Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Kale in containers.

[Containergardener]

Hi

I've given in and am being brave enough to try growing the above this yr, I'm not sure how many plants I will need to sow for , how many containers/how many plants per container/container size&depth.
I have troughs, storage boxes , round pots, sq pots of the 30,40,50cm heights.
Do they need full sun? My deck has sun from midday , so half gets morning til late afternoon, other half gets sun midday til sunset.
Also can the broccoli and kale be close to each other, I'm thinking netting from beasts.

I'm trying to plan what to grow where sorry for all the questions, I'm sure I will have more though

Thank you.

[bario1]

Purple sprouting might be a stretch in containers, the plants are 4' tall at least and quite top heavy - you'd need very heavy soil in very large containers, one plant per pot, spaced a couple of feet apart.

[bramble]

Sorry I cant help as I dont have enough garden space to grow brocolli or kale and just didnt they were suitable for container growing. I am sure somebody else will have better advice for you.

[Containergardener]

Ah good job I haven't sown any yet then
I suppose I could let them have bit of area nr greenhouse if OH will make me a bed of sorts. I shall have a think. Thanks anyway. May still try couple in pots for sheer daftness

[veggiechicken]

Re kale - depends on what sort you want to grow - they come in all shapes and sizes!

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ale_71170.html

[Bigmallly]

This thread may give you hope:

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ots_64879.html

[Containergardener]

Re kale - depends on what sort you want to grow - they come in all shapes and sizes!

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ale_71170.html

The seeds I have are dwarfs curled kale.

[Containergardener]

I've just checked that list, I didn't know was so many types



Thanks big mally.
Perhaps I should dig some of my heavy clay soil in the pots too, should keep them down

[bario1]

That will probably be fine in a large container, just make sure you use a soil based compost like John Innes 3 to give the pot some weight.

[Containergardener]

Thanks . Will do.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I am not growing PSB this year but when I do I get to a reasonable size in MFBs the bob it in my dustbins when the main crop spuds have been harvested. Any smaller container would be in danger of blowing over in bad weather.

My dwarf curly kale is again brought on in MFB and the follows my main crop onions into cut down plastic water tanks. If you have a container about 10 to 12 inches deep 3ft x 2ft you would get 2 plants in there.

[Penellype]

I experimented with growing PSB and Brokali (tenderstem broccoli) in 30 litre buckets over winter. This was the result earlier this month:



These are in ordinary compost, not soil, and have been grown in mostly shady conditions. The Brokali started producing in December (now somewhat worse for wear) and the PSB was ready to start cutting when this photo was taken on 11th April.

You will get bigger plants if you grow them in the ground, but if you just want a small amount this sort of pot should be fine.

[Containergardener]

Thanks for your help everyone. I shall give their growing area some thought , espeshially as I have done some seeds now