Brassica Help

[forkinweeds]

Hi

It's the first year we've tried brassicas from seed. Just a quick question if anyone can help.

Most of our seed packets say "April to June: sow thinly direct into finely raked seedbed. Then transplant seedlings into final position when seedling are large enough to handle".

When it says 'seedbed', does this mean the normal propagating seed trays/modules on a windowsill/greenhouse, or actually in the ground outside then move?

Seems simple, but keep thinking I've got it wrong! Can anyone help?

[pigletwillie]

90% of my stuff is now module sown or grown.

Most stuff starts of sown thinly in a 3-4" pot and lightly covered with compost. When big enough to handle they are pricked out into 3" pots and grown on until they look like these cabbage plants, when they are planted out.

With seed beds I found that most stuff, especially cabbage got eaten by slugs or pigeons before it got to transplanting stage. With pot grown or module sown crops I know I have good plants to go out.

[forkinweeds]

Fantastic! Thanks.. That's what I thought I'd do as I do that already with most of my seeds, but as it was worded in a slightly different way it was a little confused!

I've kind of given up on seed trays and put things in modules now as it's such a fag pricking out.

Thanks for your super-speedy response!

[Alice]

Forkinweed, seed bed means an area of ground which has been prepared for planting seeds in. But as Piglet says, that can be a dangerous business for seeds and seedlings. I find it much better to sow in trays, pots or modules and plant seedlings out when they are fine and strong.

[forkinweeds]

Thanks Alice

I think you've both convinced me... I shall be starting them off in modules under cover, then plant out. Thanks!

Happy growing!

[Snadger]

Butttttttttttttt, if you have no greenhouse you CAN grow perfectly acceptable brassicas in a seedbed as I did on my first plot which had no greenhouse.
I now use a mixture of both and prefer to sow my spring cabbage in a seed bed or in situ.

[Flummery]

I'm a module sower too. They are then big enough to cope when they go on the plot. I find that cabbage seeds are so bit they are easy to sow individually - I rarely get a miss in a tray of brassicas. They don't need a greenhouse as they don't need warmth to germinate - you can use a cold frame or a spot on your patio (as long as the blackbirds can be deterred from grubbing them out loking for worms - bit of netting will protect them.)

[ClayGarden]

deleted, new thread time

[moggssue]

So Flum - and co - do you sow seeds into individual modules and leave them there until they go into their permanent spot in the ground or do you report into larger pots/modules first? (Sorry to jump into the thread by the way!). I was hoping to leave them be in their modules then straight outside, cut out a step on the way ....

[Winged one]

I started mine as lots per module and then pricked out to a single seedling per modules (I think there were about 9 seeds per module - which was too dense really even for the larger modules). I had 6 modules initially (2 types cabbage, 2 types brocolli, 1 of cauliflower and one of brussels sprouts) and there are now 114 modules of reasonable looking seedlings from those. These will go direct to the plot from these modules.

I started another lot of brassicas at the weekend but sowed them 1 per module from the start (they are slightly smaller modules - 60 per slightly larger tray rather than 30 per tray of the first lot - confused yet ) - so 20 modules of PSB and 10 more of brussels sprouts (only got 8 the first time round - we like our BS!!). These won't need moving at all before final planting.

The first ones I germinated on the windowsill, put them into minigreenhouse about 2 days after pricking out (maybe 3-4 weeks after sowing), and moved to full outdoors over the weekend (about 3-4 weeks after pricking out). They could have moved outdoors a couple of weeks ago only for the cold snap, and I didn't need the space in the GH.

The ones I sowed this weekend went into the minigreenhouse, and I will be putting them into the garden in trays much earlier as the weather has improved.