Wanted - Idiot's Guide to Growing Brassicas

[Welsh Wizard]

Thumbs up for cheshunt compound here. Been getting real damping off problems in my new location with a new compost brand, but Now keep a small watering can made up with cheshunt compound in for the cell trays and seedlings and things seem to have got better on the damping off front.

[Florence Fennel]

Mogs take the advice from Zaz. I have in the past had no success at all with brassicas from seed, but this year with the help from Zaz, my seedlings look really healthy and I think I might be in with a chance! PS Thanks Zaz.

[mogs]

Ok third time lucky maybe - they're out in the coldframe and will leave the lid off during the day and withold water until at least next Sunday. Have also prepared a seed bed at the lottie and sown some in there. I think because they are at home I am paying far too much attention to them and as some say mollycoddling them, so will hedge my bets and try both ways - if not it'll be my local garden centre for plug plants again this year. Thanks for all the fabulous advice, as always!

[jacob marley]

Oooh that's really tuff love - withdraw water and kick em out into the cold - never an approach I used with my little human seedlings - but if it means I can get the same sense of satisfaction when I proudly sent my babies (19 and 21 years later!!) out into the big wide world confident that they'll take what life throws at em - it'll do for me!! It's obviously the nurturer in me- human babies don't need their Mum anymore, but veg babies do - am I old and sad - I am aren't I??

They grow naturally outside so what is the problem when i worked on a rather large market garden and grew about 100 acres of brasicas we used to sow the plant beds as we called then with a seed barrow that held 3 or 4 pounds of seed and sow them directly into the ground and they always grow so as i said before what is the problem .
Brasicas are simple to grow it is only the humans that cock it up and make it hard...jacob

[mogs]

Hey you're dealing with a prize cocker upper here - if it's worth cocking up it's worth doing well in my book :-))

[winstonwobble]

You're not on your own Mogs i got mine to seedling stage potted them up into their own pots gave them a water and you;ve guessed it they have all died same with the cabbages but the cauils are fine going to sow some more tomorrow hope i will have better luck

[Flummery]

I grow mine outside in a coldframe with the lights open. I also don't water much. They are tough things, brassicas.

[binley100]

2) Cut an old compost bag into 6" squares, usually one side is black. Cut a slit to centre and fit round you plants when you plant out. Hold them down with a few small stones. This virtually eliminates the cabbage root fly problem.


Jimmy

*rushes to get scissors

[zazen999]

Mogs take the advice from Zaz. I have in the past had no success at all with brassicas from seed, but this year with the help from Zaz, my seedlings look really healthy and I think I might be in with a chance! PS Thanks Zaz.

Cor blimey - praise!!! Fankoo.

xxx

[raine]

my brassicas are on a capillary matting thingy-should i whip 'em off do you think?

[mogs]

Brassica update - after roughly chucking some seed in a hastily prepared seed bed at the lottie, watering em in and ignoring them for three or four weeks, I have some beautifully strong seedlings across the full range broccolli, psb, cabbage, caulis and brussels - so Jacob Marley I'd like to officially pronounce you to be the God of Brassicas Growers in my opinion - I am not worthy - it's Brassica Boot Camp every year from now on, no more pampering from me!!

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

Mogs, I'd say that perhaps either your compost is no good or your over watering or using butt water...use tap.

Wash any equipment that has been used with ***** fluid and water the compost with Cheshunt compound before sowing to be sure....you really shouldn't need to water again till they are up (if you have a lid it helps)

I sow direct to modules 2 or 3 seeds in each thinning to the strongest....occasionally transplanting if I get a miss.

Hi, I see you said to use tap water. I thought I was being kind by keeping a 10 gallon tank of aged water in the greenhouse and using it for everything. Is this bad? Ive even been using water out of my duckpond. All my brasicas are healthy and theyve been toasted a few days in greenhouse , theyre out now and still growing fast. My only poor plants are 3 cucs which are looking ill.
Should I stop using aged water for everything??? I thought the temp shock and flourine/chlorione would do em in?

[Alison]

The only problem I've had with brassicas is when I've grown them too warm, you always get better, stronger plants if you grow them cold. I tend to sow my earlier ones in the cold greenhouse but anything I sow now tends to be in the plastic covered staging which is outside and left totally open unless it's really cold overnight. I tend to underwater more than over so that bit's not a problem for me

[jacob marley]

[QUOTE=Sheikh Yerboutti;674676]Hi, I see you said to use tap water. I thought I was being kind by keeping a 10 gallon tank of aged water in the greenhouse and using it for everything. Is this bad? Ive even been using water out of my duckpond. .


it is a good idea to keep a water supply in the greenhouse because it is the same temperature as the plants that you are watering i do the same what will the ducks do when you have nicked all there water..jacob

[Sheikh Yerboutti]

[QUOTE=jacob marley;674876]

Hi, I see you said to use tap water. I thought I was being kind by keeping a 10 gallon tank of aged water in the greenhouse and using it for everything. Is this bad? Ive even been using water out of my duckpond. .


it is a good idea to keep a water supply in the greenhouse because it is the same temperature as the plants that you are watering i do the same what will the ducks do when you have nicked all there water..jacob

Good question.. Well, the ducks pondwater gets fouled up so bout once a week I draw off about 5% of it then top back up with mains water. The water I drew off goes to a store in greenhouse. It must be heavy with nitrates I guess as algae blooms in it readily. I dilute it a little and put it on crops. Its a bit of an experiment, not sure if plants will get overloaded. It just seems a shame to throw it down drain when Im on a meter.