Calling all brassica experts

[Guest]

I am looking for everyones tips and tricks for growing brassicas. I am sure I am missing loads, I am getting better but still not very good. There is netting against butterflies and pigeons only to be overwhelmed with tiny snails and whitefly. Firming in plants only to end up with wonky stems and so on. Yet I have seen lots of you produce lovely heads of cabbage and cauly. I am determined to get something more than a few kale leaves and blown sprouts

Many thanks as always

[Greenleaves]

Not an expert but;
How deep do you plant the young plants? I always plant to the first true leaves. I never dig the soil in the proposed brasica bed in the season of planting. If the sprouts are exposed to the wind stake them. Regular feed of nettle tea and plenty of water.

White fly.....apart from enviromesh I haven't a clue


You might also want to check the ph of your soil

[Guest]

^^^Is your regular - weekly?

I don't water anything in the patch once planted/sown . I also don't plant upto the first leaves so will def. give that a bash.

[Greenleaves]

In the first few weeks as often as possible, then at least fortnightly in open ground.

[steve sin]

My little experience with them:
1. Stake them in case of wind rock.
2. Put some copper take around the stems and stake.
3. Grow romanesco in summer leave the others till autumn.
4. Buy white rust resistant varieties. Duram early and romanesco are not so I found out!
5. Give good spacing to get the best size. I didn't... lesson learned.

[Elfeda]

me thinking of growing just 4 brassicas a month (all together) and not necessarily all months. so approximately 10 plants of cabbage, 10 cauli's, 10 brocali, 5 sprouts and 2 or 3 kale plants is all to grow in one year.this way I care few plants , no stress.

[Greenleaves]

For a good all round cabbage NG try Golden Acre, remember the closer together the smaller the heads and the greater the pest threat.

[Guest]

me thinking of growing just 4 brassicas a month (all together) and not necessarily all months. so approximately 10 plants of cabbage, 10 cauli's, 10 brocali, 5 sprouts and 2 or 3 kale plants is all to grow in one year.this way I care few plants , no stress.

I am stuggling to see how that will work when brassicas can sit in the ground for months on end

[Alison]

^^^Is your regular - weekly?

I don't water anything in the patch once planted/sown . I also don't plant upto the first leaves so will def. give that a bash.

In the first few weeks as often as possible, then at least fortnightly in open ground.

I don't water anything in open ground after planting, even in quite dry weather. I find that watering means the plants form shallower roots and therefore are less stable. Also tend to prep the soil before planting so don't need to feed much afterwards. Works well for me.

[Elfeda]

use 2 small patches for brassicas (like 2 3'X6' beds), one spring sown and one july planted. put the mix of plants at 2 times 2 halfs. when any space is free in these beds, grow nice big letucess, or other quick salads. but do not stress youself. too much attention can harm

I thought of fallowing organic plants mixes (just sow some seeds to mach their specific months delivery)..but for myself it can be a hassle. so have your own flexi ideas.

aim to grow few of any veg groups , once I get a balance promote one more patch of each?

have one or 2 patches empty all the time, you may get to start important crops early or in time rather to wait for something is done and hurry in planting.

I have lots of space cleared and somewhat dug, but I am not sure how much I can run. be ready to water them once a week or twice a month if not more.


let's minimize failures first by not planting many

[Aberdeenplotter]

I start my brassicas off in deep root trainers in commercial gp compost. (Keeping them away from soil to start with helps keep them away from club roottill they are stronger). At planting out time, I dip the rootball in a slurry of lime and water, and then really really firm them into the ground. My size 10's are used. I slip a 4" square of carplet underlay(slot cut into the middle)around the stem to protect from cabbage root fly and then cover with netting to protect from birds and the cabbage butterfly. The net may need to be replaced with fleece in future if the diamond back moth is going to be a regular problem...

Jim McColl of Beechgrove Garden described my plants as "brassicas to die for". I must be doing summat right

[Guest]

use 2 small patches for brassicas (like 2 3'X6' beds), one spring sown and one july planted. put the mix of plants at 2 times 2 halfs. when any space is free in these beds, grow nice big letucess, or other quick salads. but do not stress youself. too much attention can harm

let's minimize failures first by not planting many

Would love to see how you get on with this.

I am not stressing. I just want to learn what I can do to get better brassicas. Having lettuce (which I know I can grow) doesn't really work if I want cauly

Oh and I don't have failures I just have attempts that could be better and I try to improve on them

[Guest]

I start my brassicas off in deep root trainers in commercial gp compost. (Keeping them away from soil to start with helps keep them away from club roottill they are stronger). At planting out time, I dip the rootball in a slurry of lime and water, and then really really firm them into the ground. My size 10's are used. I slip a 4" square of carplet underlay(slot cut into the middle)around the stem to protect from cabbage root fly and then cover with netting to protect from birds and the cabbage butterfly. The net may need to be replaced with fleece in future if the diamond back moth is going to be a regular problem...

Jim McColl of Beechgrove Garden described my plants as "brassicas to die for". I must be doing summat right

Do you lime your soil as well or is the slurry enough?
Thankfully I have big feet so stomping them in isn't an issue

[Elfeda]

if only for improving, our head gardener Aberdeenplotter gave it enough

[Aberdeenplotter]

Do you lime your soil as well or is the slurry enough?
Thankfully I have big feet so stomping them in isn't an issue

Yes I lime the brassica bed as it moves around the plot.