Topic: Brassicas???

[Uncle Joshua]

I seem to have problems with brassicas every year (apart from cabbages) my sprouts blow and my cauliflowers never seem to form, I was wondering if this could be due to over digging? and if so would just digging the weeds out so the ground was firmer help?

[kenkew]

By heck, lots of possibilities there, Mick....but;
 Sprouts like ground like cement.....hard as a rock and always pick 'em from the bottom a third up as soon as they're big enough to eat. What I do with my cabbage and collie is, as soon as they start to form, I 'crack' the leaves over to cover the middle to slow 'em down.
Ken.

[betula]

Cauliflowers are known to be a difficult crop. :)

[betula]

The cauliflower needs protection from the sun.Pulling the outer leaves over the heads give them protection.Very well rotted manure,but not easy. :)

[Jeannine]

I have always had a problem with caulis, actually everyone on our lottie does,ho ho they tell me you can't grow caulis here,but I have found one I can grow called Shasta, I have passed this on to many folks and it is always reliable.

They grow very big, but we never have had a failure, each year I also try others but still it is the Shasta that comes through for me.

XX Jeannine

[Tee Gee]

Personally I think it is all in the soil or should I say the 'type' of soil.

Can't speak for you people that have clay or similar.

I have what might be termed a free draining lightish soil that over the years has become quite loamy. So based on the 'firm soil' argument I should not be able to grow good plants.

I never tread my soil in round brassicas and I get good results with all the brassicas.

I find when digging up my brassicas that the 'rootball' is always quite large meaning the roots anchor the plants in.

Generally I get no rocking and the cabbage, cauli, and broccoli heads are large and firm and the sprouts are tight right up the stem.

So if I am getting success doing it my way I will continue in that vein.

For those that have never seen my method of planting it is here; http://tinyurl.com/33loso and if you go to each of my brassica pages and click on the picture you will see how my stuff turns out.

I am aware that lots of people believe in the hard ground approach and thats fine by me but I will stick to my way thanks very much.

By the way I have tried the treading/firming in method in the past and I have noticed I don't get as big a rootball, i.e. the roots are restricted and I have never considered this is conducive to good growing practice.

What I would be interested to hear about is that if some of you try your tried and tested method for the bulk of your planting but do a few my way and see how you get on.

So there is another approach to confuse the 'newbies'  ::)

[Barnowl]

Hi TeeGee - is there a specific reason  for the Armillatox or is it just precautionary?

[Tee Gee]

is there a specific reason  for the Armillatox

Yes!! Club root control and I also I think it works with root fly & cabbage whites.

It has a 'jeyes fluid' smell which disappears from from human noses within a couple of days, but I don't think it does for insects. who are quite often attracted to a plant by smell.

I have even used it on carrots after thinning out to kill the 'carrot' smell.

[Barnowl]

Thanks -sorry I always seem to be asking you questions  :)

[carolinej]

I grew sprouts for the first time this year. I put them into my soft raised beds. Instead of firming them, I put a stake by the side of them to stop them rocking. The green (trafalgar) ones were lovely, with no blown sprouts. On the other hand, the red ones (Falstaff) blew very early, and looked more like ruffled lace petticoats ::)

I dont want to firm up the soil, as I dont want to dig the beds again afterwards. Now they are cleared away, I only had to run the hoe over the top, and they are ready fro the next crop.

I have to consider these things with my bad back :-X

cj :)

[redimp]

I have planted my sprouts into firm ground the past two year (undug from the previous year) and the large variety (Evesham) have blown both years.  I have previously read what TG has said about this and have this year dug my sprout ground in the hope that this gives the plants the chance to get a better foothold.  I shall let you know. :)

[davyw1]

The only only firming my soil gets is when i am standing on my sheet of plywood to rake the surface.
When i put my sprouts in i dig a trench just over 8" deep and plant the sprout in it, surrounding each plant with a ring of Growmore and Fish blood and bone.  The trench gets back filled bit at a time every time i hoe. Never had a bad result yet.
Cauliflowers Candid Charm and Colonel go in much the same as TEE GEE only once again encircled with Growmore and Fish Blood and Bone. The Cauli,s i give a little drink every day.
This year the only difference i will be doing is putting a sprinkling some Clasified Pluss in the bottom as according to the spec it a treatment for club root. I have not had any yet BUT????????

[bedrockdave]

This year the only difference i will be doing is putting a sprinkling some Clasified Pluss in the bottom as according to the spec it a treatment for club root


can anyone tell me what this is,we suffer a lot with club root?.Last year I surrounded the roots with a mixture of compost lime and crushed egg shells and that helped a bit

[Suzanne]

The green (trafalgar) ones were lovely, with no blown sprouts. On the other hand, the red ones (Falstaff) blew very early, and looked more like ruffled lace petticoats ::)
cj :)

i have grown Falstaff for two years on two different plots and each time they have blown, whilst my green types have produced lovely crops. I plant in beds as well which I don't firm, I also haven't needed to stake the plants as they produce good root balls and anchor themselves well - even on the second lottie which has a bit of clubroot.