fall garden some years and better luck with them in the spring garden in other years. I keep trying and trying with them even though the odds are against us because fresh, home-grown or even home-grown that is harvested and frozen the same day tastes so much better than store-bought stuff.

Like so much of life in Oklahoma, our gardens are 'controlled' by the weather, for better or worse.

Dawn

I keep trying with broccoli as well. Last spring I put in transplants I purchased, they bolted. This year I've started from seed (actually wintersown) and got in the ground extra early. The plants look wonderful but no heads yet. With forecasts in the 80's for the next week, I'm afraid the weather will warm up so fast that I won't get any this year either. I guess I can always try again in the fall -- at least I won't have to worry about it getting too hot.

I planted a row of fall broccoli last year, but with only 5 days of sunshine in October, they made small heads--not buttonheads but teacup sized. I usually get dinnerplate size.

Dawn, I planted two kinds of peas this year. The super sugar snaps are just now blooming and setting on but the dwarf ones--I think it was Sprint--have been producing for a couple weeks and today will have the biggest picking yet.