Winter Cabbages and Planning

[tom_birmingham]

I have about 15 broad beans in my patch at the moment and I hope to grow winter cabbages thereafter in the same patch, I'd like a Savoy or perhaps a January King but something that looks and tastes good through the colder months.

What are peoples recommendations for growing from seed, would you plant seeds straight into the ground as soon as the broad beans are over ? Happy to go in modules, or buy plugs if needed.

Any tips would be great !

Thanks,

Tom

[veggiechicken]

Hi Tom and welcome.
I always start cabbages off in a seed tray and on into modules when large enough. Start some now and they'll be ready to plant out when your beans are finished.

[Chippy Minton]

If you have a spare patch (fairly small) start a nursery bed. Sow the seeds there, let them get established and when the patch is ready transplant. I've found this to be far more successful then modules, etc. they always go leggy for me, although I know others will disagree, maybe I just don't pay them enough attention!

Someone will be along shortly with a link to a discussion on seedbeds

[Fleurisa]

When you plant them into their permanent positions, plant them deeper

[arpoet]

I thinly sow in modules in a cool greenhouse and remove all but one a module at the seed leaf stage, then as they start growing a wee bit taller I pot into 3 inch pots and keep em where they will not get too hot.

I have my savoy and tundra and kale plants (about 3 inches high ) in pots ready to plant out late August.

[Penellype]

Whether or not you sow directly into soil probably depends hugely on the extent of your slug problem. Personally I have found that direct sowing of any brassica (with the occasional exception of turnips) usually results in 100% annihilation before the plants have developed any true leaves. I therefore always plant into pots or modules, grow them on outside under nets, and plant them out when they are big enough to stand a chance of surviving the onslaught, usually with some protection such as rings of plastic with copper tape on.

[RaptorUK]

I haven't had problems with slugs/snails . . . the pellets I am using seem quite effective, but I have had problems with Pigeons. My potted up Savoy cabbages have suffered while waiting me to pull my finger out and get my 2nd cage ready, thankfully it's done now and just need the Enviromesh stapling on.

I tried placing the Savoy seedlings in trays and placed these trays on top of 10" terracotta pots to get them up out of beak range . . . but that didn't do the lawn much good if I forgot to move them around, so they got moved to the yard and the Pigeons have occasionally been landing directly on the pots.

They should be planted in the ground at the Allotment in the next few days so it seems they have made a close escape. Next year I'll be doing things differently . . . probably sowing directly into the ground or planting very young seedlings, but next year I won't have to design and build two 2m x 4m brassica cages.

[Alison]

I sow my winter brassicas in 3" pots (about 10 seeds to each pot) in mid April (ish) for most of them. I'll then prick out into modules when they're big enough but prefer to let them get to a decent size before I plant out otherwise I find they get got by the slugs. They'll also be enviromeshed as soon as they're planted out to avoid bird / caterpillar damage.