growing cabbage/brassicas

mattt44

I thought as this was a brassica thread I could post this here.

This year by chance I grew a purple sprouting broc, a packet of seeds from lidl I think weren't brussels...
Anyway I've never been able to grow brassicas in 3 years here, this year one plant survived, the PSB.
Just been eating it now, I can't believe how sweet it tasted! Is this normal?

So......questions.
Whats the best seed for the sweet taste, I have some "purple sprouting early" from the organic gardening catalouge, but if its not the right type I would prefer to get different seeds.

And how do you cut PSB? It almost seems to me you could eat the leaves, I ate the small ones behind the heads and they and the long stalks tasted lovely

Never netted my brassicas before, will do after reading this, how small does the holes in the net have to be to keep out butterflies?

I love brussels, never been able to grow them, they always blow, so this year PSB all the way!

doddsy

Early purple sprouting is the main one and should be fine. When you cut it cut back to just above the sideshoot and it will grow again.

As for the netting, just make sure holes are too small for butterflies to get through, and that the net is not draped against the plant so that the butterfly can still reach.

One last thing, brassicas like firm ground so make it really girm so that they do not 'rock' in the winter wind.

Linda32

doddsy wrote:

Help

I wanted to put Linda's text in a boxy thing - and crossed it out by accident - very sorry:eek: :eek: Can anyone tell me what I did - and how not to!!?

Doddsy

No, I don't mind at all, thank you. No idea about the crossing out verses the box though

At least my collars are working for one type of beasty thing :T

Edited to add, I seem to have done the box thing, I just pressed "quote" on the bottom of the post

Linda32

doddsy wrote:

Help

I wanted to put Linda's text in a boxy thing - and crossed it out by accident - very sorry:eek: :eek: Can anyone tell me what I did - and how not to!!?

Doddsy

No, I don't mind at all, thank you. I wasn't entitley sure the reasoning, I must admit
At least my collars are working for one type of beasty thing :T

No idea about the crossing out verses the box though

Linda32

Whoops, I think I'd better stop playing about with my postings

Pink.

doddsy wrote:

Help

I wanted to put Linda's text in a boxy thing - and crossed it out by accident - very sorry:eek: :eek: Can anyone tell me what I did - and how not to!!?

Doddsy

Hi Doddsy,

You clicked on the strike through button instead of the quote button when you were replying....it's easily done. I've sorted it for you now.:)

Pink

frosty

Hi everyone,hope you dont mind me mentioning this,if you are going to use netting please check it several times aday especially in the morning,its one of the biggest killers of hedgehogs.Please dont use slug pellets,some of them have pictures of hedgehogs on so you think they are safe to use,they still poison and kill hedgehogs.Sorry for hi-jacking this thread.I rescue and care for sick hedgehogs and its heartbreaking when they get injured or poisioned.

doddsy

frosty wrote:

Hi everyone,hope you dont mind me mentioning this,if you are going to use netting please check it several times aday especially in the morning,its one of the biggest killers of hedgehogs.Please dont use slug pellets,some of them have pictures of hedgehogs on so you think they are safe to use,they still poison and kill hedgehogs.Sorry for hi-jacking this thread.I rescue and care for sick hedgehogs and its heartbreaking when they get injured or poisioned.

Hear Hear Frosty. I would love hedgehogs in my garden, we are in the countryside, and I have made a log pile for them and left dog food out on occasion, but we never see them - anything else we can do? I would love them to eat the trillions of slugs we have!! (never use slug pellets btw)

Lulubells

Hi all,

I was wondering if I could pick your brains about my cabbages/PSB/brussell sprouts seedlings? I have my seedlings in the greenhouse at present as the vegetable patch / veg beds are not ready yet and I didn't want to miss out on the sowing season, but now I am getting a little worried as they seem to be getting very leggy and falling over - is there anything I can do - will they be okay?, should I take the seed trays out of the greenhouse?.....I do open the do every morning.

TIA

Lulubells