Chance of a crop from late planted brassicas

[BarleySugar]

I ordered some bareroot kale, cabbage and sprout plants in September. They still haven't arrived How late has anyone planted and still got a crop? Plants are supposed to be 6 inches tall.

[Scarlet]

We're they to be delivered this year? I think it's a strange time to plant Sprouts, seedlings are usually planted in around May for a winter crop. I dont think you'd get a crop now.
What variety of cabbage were they? I started mine off mid August and planted in the GH end sept for a spring harvest. Did they give you a delivery date?

[BarleySugar]

The plants were advertised as autumn planting, and it had sept to nov listed after the ones I ordered. I thought it might be pushing it a bit to plant at the end of sept, but now almost mid nov, so I've sent an email asking to cancel order. Problem is, when I read through terms and conditions, say they might send out up to a month after delivery date, which could take us to end of December Wish I'd checked their fb page, as most of the comments for several years have focused on delivery delays.

This is the order. I thought it was pushing it for sprouts, as my others are already cropping. I'd missed the boat for kale and cabbage, and when I found a small nursery selling online I thought it ideal.

Broccoli Purple Sprouting Mixed
Brussels Sprouts Rubine
Cabbage Brunswick
Cabbage Green Flatpol
Cabbage Holland Winter
Cauliflower Autumn Giant
Onion Mixed 100 Sets
Kale Black Tuscany

I since found some basics plants at a garden centre reduced to £1 for 9, so risked a fiver in the hope I can something in to over winter.

[Scarlet]

Im hoping some other peeps that have grown these varieties can offer some help? Most crops need to be in the ground before now to have any luck of getting through the Winter months. I sow Spring varieties of cabbage late Summer to harvest in Spring, you may have luck planting seedlings a little outside their advised planting dates but planting in the depth of winter I don't think they will have much chance to put on any more growth. It's getting to cold and the daylight hours are to short.lets hope they don't send them when the ground is frozen! Personally I would demand my money back.

I've looked a few of your varieties up :
Sprouts - rubine. These should be sown in April- May, harvest in the Autumn. I've never heard of anyone planting any sprout seedlings in November!

Cabbage Brunswick is a large drumhead-type, winter cabbage - matures approx 90 day from seed to harvest. Sow March - may. Harvest October.

Cabbage - Autumn giant, again this variety is usually planted Spring for an Autumn/Winter Harvest. Not to stand in the ground over Winter as a seedling.

Kale Tuscany (often grow this variety)- I usually sow mine March/April. These can be picked from late summer and through the winter. If you plant now at 6inch, you may be able to pick as "salad leaves" but they don't put on much growth during winter, they will start to put on growth in early spring but (IMO) will start to flower. I often sow seed in Aug for salad leaves and a very early crop in the GH in Spring. That may be an option for you but not if they deliver in December!

It's time to plant onion sets but they need to be the over wintering types. I'm beginning to think this company are really selling plants that are unsuitable to grow through the winter. The only thing that I plant outside during nov/dec would be garlic and broad beans.
Who are they Barley Sugar?

[WendyC]

I have to agree with Scarlet. I'd ask for a refund. Even if you got them in the ground this week they aren't going to grow much before winter and then when the weather warms up the tendency will be for them to bolt.

[BarleySugar]

Thanks for looking things up Scarlet, it doesn't sound too promising. I suspected as much, but was sort of hoping for someone to tell me that they had been successful in planting so late.
I emailed and asked them to cancel, he has agreed to take off the sprouts and cauli, but says he would be pushed to refund the whole order due to cash flow problems, and going by his terms and conditions, he isn't obliged. The company seems to be a small business, and I like to try and support people, but if the business is selling plants online, then keeping customers happy, and getting recommendations is extremely important. Amazing he now says he will do the order tomorrow, but I won't be able to plant them until next weekend!
He says he thinks the kale and cabbage will produce, but I think they will be very late, and like you say, probably just bolt. I've accepted the partial refund, it is better than nothing, and more than pays for the reduced ones I bought for £1 and planted today.
The business is called Vegetable Plants Direct, he orders in the brassicas from a supplier, other stuff he seems to grow from seed, but seems to always be running out, or mice eat the peas etc. They just did a Halloween special, goodness knows when those plants will be delivered. I will just have to put it down to experience, and check up on Facebook and Twitter for negative reviews if I haven't heard of the company before.

[WendyC]

Tip I learnt when trying out a new online company is to Gurgle the name of the company and review. Then at least you have something to go on.

[BarleySugar]

It's odd that I do when buying almost anything else online, but didn't think of doing it
for veg plants . Timing might have been a bit of a reason, a Saturday night I think

[alldigging]

If you have ordered them in Septmeber then a month is long enough for delivery.

It will be a waste of money to get them now.

Either accept his part refund and bite your lip on the rest or if you paid by CC or paypal ask them for your money back.

His business's cashflow isn't part of your problem.

[Jungle Jane]

I think it's a strange time to plant Sprouts, seedlings are usually planted in around May for a winter crop.

I thought it was strange,but I read you can sow Evesham special sprouts in the autumn for harvest in spring,so they could be wrong but I'm trying it (my seedlings are about 2inch tall) I don't know how it will go,I think they might bolt when the sun comes out in spring? At the moment they're growing well,as they can be grown part shade so I'm hoping lack of daylight hours won't have much affect?

[Penellype]

I think your best bet if/when the seedlings arrive is to grow them for a few fresh greens rather than expecting a full crop. I often do this with cabbages - I can't eat a full cabbage heart anyway, but I do like some fresh greens in the winter.

[Scarlet]

I thought it was strange,but I read you can sow Evesham special sprouts in the autumn for harvest in spring,so they could be wrong but I'm trying it (my seedlings are about 2inch tall) I don't know how it will go,I think they might bolt when the sun comes out in spring? At the moment they're growing well,as they can be grown part shade so I'm hoping lack of daylight hours won't have much affect?

You can in very mild conditions hope to get them through the cold Winter months for a Spring harvest but if yours are only 2inch tall (IMO) they really have been started off too late. Sowing the beginning of August so they have Aug, the warmth of September and then Oct, you may well be on course but "lack of daylight hours" seriously does slow down growth, it is unlikely that your plants will put on much growth through the winter. Have you got them undercover?

[Jungle Jane]

Yes theyre in the blow-away,cold but protected from the wind. They germinated out there,so they've always been cold,ive potted them on already,so when they're bigger I'l plant out (maybe in February if growth is that slow?I don't know).

[Scarlet]

I don't know much about sprouts to be honest. I don't grow them every year as its only me that eats them! But one year I sowed seed every two weeks and just planted one or two plants every month. I ate them well after Christmas but they were much bigger than 2 inch in November. I grow kale in the GH, they give me a great early Spring crop from a mid August sowing.
Sprouts take forever to grow! Not my favourite thing to grow. BM grows them, perhaps he'll pop in and shed some light

[Jungle Jane]

It was this thread that made me sow some,I don't know if anyone else is though?

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...uts_86742.html