Pricking out brassicas

I prick them out when they are showing the first pair of true leaves, which seems to mean that they have enough root but not so much that I cant separate them without real damage.  Plant them deep and then resist the temptation to over water (my big sin, and results in damping off... so many times  )  A day inside to recover and then into the cold frame or just on the back yard. They think about it for a week or so and then get going.  Perhaps your are in the making roots stage???

Agree with madcat. The only difference is that I sow mine in plug trays. That way they can be potted up into 7cm pots without disturbing the roots. I've got a number of 7x12 trays with 1 inch deep plugs. Enough just to get them started then they're moved into the pots.

I sow in small (1/4 size) seed trays - I find them easier to get the watering right, and even across the whole lot, compared to modules where some cells may be wetter / drier than others and can't share with their neighbours, so-to-speak.

I used to prick out to 3" pots, but I found that was quite a lot of compost, and therefore "water", for such a small seedling. Fine if you have time to check each pot before watering to see how much it needs, I grow far too much stuff to be able to do that.  So now I prick out to 1" modules and then pot on to 9cm pots (I switched to that in preference to 3" 'coz it allows them to stay in the pots a bit longer if necessary - e.g. if nice weather doesn't coincide with when I am NOT busy at work!!). Added bonus is that the 1" modules take up less space than the 3" pots used to so, early in the season, I have more plants per bench than I used to with pots. Later on some stuff is already moving out as new (slower growing) stuff is being potted on.  More work to pot-on of course, but I can do that indoors in evenings etc. so is not weather / daylight dependent

Hello D.D
             I like abit of faff, i do get alot of enjoyment from seed sowing and potting on.
             Since i have retired i have plenty of time for faffing about,i know some people are pushed for time
             but we should not lose the enjoyment element of growing our food.
             I do think i should get out more ? this is not a gripe.
                                 Brianc.         
           

I'm retired and wish I had time to faff!

I amnt working at the moment but still don't like faffing.  I don't prick mine out at all, I just sow them in modules (2 or 3 seeds per module), if they all germinate I remove the weaker ones.  Once they have two true leaves I start hardening them off.  Sowing to planting out 4-6 weeks.