Calabrese falling over

Tibbie's_mum

Is it usual to have to stake calabrese? Mine is about a foot high and is having real trouble standing up straight. Any advice would be grately appreciated.

Farway

Not usual to stake, have you compacted the soil around them?

Tibbie's_mum

Farway wrote: »

Not usual to stake, have you compacted the soil around them?

Thanks for your reply Farway.

No, is that where I'm going wrong. Should I be earthing up slightly like sweetcorn?

Farway

Tibbie's_mum wrote: »

Thanks for your reply Farway.

No, is that where I'm going wrong. Should I be earthing up slightly like sweetcorn?

No, you should be stamping down on the soil like Brussel Sprouts

Lotus-eater

The rocking motion on brussel sprouts makes the small roots break and that is what helps the sprouts to blow, that is why you are advised to firm down the soil around them. Nothing wrong with staking them as well, I know many that do it as a matter of course. I do also.
Just the same, there is nothing wrong with you staking calabrese, especially if it means a crop or no crop.

But there are different reasons for not standing up, is the stem floppy, because it definitely shouldn't be, or are the plants just blowing over, in which case, firm the soil up and stake if needed, windy sites often need staking alot more than more sheltered sites and if you need to, just stake them, don't push the stake through the roots and stake lower down, so the top can still move a bit, it will help to toughen up the stem, but stop the roots from being moved and the plant from being blown over.

Kay_Peel

Despite firming the soil and making sure that the roots were well anchored, my calabrese and purple sprouting broccoli tip forwards, backwards, sideways and every-ways. They do this every year. So long as the precious little stalks and heads don't touch the soil I've learnt to accept that no harm will be done. They'll just look tipsy turvy and I just have to get over it. I've done as much as I can to firm them and I think I'd have to use concrete if I wanted them to remain upright.

I know that it's not me - it's them!

Had a lovely roast dinner tonight and the calabrese was just gorgeous.

Tibbie's_mum

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Despite firming the soil and making sure that the roots were well anchored, my calabrese and purple sprouting broccoli tip forwards, backwards, sideways and every-ways. They do this every year. So long as the precious little stalks and heads don't touch the soil I've learnt to accept that no harm will be done. They'll just look tipsy turvy and I just have to get over it. I've done as much as I can to firm them and I think I'd have to use concrete if I wanted them to remain upright.

I know that it's not me - it's them!

Had a lovely roast dinner tonight and the calabrese was just gorgeous.

Yours sound exactly like mine, they have been battered by the wind and have bent over every which way! I'll give it a go firming the soil and see how we go.

hungrynurse_2

its been too hot for calibrese this year, mine have all bolted, so have cut down stalk in hope I might get a secondary flower