The PSB (in the background under the mesh) is now four foot high and still growing. Is it now unlikely to produce sprouts?
1. No need for mesh at this time?
2. Unless it's an Autumn type, of course.
3. Like this - which is 5' in parts!!
4. And there's no point in mesh if it is not tight to the ground all around.
So you reckon it's worth leaving it in, Tim?
The mesh is because we have a lot of pigeons who are very fond on landing on brassicas, but thanks for pointing it out: us newbies need all the help we can get :)
I'm currently working on a netting based long term brassica cage I can move from bed to bed - but the height keeps having to go up!
I cut mine down this morning because it was about 3' high with bare stalks for 2' and not many leaves at the top. Haven't had anything off it, but it was falling on to my sprouts. Did I do wrong?
Barnowl - sorry - bad wording. Meant that Autumn varieties are producing now, but winter ones are mostly Feb - Apr. And pigeons, of course!
Caroline. See above. Maybe you did!!
But I find that both PSB AND Sprouts can do with staking. PSB can get VERY heavy, & rocking around, or lying flat does it no good. Some of ours fell over early on & has now turned up 90 degrees & grown another 2 feet.
Mine is taller than I am (I'm 5'6") and I am certainly hoping it won't start producing broccoli until the spring. What made you expect yours to produce by the autumn - is it a special sort I don't know about?
I have netted mine against pigeons as a matter of course, and I don't always fasten the netting down because as you say, pigeons attack from the top, and I don't think they want to enter the netting.
PS I have staked each one, as well.
I wasn't actually expecting them to produce yet :)
Back in the 70s I remember my mother grew PSB in the veg garden but they were never even close to 4ft tall, so I thought mine had taken a wrong turning. ;D
Mine is taller than me and I am a portly 5'3". You can always eat the young leaves if you like your greens!
Arty - we've been picking our Autumn lot for 3 weeks. Ours is Bordeaux, but there are many other earlies - including Rudolph & Tendergreen (Green).