just can't seem to get them to grow properly.
Last year the plants grew but the spouts themselves were only just larger than peas - gave them plenty of time to mature but no joy.
Someone told me it was because I didn't firm the ground down around the plants properly and didn't earth-up.
So this year I did firm and earth. The sprouts have got bigger but they seem to blow immediately - I was in hospital for a week and they went from dots to big open blown things while I was away.
So what am I doing wrong? I suppose that there is nothing that I can do to stop the ones that are still developing from blowing straight away?
I did get them to work once a few years back - someone gave me some cabbage plants and as I don't like cabbage I just stuck them at the back and let them get on with it. Birds half ate them to death so I netted over and they recovered a bit. Just before Christmas my cabbages miraculously turned into excellent sprouts!
What variety are they.
I find run of the mill varieties a waste of time I only use F 1's my favourite being Maximus.
As I have said many times before I don't go along with the firming in and earthing up business as I find the way I sow/plant mine works for me, this is not to say that these procedures don't work.
I think you have to find the variety that suits your area and soil. It took me many years of trying to get to the point I am at now. Check with other plot holders as to what they are having success/failure with and go from there.
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/Veg/DSCF5236.jpg)
Method
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Brassica%20planting/brassica%20planting.html (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Brassica%20planting/brassica%20planting.html)
thanks - I shall start asking others what they use.
We grew maximus last year Psi and they were very good. Only trouble was because of the mild autumn they got amit on them. Probably would have been ok with a fine net on.Glad your op went well.
thanks shirl' - have noted it down for next year.
Mine seemed to have been attacked again by small grey aphids! Someone suggested a tomato leaf concoction will kill them, has anyone tried this? I love sprouts and like growing my own, the plants are big and healthy but covered in grey masses!! Help!
by the sound of it you have an attack of Whitefly.. if it is available to you then I suggest "Bug Clear" very safe to use and very effective ask at your local garden centre they just may have it in stock.. or something similar