Topic: cabbages

[saddad]

OH is absolutely certain that our best ever Sprout crop (last year) was because she used Robinson's F1 Igor seeds, I reckon it was the liberal application of muck. We will know for sure at the ned of the year as our regular source of Robinson's seed stopped stocking so we have gone back to older varieties...
 :-\

[Barnowl]

You can get Igor from Moreveg.com - I did :)

[ciderself]

What a great site barnowl --- shall give them a try. There's usually loads more seeds than you need in a packet.
 
Just got back from lottie after digging 4 trenches for my cabbages. Got loads more marestail out and backfilled with muck. I shall use the ordinary lime after planting, ( not risking the perlka)  but am potting the cabbages ( brussels and psb) on until they get quite large ( without lime) so they wont go in for a bit. Fingers crossed.  I deserve a cuppa now. 

[Barnowl]

Fingers crossed.  I deserve a cuppa now. 

Sounds like it  :)

I'm stuck behind a desk looking out at a lovely sunny afternoon  >:(

[Robert_Brenchley]

I bet it was the muck.

[Barnowl]

Where there's muck there's brassica?



I'll get me coat....

[gardentg44]

[Just been reading up on clubroot and came across a fertilizer called  Perlka which claims to be good against clubroot.....does anyone know anyone who as used it and what results they have had with it ?]

used it . stopped it . still got it . want it? expensive, very, ,use lime ,(it kills slugs though)

or don't grow brassicas in the same spot for 5 years

[ciderself]

Only just got round to the tea. Been potting on bedding plants and tidying up the log pile.

Tee Gee -- I have been looking at your slide show again -- very informative. I have been trying to work out how far apart you planted the brassicas and what sort they were. I suppose the more food etc you give them the closer they can be planted? Even though I dug all those trenches this morning I don't think I will have much room for everything I want to put in, although I shall probably pot them on again one more time than you did and by then the broad beans might be finished as they are in flower now.
The armillatox is on order. I hope this negates the need to fiddle around with those cardboard squares which seem to attract the slugs for miles anyway and we were plagued with cabbage root fly last year. Everyone lost plants.

Hope you have left work by now Barnowl.

[Tee Gee]

I have been trying to work out how far apart you planted the brassicas

Four plants across a 5'6" wide bed.

and what sort they were.

This year I will be planting;

Cabbage; Primo & Regency

Calabrese; Chevalier, Marathon & Bellstar

Br Sprouts; Maximus & Revenge

Cauli; Candid Charm & Snow Prince

Savoy; Wintessa

Late Cabbage;Tundra

Spring Cabbage; April

I suppose the more food etc you give them the closer they can be planted

Not really! The distances are to suit the size of my beds!

They get one feed and that is 3-4 oz / sq yd ( I don't way it out) of Fish Blood & Bone at planting out time (as shown on the slide show) and thats it for the whole season.

Plus I never water them again after they have been treated with Armillatox at planting out time.

This method works for me so I never change the procedure.............dull isn't it ;)

[ciderself]

Absolutely not. If it works I'm willing to give it a go.
There's an old scaffolding plank down the bottom of the garden I shall take that down to try and get straighter lines and stop me compacting the soil too much.
I don't  water at all once the plants are tucked in nicely. I think this makes the roots come up to the surface instead of going downwards to find my nonexistent muck! Well they'll have some now. I suppose I haven't had much time before to actually dig it in but left it on the surface over winter for the worms to do their work. 'cos I have to dig it again in the Spring to get more marestail roots out.
I usually give everything a really good soak when planting but I do tend to mulch things like courgettes,  potatoes and beans.
I'll let you know how I get on.

[RSJK]

 I find with F1 seed if you sow 20 seeds you get 20 plants as long as it is good quality seed you use, I also mostly get the same results from non F1 seed. Photo's are one tray of cabbage ( F1 Seed ) and one of rhubarb ( Non F1 Seed )