Cabbage Confusion and lettuce limbo

[maytreefrannie]

I tend to slice cabbage into ribbons and fry in butter and garlic so any leaves would work, whether its a full heart or not. Bang some in, you've lost nothing but pence if it doesn't work.

That sounds lovely, I'm going to try it - it's soft, whiteish cabbage I have just now, but I was wondering would it work with red cabbage? I'd like to hear if anyone has tried that.

[snohare]

I harvested two leafy one's at the weekend

back to the Head's

Good job the punctuation police are on leave today...! (Note how the plural requires no apostrophe unless denoting something owned by those persons or things, while the singular requires an apostrophe because it denotes an object owned by that person or thing..)

I've already got some Savoy cabbages beginning to heart up, plus a couple of others which are ready for picking - I will cut notches in those stumps and aim for 4 smaller regrowth heads - but my main cunning plan since I screwed up so badly on quantities this year, is to plant some Unwin's "Greensleeves" Spring Green cabbages.
To give them a good start I am aiming to sow them on an unheated windowsill and then maybe out into my lean to, then plant out in a few weeks once they are hardened off. I don't expect hearts, just lots of edible cabbage leaves. Hey, it all goes down the same way...
What I'm wondering now is, can I grow turnips indoors in modules to replace the seedlings sown direct, which the slugs have wiped out ?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Alas, I am in too good a mood to care about punctuation today. But I will take note of the rule! Been trying to get my head 'roud that for years went to the head, and it wasn't too bad (long story short, gainful employment for the first half of next year).

I have spring cabbage in modules, to be put on the Lottie should I get one in the next few weeks. Have to call the nice secretary chap tomorrow when I have come off of my cumulon nimbus nine.

[Two_Sheds]

You know we only jest about the pesky postrafees

Well done on the contract. Could you pot on the cabbages a bit, so they grow a bit? Otherwise they'll struggle if kept small in modules

[horticultural_hobbit]

Good thing I lubs you all, postrafees or not!

What's the deal with winter lettuce? I have some in my seedbox, that I have yet to sow. Starts with a 'v' I think. I'm holding off sowing, til I get a yea or a nay with the patch of land to play on.

I probably could pot the cabbages on. At the moment, the seedlings set about two or three centimetres high and in the four tier GH just to keep them safe.

[Two_Sheds]

What's the deal with winter lettuce?

Well, lettuce likes cool weather anyway, and winter lettuce is just that bit hardier. Mine (Rusty) self-seeds now. It has just appeared this last fortnight, it's currently 2" tall and I'll gather all those seedlings and transplant them into a straight line so I can find them easily in the dark (ish) days.

Winter Gem is nice too: I've got some seed drying off at the mo, but don't know if it's viable yet

[snohare]

What's the deal with winter lettuce? I have some in my seedbox, that I have yet to sow.

I don't know how others do it, but I am planning to sow my winter lettuce seed in modules, leave them watered by a gravel tray, and plant them out once they are up to four leaves or more; maybe keep a couple in a large pot outside the door at home. I am guessing that they need to be sown pretty soon, because although they may grow in colder temperatures, it will be exponential growth at a lesser rate - so a small head start (or delay) will translate to a big difference. I'm not sure yet what soil they like best, free draining with high nitrogen I think, but I will be looking it up.
In the past I did well by digging a pit about a foot deep, planting out into the bottom of the pit (I made sure it was into topsoil, not subsoil) and then putting a window on top as a kind of coldframe. They grew steadily all winter with no need for extra watering (which was why I didn't just sow them into pots), I used them as cut-and-come-again, and it was as easy as falling off a log.
That was Winter Little Gem IIRC, but I take it that what you have will be that Italian stuffie with the name that no dyslexic is ever likely to spell correctly...
No doubt TS will have some good advice based on much more extensive experience, which always trumps theory.

Ha, pipped at the post !

[horticultural_hobbit]

How beautifully scientific and investigative, snohare, I do like your exploration. ::darts to have a look in seed box:: Valdor. I got one called Valdor. Have no idea if that is Italian or not. I have lots of empty grow bags and pots, that i might play with might play with tomorrow. Since it is friday, my brain is not being compliant.

Have just had a chat with the lottie secretary, and I could, have one by Sunday. A half plot, currently not in a good state; I am last on the waiting list, so will get what's left. One is indeed a happy hobbit.

[Two_Sheds]

here's a linky: Valdor is highly rated

Winter lettuces love my soil: sandy, free-draining, slightly alkaline

[snohare]

How beautifully scientific and investigative

I've read way too many New Scientists HH ! I see the world as variables and historical context (except when the smoke alarm goes off).

lamb's lettuce. This salad leaf grows slowly, so plant the seeds as early as possible

I'm so glad I read that page TS, I was beginning to wonder what I was doing wrong with mine. They're not kidding are they...although in the end I put halved 1.5L plastic drinks bottle cloches over some of mine, and the difference in speed of growth was immediate and impressive. Even just at the stage of being smaller than a pinkie fingernail, one week of such a cloche made a visible impact on growth rate.
I'd been toying with idea of adding sand to my soil, seems Irish really because who needs more grit in their loam ? - but between waterlogged alliums and bogged down carrots, I think it might be a good idea to modify one bed for this winter's lettuce, and use it for roots next spring.
So...continuity of employment (to ensure eradication of errant apostrophes perhaps ? ) and now you have an allotment the same size of mine. Well done you ! Are you going to dig it over, or do the manure-under-cardboard thing and simply plant through with a few winter croppers ? The plot thickens...

[horticultural_hobbit]

[QUOTE=snohare;893258]I've read way too many New Scientists HH ! I see the world as variables and historical context (except when the smoke page

I used to have a subscription, for all the Psychology issues. Only with employment and subsequently getting busy, I had to cancel it. Had beautifully creative artwork with the articles. I might re-think it when I get a sec. Makes for beautiful wider reading for A level.

The hypothetical plan, is to remove waist high weeds and dig up roots et cetra. To then cover with black plastic til I receive onions, garlic and shallots. With lettuce, cabbage and broad beans. Once i have sown what I can sow at this time of the year, black plastic will cover the uncultivated space. I'm not sure what poo is available, so I might add some fishy bone blood stuff.

New gainful employment, yes. Even us educators of willing minds are getting carked upon from a great height; despite many labouring under the mis-apprehension of the profession being a doddle and fairly stable. S'not! I wouldn't have any other job in the universe, but there aren't many windows. I'm a happy hobbit and a stupidly lucky one. I might just acquire a grasp of postreefees. Dust of the Lang lit A-level that i haven't used for a while.

[snohare]

educators of willing minds are getting carked upon from a great height

Hmmm, I have a theory. Be the sort of person who (the head thinks) with just a tiny bit of effort will shape up nicely...the jumping bean commas might yet serve you faithfully in that respect

I seriously recommend cardboard if you can get large boxes. (Widescreen plasma TVs and white goods are good.) I use both simply due to lack of transport and resources, but the more I find out about plasticisers the less I use plastic, and long term the difference that cardboard and newspaper makes to soil structure makes any hassle worthwhile, I'd say. The worms really will do a good job of digging the ground over for you, and incorporating the rotten grasses etc into the soil - granted, you will still have the usual c**p to remove from the soil, but at least come spring the couch grass roots will be pulling out of loose, friable soil. (Look up some of the old threads on clearing ground if you want to see the recommendations.)
Personally I think we are about to have a winter of hellishly hard frosts, so putting down anything that will help insulate the ground and generate some heat from decomposing weeds might help you steal a march come spring.
Of course, psychologically, having an allotment is good for you, it enables your personality to develop. We all know - it's hobbit forming...

[horticultural_hobbit]

[QUOTE=
Of course, psychologically, having an allotment is good for you, it enables your personality to develop. We all know - it's hobbit forming...[/QUOTE]

Love it! Hobbit forming indeed. Dropped it in yesterday whilst being interviewed in relation to an already existing Eco club. Tis a great "ooh" moment.

[snohare]

Yes, it's funny how to some people allotments have a kind of glamour, for all their muck and untidiness.
I suppose it is a closed world to many, and many more try at it, often just as a form of wishful thinking, and fail, so from the outside it comes across as an arcane art. I suppose vegetable growing is, really, when you think of the complexities...
I have friends who look up to me as some kind of guru because I always have some kind of answer to any question they pose on the subject of veggie gardening. But frankly, in my heart, I know that it is all a politician's promise - ok, I spent years reading up on the subject, I've watched it done, picked many a brain...but actually, I don't have that much experience of getting it right, and in fact many a beginning amateur with talent will outdo me from a standing start.
If I hadn't been lucky enough to be a gopher to a professional gardener who had very exacting standards and went to great lengths to eliminate my naturally sloppy habits, I would undoubtedly have a complete disaster of a growing season every year. As it is, I know my talents are far below those of most here on the Vine - but scarily, to the ignorant, I come across as some kind of expert...
Hmm, now I know how we came to have so many idiots in charge of the country...!

[horticultural_hobbit]

Next plan of action...



Have had a burst of energy, and played with the grow bags. Actioning a bit of the autumn term plan, before I do or do not get the patch of land to play with. All a bit of green fingered experimentation, take that New scientist!