Planting out of Spring Cabbages

[MarkHackwell]

I have just started sowing in the Greenhouse and released I didn't have time to plant my Spring Cabbages in the Allotment last year. Would I be able to plant them now or when should I wait too and would I need to harden them off somewhere cooler first?

[Kristen]

You have plants in the greenhouse that didn't get planted in Autumn?

If so then yes, I would put them in now (on a day when ground not frozen). They don't need hardening off (unless greenhouse is heated to MIN 10C or above). The greenhouse will have been just as cold as outside on cold nights, but ideally it will have had ventilation on sunny days? so temperature will not have climbed much.

Biggest concern for me is that the plants are root-bound in their containers? and thus might have been stressed and thus might bolt rather than heading-up ... planting them out and waiting will tell us for sure, but perhaps if you are very tight for space consider chucking them and using the space for something else.

[Thelma Sanders]

I think it's a bit too late for Spring cabbage now - I've just sown a few early Summer ones - should be ready in June, if we don't get at Arctic blast in March when I'll need to plant them out.

[Penellype]

Its not a great time of year for planting out, and the plants would probably get an almighty shock going from a greenhouse to outside in the ground just now. However, you are likely to be warmer that we are up here, so it may not be quite so drastic (we have a yellow warning of snow not far from here for today and tomorrow for example). I think there is a danger that the current mild temperatures will lull people into a false sense of security - most of the weather models are going for a somewhat colder period towards the end of January, and February can be a very cold month. If you are going to plant them outside I would at least protect them with something like fleece until they have had time to get used to it.

[MarkHackwell]

Think I might put them into a big pot then and put the pot into the Greenhouse and harvest them as Cabbages or Greens. Would that be alright?

[Penellype]

Should be as long as they have not got too pot bound. You should get some greens off them anyway - whether or not you get hearts will depend a lot on the variety.

[arpoet]

I have spring cabbage in the ground (planted a couple of weeks after the onions were lifted) and some in troughs in the cold greenhouse. all the same variety, all sowed on the same day. The ones in the ground look very poor while the ones in the greenhouse are doing very well.
I think next year i will just grow in the greenhouse.

[Snadger]

I have spring cabbage in the ground (planted a couple of weeks after the onions were lifted) and some in troughs in the cold greenhouse. all the same variety, all sowed on the same day. The ones in the ground look very poor while the ones in the greenhouse are doing very well.
I think next year i will just grow in the greenhouse.

As my tomatoes came out of my greenhouse beds, I planted them up with spring cabbage.
These cabbage are streets ahead of any I have in the garden and hopefully will give me a succession of crops!

[lottie dolly]

Nothing to loose,but everything to gain by planting them out,i got some inside,actually growing,whist some outside under netting have not moved,i was thinking of putting a barrier around them,just to stop the wind chill,