Winter Hardy Brassicas

[realfood]

You may have seen breakfast TV earlier last week, with farmers showing the devastation to their fields of Winter cauliflowers, due to the hard Winter.
My Winter brassicas are in reasonable shape apart from Jagallo Nero( the jagged form of Cavello Nero) which is obviously not hardy.
My other Kales, Ragged Jack and dwarf curly Kale are fine. Likewise, my Brussels are late but are now producing.
The only Winter cauliflower that I have success with is Purple Cape which is looking very happy with life. This old fashioned variety looks as if it is related to purple sprouting, as it has a larger central purple floret, which should head in April here in the North.

Any other suggestions for really hardy brassicas that have survived the last two Winters?

[Jono]

My spring greens have made it through. Think I grew Hispi this year.

[Alison]

My spring cauliflowers and one each of PSB and WSB have died but everything else is (thankfully!) OK.

[Florence Fennel]

I did lots of complaining about the flower-sprouts not doing anything. As I haven't been feeling too fit for the last few months these were left to their own devices (I would have composted them had I felt fit enough) and to my surprise they are now fine specimens! I think I planted them in June.

[Pies]

Cabbage Tundra- I swear it would grow in the freezer

[Potstubsdustbins]

Spring cabbage Hero grown in containers. At one stage the wife was harvesting with a knife because she could not pull the roots out of the ground.

So far 51 out of 52 plants all OK.

Colin

[Croila]

I've got eight Morrisons flower buckets, with an "F1 Advantage" spring cabbage growing in each. I did put fleece over them for a little while back in December but then the fleece kind of blew away and I never got round to replacing it.

This photo of them was taken on 6 February and the cabbages have withstood temperatures of down to minus 14 degrees, uncovered. They're looking a bit ragged, but they're still alive, so I'd say they're pretty hardy!


DSC_8660 by croila, on Flickr

[Jono]

They look good Croila - my allotment spring greens are doing well, but the ones I put in similar sized pots aren't really growing. Some warm weather might sort them out.

[Headfry]

Savoy cabbage - the best there is yum yum yum

[Croila]

They look good Croila - my allotment spring greens are doing well, but the ones I put in similar sized pots aren't really growing. Some warm weather might sort them out.

Cheers Jono ... I'm hoping a burst of warmth will sort mine out too cause they're a bit ragged and scabby looking!

[northepaul]

My hungry gap and red russian kale survived the snow and freezing conditions, like other have said, they are a bit late but fine.

[AntonyM]

My Purple Sprouting is also a bit late, and a couple of plants didn't survive the winter, but the rest should be picking in the next week or two (hopefully).

[Jono]

My PSB is running late as well. Driving me mad! Keep popping down to check on progress, but nothing.

Plants look healthy though, so hopefully just a matter of time.

[Hole Digger]

Grew half dozen Tundra in polytunnel over winter looking good started to put some size on in the last 2 weeks

[Croila]

I stupidly tried to grow PSB in a raised square foot box. The stuff that survived cabbage root fly maggots grew to the size of triffids so I actually howked them out and composted them a couple of weeks ago. When I planted them, I had no idea how big they'd get - it was awful, never again!