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Plant Family

Brassicas

Cool-season workhorses that thrive when most other crops won't.

Plants in This Family

Arugula
Cool easy
21–40 days → Bok Choy
Cool easy
30–60 days → Broccoli
Cool moderate
80–100 days from seed → Brussels Sprouts
Cool moderate
90–110 days from transplant → Cabbage
Cool easy
70–120 days from transplant → Cauliflower
Cool challenging
75–100 days from transplant → Kale
Cool easy
55–75 days → Kohlrabi
Cool easy
45–60 days → Lettuce
Cool easy
30–75 days → Radish
Cool easy
22–70 days → Spinach
Cool easy
37–50 days → Swiss Chard
Cool Warm easy
50–60 days → Turnip
Cool easy
35–60 days →

What Makes a Brassica

Brassicas — also called crucifers — are a large plant family that includes some of the most productive vegetables in the cool-season garden. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, turnips, and arugula all belong to this family. Despite looking very different from one another, they share enough in common — preferred growing conditions, pest vulnerabilities, and soil preferences — that they’re managed as a group in rotation planning.

The defining characteristic for the garden is their preference for cool weather. Most brassicas grow best when daytime temperatures are between 60°F and 70°F, and many improve in flavor after a light frost. They struggle in summer heat, which makes timing critical.

Why We Grow Them

Brassicas are nutritionally dense, productive, and useful across a long growing season. A well-timed planting can yield from early spring through late fall in most climates — kale and Brussels sprouts pushing into winter in mild areas. They fill the shoulder seasons when warm-season crops aren’t yet producing or have already finished.

They’re also among the more forgiving crops to start from seed indoors, which extends your options in short-season climates. Starting broccoli and cabbage indoors 4–6 weeks before last frost lets you get transplants in the ground as early as possible.

Rotation Notes

Brassicas are heavy feeders and benefit from following legumes in rotation — the nitrogen left behind by peas or beans supports their growth. More importantly, brassicas should not follow other brassicas. The entire family shares vulnerability to clubroot, a soilborne disease that persists for years and has no cure once established. A minimum 3-year rotation out of any bed is standard practice.

Watch for cabbage worms, aphids, and flea beetles — all common brassica pests. Row cover at planting is the most effective preventive measure, particularly for spring plantings when pest pressure is highest.

A Note on Varieties

The range within this family is wide enough that “brassica” barely hints at what you’re growing. Kale and kohlrabi are almost nothing alike in the kitchen, yet they’re managed nearly identically in the garden. When choosing varieties, focus on days to maturity relative to your season, heat tolerance for spring plantings that will run into summer, and cold hardiness for fall plantings you want to extend.

Other Plant Families

Legumes Root Vegetables Fruiting Vegetables Herbs