What can I grow after failed Cauliflower?

[HFamily]

Hi all,

please be gentle with me this is the first time I have posted anything so far I have been reading other peoples queries and getting lots of useful advice. This is my first posting and as a newbie to growing veg, I have a very basic question to ask about what I can grow after planting some caulifower that have been eaten by birds .

I am using a rotation plan but as the cauliflower failed(I planted it late so its only been in the ground 4 months) can I plant another veg from the brassicas family or do I need to avoid brassicas altogether. what I don't unerstand after reading lots of different allotment books, is once you have planted a veg from one family and harvested it can you plant something from the same family or do you need to choose a different family.

Thanks in advance

HFamily

[terrier]

Hi, Hfamily, welcome to the vine. The idea of crop rotation is to stop a build up of soil borne maladies that can affect a future crop. I think in your case your problem is not with disease but with birds getting your next crop as well. Good time to invest in some netting

[Two_Sheds]

Yep, crop rotation is to avoid a build up of soil pests and diseases.

eg. potato blight spores (if you believe that they survive in the soil)
carrot root fly larvae overwintering in the soil
clubroot for brassicas
white rot for onions

just a few examples of why it is desirable not to grow the same veg family in the same spot every year.

btw. have you now got some net for your pigeons? I mean, for your brassicas? It needs to be fine, to keep out the cabbage white butterfly too.

also, take care to plant stuff at the right time, or you won't get a decent crop, birds or no birds

all the best

[HFamily]

Thanks for the replies.

So next time I need to buy some netting to stop the birds . I now have an empty bed where the cauliflowers used to be, as its the start of the season could I put in another brassicas or should I put in something else.

Regards

HFamily

[lynda66]

i'd plant more caulis there

[zazen999]

Ok.

If the caulis were only there for a short while, then yes you could plant caulis. Otherwise, I follow all my brassicas with roots.

ETA: just read they've been in 4 months - not enough time for anything to have really built up so go for it.