Brassicas

[carolineholding]

Me again! so, my first year of growing went splendidly in the whole (no I'm not in the UK) the only thing that wasn't great was Brassica's. I got flea beetles, harlequin shield bugs (we don't get these in the UK) my sprouts all blew and generally everything was very leggy so even my kale is growing under my broccoli and probably not as productive as it could be. Although no probs with cabbage whites or pigeons funnily enough.

So I have made plans for next year (to net etc) but I was very disapointed so I was just interested to hear everyone's more general brassica growing tips.

thanks in advance and I hope you all had a good Christmas

Caroline

[Two_Sheds]

Brassicas are very hard to grow. They get every pest going, as you've found.

Some of us grow very few, or not at all.

There are loads of old threads, but I'm just going out so I can't do a search for you.

This link might work: grapevine brassicas - Google Search


or it might not

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi CarolineS, I think if you are planting brassicas you will always need to net. Flea beetle are a pain and there is not really a lot you can do about them as no net will keep them out. Have you looked at Enviromesh? Smaller holes! I have some cages that Mr VVG built for me, which we can put on/take off as required. Sprouts blow when they are not in firm ground. Also give them a good feed as they are big and hungry. Try treading the soil before planting. Hope 2013 is a good year for all GYO. HNY to you

[Andromeda]

I must be the exception that proves the rule with respect to brassicas being difficult to grow. Everything has been late this year but I still have sprouts, cabbage, PSB and kale doing really well (calabrese, GSP, cauliflowers and other cabbage types did well earlier in the year too). Firm ground, crop rotation, plenty of feed and loads of home made compost are my methods along with mesh frames, collars and companion planting.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Andromeda, you have me wanting to snarl and spit -----with jealously. I never normally have any problems with brassicas but this year has been a disaster and we evenhad to buy sprouts for our Christmas lunch which is the first time ever. Very well done to you for succeeding in a very difficult year

[Snadger]

I must be the exception that proves the rule with respect to brassicas being difficult to grow. Everything has been late this year but I still have sprouts, cabbage, PSB and kale doing really well (calabrese, GSP, cauliflowers and other cabbage types did well earlier in the year too). Firm ground, crop rotation, plenty of feed and loads of home made compost are my methods along with mesh frames, collars and companion planting.

And a big helping of luck!

[Bigmallly]

As above plus the only think I do that has not been mentioned is a sprinkle of lime round each plant. I use these cages that as you see can be propped up & moved.


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[Potstubsdustbins]

Like Andromeda I seem to have success every year with my brassica's. Every year I grow Cauli's, calabrese, spring cabbage, 2 types of Psb and this year had a trial of curly kale. We liked it so much it's now on the must grow list. I lost 2 cauli's to caterpillers this year, spring will see new frames built over the beds to stop this happening a gain.

In a year like we have just had weatherwise container growing wins every time over the ground alternative. If you provide the correct drainage your plants never get flooded. Watering and feeding are also easier when growing in containers.

Potty

[frogga]

I lime 3 months before planting brassicas, and have had really good Kale and Cabbages (all varieties), however I must hold the record for the smallest cauliflower ever grown! I had one real success at PSB but every other one failed.

I won't be beaten and will try harder this year.

Andrew

[Aberdeenplotter]

Funny you should mention that. At the NVS national championships at Malvern this year, as part of the Scottish Branch entry for a display of vegetables for effect, I had a cauliflower in a small queen cake case. Surely the smallest cauliflower ever exhibited at the NVS Nationals.

[PyreneesPlot]

Flea beetle is the bane of down here, for me anyway.

My solution is to grow on all the plants in pots away from the veg garden until they can withstand attack. I tried covering them but the beetles got into the tiniest holes in the netting. This year I also tried diatomaceous earth which seems to have kept the numbers in check, but then so did the wet weather. Early crops may beat them, certainly radishes are fine until late April after which they don't get beyond the seedling stage.

I just hand pick the shield bugs, but watch for them on chard, too.

As for cabbage whites, the hornets and dragonflies eat them and the pigeons are eaten by the neighbours...

Good luck for 2013.

[carolineholding]

Yes, the flea beetle thing is so severe here that all of my brassica crops were struggling to cope, interesting to hear about your ideas re this Pyrenees Plot. I have had similar thoughts (although that diatomaceous earth is a new one on me).

I understand that they like to hide in the foliage of the weeds growing under the crops and also they like hot dry conditions, so I was thinking of not so much netting to keep them out Virgin Veg Grower, but covering the ground with that green stuff (we have a bit left on the roll after using it for fruit trees) to supress weeds and to hold moisture if there isn't enough I'll try mulching with straw. Also last year I was making a liquid feed with the copious amounts of nettles that grow on the bank behind my plot, based on the idea that I can do nothing to stop the miniscule beetles but I could help the plant regenerate. I did notice that the fowl smelling stuff does seem to put them off a bit but it was hard to spray the leaves as regularly as I'd like what with all the other jobs I had to keep up with. Parhaps next year I might have a better handle on it.

Also although the brassicas that should have cropped before xmas have been a total none starter, the ones that are starting to crop now seem to be ok, the flea beetle magically disappeared in early sept so they've had a chance to recover i think next year I'll focus on growing stuff that crops later, and to be honest thats were the gap is anyway -there were so many other things to harvest in september and october.

Finally I did read of a companion plant when I was googling in desperation last summer, I can't remember what it was, I do recall it was an obscure herb and I had no idea where to purchase the seeds from in rural France, I shall try to find it again with a view to sourcing some in time for this summer, and I'll update you accordingly if I figure out what it is/manage to try it out

Lovely to find all these responses, very helpful! thanks again guys

Caroline

[PyreneesPlot]

Hi Caroline

Not sure if these guys are near your bit of Gers, but they may be able to answer questions or find your companion!

Welcome to Kingdom Végétal | Kingdom Vegetal


We need to keep comparing notes - there must be a solution...

[BertieFox]

France is a far more difficult place to grow brassicas unless you are lucky enough to live in Brittany or somewhere with a very mild winter climate. We used to grow kales, sprouts and overwintered spring greens with no problem in the UK, but here, near Tours, with the alternation between very cold and very warm weather in winter, most of our brassicas are reduced to mush during the winter. I have given up completely on overwintered caulis and purple sprouting.
The simplest solution is to grow things in a large polytunnel. At least we get things like caulis going very early with a late spring crop of fantastic heads. (We find it easier to buy the plants in January from the local market).
On diseases, we originally had major problems with flea beetles, white fly and cabbage butterfly caterpillars etc. but gardening organically with lots of predator attractant plants (phacelia, other nectar bearing flowers interplanted) we have mainly avoided these problems, though we are fortunate to live in a fairly isolated spot away from other gardens.
Our most reliable brassica is the perennial kale known as 'Chou d'Aubenton'. This goes on year after year and gives an abundance of green leafy shoots in spring, no matter how awful the winter. The best advice with this is always to have new stem cutting going in case you lose the parent plant, but we have kept it going for at least four years.

[carolineholding]

"Not sure if these guys are near your bit of Gers, but they may be able to answer questions or find your companion!"

Oh yes they are very close, in one of the local towns in fact do most of our shopping in Bolougne, I haven't been in very much although I have run into them at a few market type things. They do a gardening club type thing don't they, do you go?

Gosh, I haven't had any Brassicas reducing to mush yet, just got some late psb coming now, which is exciting given my track record so far, pretty much the only success of the family (give or take the odd sprout)