Topic: Cauli woes..........

[pjb]

My first year on my allotment has been fairly sucessfull apart from my Cauli's that were a dismal failure, they were planted with other Brassicas' which have done pretty well (when the slugs, voles, mice, catapilars, pidgeons and rabbits left them alone!), the ground had well rotted manure added last autumn and was limed after being tested, the plants were well "healed" in so I waited with antissipation (sp?). The end result were small cauli's that went brown and mouldy very quickly  :(

Can anyone point me to the cause? Thanks.

[pjb]

Well I've been reading up as best I can on my Cauli problems, does Boron deficiency make sense to anyone?

[Kingfisher]

Well I've been reading up as best I can on my Cauli problems, does Boron deficiency make sense to anyone?

Yes I have been reading about boron and to combat that I have read that you should put in Bicarb but you have to be carefull not to overdose.

[Jeannine]

I can relate to all of this and I asked a seed grower I knew overseas why this was happening. I was told that different varieties do better in some climates. She sent me some seeds that were supposed to do well in  unpredictable weather that can swing all ways. They are called Shasta.

 I grew them and have had no problems since.

My caulis are big and lovely and I am not doing anything different apart from giving this particular seed a lot of space as they are a very big cauli.

 I would ask what the other folks around you  who get good caulis grow.

XX Jeannine