brassicas in raised beds

[hawthorns]

i have tried growing red cabbage, swede and broccoli in a raised bed. the broccoli was a success, but out of 6 cabbages i only got 2 that swelled up to a decent size. the swede is still in but they dont seem to be swelling up.

could this be because the soil needs to be firmed before planting.

[SarzWix]

It could be, I know cabbages sometimes stay 'loose' for that reason. And swedes are supposed to be a good crop for heavy ground, they do well in my clay! If you tread the soil before planting that should help.

[amandaandherveg]

This is my first year gardening and I have some brassicas in raised beds and some in the ground. The three caulis I have in the raised bed are now huge, I kid you not one is larger than a football, whereas the ones in the ground are smaller. I used a mixture of topsoil and the compost from strawberry grow bags I got locally from a grower. I wanted to show it off and make a big calii cheese but I don't have a pot big enough to boil it.

However the cabbages in the ground and 'hearting up' more quickly than the ones in the raised bed.