PSB - overgrown?

[fitzsie]

I planted PSB in the garden beginning of August to over winter and it's gone beserk with all this wet & warm weather! One of the plants is over 3 feet tall .MOH reckons it has grown too much (ie blown?). There is no broccoli on the plant, plenty of big leaves and it has been a constant battle these past few weeks picking off all the caterpillers which keep appearing. Some leaves have been eaten but nothing too drastic.
On top of this we are moving and previously another member reckoned it was worth the effort to dig up and replant in the new garden. Now that they have grown so much I'm not so sure. Any thoughts.....?

[fitzsie]

[Digeroo]

Three feet high is quite normal for PSB it can be even bigger, they can be as tall as 5 ft.   I am not sure it will like being moved as late as this, but it has only two chances either it will be ok or it will not. 

Depending on the variety and the winter weather it will produce the shoots some time between about November (Rudolf) and May or June.   Mine was very late indeed a couple of years ago. Keep picking off the shoots and it will keep producing more.   

[Digeroo]

My advice would be to move it on a dull rainy day.  Try and keep the sun off until it has pick up.  I am big on covering brassicas with net curtains they seem to like it.

[fitzsie]

Will give it a go as I will have nothing to lose. We will be moving in a couple of months ( if all goes well ) and as I grew them from seed I will take at least two of them and put them in the new garden.
Thxs for the tips

[Digeroo]

I might consider moving a couple now into  large pots so they have time to recover before the frosts set in.  I would choose the smallest rather than the largest of your plants.

[fitzsie]

Well it's moving day tomorrow. I've only dug up just one PSB, about 3 weeks ago (the only one left with leaves!! ) and is looking good in it's pot. I've also got quite a few seedlings of spring cabbage which have been outside for a while and are also in pots but not sure when or if I should put them in the new garden. Will it be too late?
I also have new strawberry plants which I have grown from adult plants this year. What is my best action with them?

Sorry to have so many questions but what with moving etc they haven't exactly been my top priority lately and as these plants were all grown from seeds I am so proud of what I've achieved in my first full year 

[Digeroo]

I quite understand, for me  seed grown plants iare like pets.   I sort of feel attached to them. 

If you plant out your cabbages, there are two chances either they will do ok or they won't.

[fitzsie]

Such a deep & meaningful answer !!   And so true ! Guess we will see what happens in time.

Should I keep the strawberries in the pots til spring or plant them as soon as?

[goodlife]

The 'spring' cabbages won't make heart anymore this coming spring as it is bit late on the date for planting...BUT..its not wasted effort!..as they will make into cabbages eventually..just later than 'it says in the label'.

Strawberries you can plant now if the you have ground ready for them..if not, plant them in spring..what ever suits you.

BTW...when you plant your PSB..plant it bit deeper than it was originally in the ground/ pot...should there be bare stem on you plant..bury some of it and it will produce more roots along helping the plant to stabilize..though few canes around the plant would help too.

[antipodes]

BTW...when you plant your PSB..plant it bit deeper than it was originally in the ground/ pot...should there be bare stem on you plant..bury some of it and it will produce more roots along helping the plant to stabilize..though few canes around the plant would help too.

That's a good idea - last year my PSB got absolutely huge and in the end were almost horizontal as they leaned over. I might try a bit of support this year, I have earthed up well but they are really top heavy. Mine are very big and I am looking forward to the broccoli !

[fitzsie]

We've moved and the only good thing about today is that we have the internet already! Bad news is the state that the house was left in, can't wait for the kitchen to be done as in it's current form I couldn't even attempt to cook in it.

The PSB is quite sturdy and does have quite a bit of stem so had already planned on planting it a lot deeper in the ground.  The spring cabbages I'll just put in as soon as the last frost goes and see what happens.I'll probably leave the strawberries until then as I need to get the ground ready.

Only bonus is that I now have a greenhouse to play in  :)

[Digeroo]

Good luck with your new house.

[fitzsie]

Thanks Digeroo, going to need plenty of that luck with this house.  Arrived to find mold growing behind one of the walls in the kitchen and bedroom, all of which were originally hidden by the previous owners furniture!
The smell isn't brilliant either.  Must have been walking around with rose tinted glasses.
The main thing though is that we do have money set aside for a new kitchen etc but it will still take a while before we can live normally again !!