Brassicas under cover

[burnie]

Got some seed catalogues and wondered does any one grow brassicas in a poly tunnel and if so are there any varieties that like growing in raised beds.

[Snadger]

Cannot help you on this one burnie but I will be interested in any replies! I imagine you would bet an earlier and cleaner crop of spring cabbage though!

[multiveg]

You could try growing calabrese and caulis from an autumn sowing in your polytunnel for an earlier crop.

[burnie]

The idea is to avoid the cabbage whites as they ate everything last year,I grew no brassicas at all this year and I hate to be beaten by a flippin insect.
I hope to grow the mentioned autumn growers next year,but the tunnels not here yet,so maybe next year.

[JennieAtkinson]

Burnie
I'm growing a winter cabbage in the tunnel. Not done it before, but thought I would give it a try. A friend with a tunnel here in Shetland said she couldn't grow brassica's in the tunnel as it didn't get cold enough (I think most need the frost?). But I'm going to give it a try. Let you know how I get on.

[Snadger]

Burnie
I'm growing a winter cabbage in the tunnel. Not done it before, but thought I would give it a try. A friend with a tunnel here in Shetland said she couldn't grow brassica's in the tunnel as it didn't get cold enough (I think most need the frost?). But I'm going to give it a try. Let you know how I get on.

Surely in Shetland it will still drop down below freezing, even in the polytunnel?

[Snadger]

The idea is to avoid the cabbage whites as they ate everything last year,I grew no brassicas at all this year and I hate to be beaten by a flippin insect.
I hope to grow the mentioned autumn growers next year,but the tunnels not here yet,so maybe next year.

Would fine mesh or fleece not be a cheaper alternative to the tunnel?

[bramble]

Well if you grow in the tunnel it will keep most creepie crawlies off the veg and also give some shelter from the wind and rain.

[JennieAtkinson]

Surely in Shetland it will still drop down below freezing, even in the polytunnel?

Not always - very surprising how the temperatures manage to keep up in the tunnel. Because we are a small island in the middle of a huge expanse of sea, we don't suffer very low temperatures. The lowest I think I have experienced in the last four years since starting to grow veg is -4C, but generally -2 is norm, and certainly not very often. And we are colder here in Tingwall as we are a valley.

[Earthbabe]

Funny, I would expect it to be colder but also coming from an island surrounded by sea I know what you mean. And I suppose you are not too far from the path of the Gulf stream. Sorry geography never was my strong point.

[JennieAtkinson]

We don't benefit from Gulf Stream as much as the Western Isles or Orkney, but still some benefits. Considering where we are we have quite good winters really.