Planting out brassicas

[w33blegurl]

Hi All

Just wondered if it is too early for planting out my brassica plants (PSB and sayoy cabbage). They have 2-3 sets of proper leaves now and have been hardened off as much as poss. Just unsure as to whether I should hang on and pot them on again or just stick them straight out!

Cheers!

[womble]

I don't see why you shouldn't put them out. Seems a bit early for winter brassicas to me, but everyone on here seems to be doing them very early this year, I haven't even sowed most of my winter stuff yet.

[gojiberry]

As the Womble said it is a little early for winter veg. I made the mistake with PSB last year and ended up with it sprouting before winter and ruining this years crop, haven't even sown next years yet. Cabbage should be OK but once again it could mature before the onset of winter. Good luck with them both.

Ian

[w33blegurl]

Thanks, will give them a go then. I am successionally sowing anyway so if the first few plants go to ruin, there should be a few more to back them up with! Not started sowing my Kale yet.

[Rossa]

Won't plant out til next month here as can get sharp frosts in April. I'm successionally sowing as well so it'll be interesting to see what happens. 2nd lot will be in pots but 3rd lot I may sow direct depending on how May shapes up. Sown some scarlet kale and PSB but not the chard yet. Cabbage is a quick variety to crop this year, not sown winter types. Got some broccoli that crops in Autumn as well as the early/late varieties for next year. Can't wait that long.

[Snadger]

Planted out half a dozen sprouts plants yesterday! We shall see if they come to much!

[Demeter]

I've already planted out some caulis (all the year round variety), brassicas are hardy so its pests rather than weather you'll need to look to I reckon! (slugs and the dreaded cabbage whites!)

[Eyren]

brassicas are hardy so its pests rather than weather you'll need to look to I reckon! (slugs and the dreaded cabbage whites!)

Very true - I'll be netting my brassicas as soon as they go out, after last year's caterpillar attack!

I haven't sown any winter brassicas yet, though - just potted on some calabrese and mini caulis for summer/autumn eating

[Two_Sheds]

I won't be sowing my winter veg until May ... I want to eat it in winter, not late summer

[Snadger]

I won't be sowing my winter veg until May ... I want to eat it in winter, not late summer

Sow early AND late and have the best of both worlds!

[womble]

Sow early AND late and have the best of both worlds!

Yes, having come to the conclusion that if you plant all of your psb at the same time, no matter what variety they are it seems they all crop together.
So this year there is two weeks between the sowing of rudolf, early and late psb.
Well in theory, in fact I missed my sowing time for rudolf and sowed the first two together

Next year I might sow them the other way round, just to be awkward, to prove my theory that it's when you sow them and not the variety.

[SarzWix]

I read an article about a professional grower of plug plants (which are sold to farmers etc). He sows all of the brassica plants at the same time into modules, then just holds them back in the modules, rather than sowing successionally. He said the plants are quite happy to sit in the modules for quite a long time and then race away once planted. So I did that last year - some of my calabrese and PSB sat in the module trays for 5 months before being planted out into what was the potato bed, and it's cropping now I did give them an occasional nettle tea feed (for nitrogen). The module trays sat on some mini greenhouse shelving (without the cover) in the shade, and for some reason the cabbage whites never noticed them?! I'll be doing the same thing again this year.

[Eyren]

That's very interesting, Sarah - I will have to try that! I've noticed that my brassicas don't grow much in their small pots, but assumed that was a bad thing. Now I know how to exploit it

[FionaH]

Sarz that makes me feel so much better about the kale I sowed WAY too early

[Mi Jardín]

I have planted out my sprouts, cauliflowers and psb and they are doing fine! I say go for it!