Sprouts

My sprout seedlings have been in the coldframe for the last couple of weeks and are about four inches high. I have a couple of questions. Can they be planted outside yet or are they still too small/it's too early to plant them out. Should I pot them on and wait until they're a little bigger?

Also, is there anything I should do to prepare the ground for them, for example, do they need manure or, like carrots, they don't need the stuff. And another question - will the plants need staked?

A lot of questions I know... just want to do right by them. 

As I understand it, sprouts like well-compacted ground to grow in, and need no support.

The ones I'm clearing from my allotment certainly have no support and whilst some have fallen, the majority are (were) upright.

That's brilliant - thanks chaps  Good call about the netting, we do have some very fat wood pigeons about here (they drive the chooks crazy)  :blink:

Even deeper would be OK. It would give the plant better support.

You say 'stake', do you mean a small fence post, or would a good cane do the same job??

Forgot to add, we all have problems on our plots with sprouts/ tall stuff. The soil is sooo light, anything that takes on any height, starts to lean or fall over. 

There was a rumour before I got my plot, someone had used one of those petrol wacker plates on their plot to firm the soil before they planted their brassicas one year!!     :blink:

Sorry to hijack the thread a little bit but have a question about planting out sprouts and other brassicas - we have some that have been in the coldframe for a while now and quite large (couple of sets of leaves) and been hardened off (lid has been off for a while now). Question is, the stems (between soil in the cell and seed leaves) are quite long and spindly..how deep should the seedlings be planted? Same sort of level as they are now or would up to the base of the seed leaves be too deep? Any advice much appreciated (as usual!) 

My seed leaves often get buried in the dirt and I plant them at the base of the first true leaves never found it to be detrimental, the only brassica that doesn't need as firm a footing seems to be cabbage IMO. The firmer and deeper you plant sprouts and cauli the better they seem to do.

In answer to the OP if you haven't manured yet it's to late so try a good dose of chicken manure pellets, and don't forget to lime the holes before you plant.

Quote from: Goldfinger on April 12, 2012, 20:46

There was a rumour before I got my plot, someone had used one of those petrol wacker plates on their plot to firm the soil before they planted their brassicas one year!!     :blink:

 

Yeah, I work in the plant and machinery hire business, so I know what they should be used on!