Â鶹¹ÙÍøÊ×Ò³Èë¿Ú

Grow your own  permalink

Brassicas

• Message 1. 

  Posted by flower-bud (U14397996) on Wednesday, 7th July 2010

  Hello everyone
  
  Does anyone know the secret of growing good brassicas? I grow them in raised beds, so I'm wondering if this is the problem. Mine had loads of foliage but the crop was very poor. Should I have fed them during the growing period?
  
  Thankyou for any help.
  
  

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by irisdublin (U14428036) on Wednesday, 7th July 2010

  Yes do feed them i believe they are very nitrogen hungry. You could make your own fertilizer by steeping nettles in water for a couple of weeks then pouring on brassicas. Very smelly but does the trick

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by gaffelbiter (U14481810) on Wednesday, 7th July 2010

  If you have had lots of lush growth, I can't see how feeding is the problem.
  You say you are growing in raised beds, is the growing medium well firmed, brassicas need to be grown in firm soil, or they won't produce a solid head. I use my heal to make sure they are firmly planted. Or, you could be being impatient and they will start to heart up soon!

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by 4smilingcat6 (U14338727) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  There is no secret but a heavy soil does help. I can grow them*
  
  here on very light soil but they are never as good as they were when I had clay.
  
  *Sprouts are poor and cauliflowers are useless.

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 4.

  Posted by U14520529 (U14520529) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  you might try asking john evens of wales. when he lived in Alaska he grew a 35 lbs broccoli and a 31.250 lb Cauliflower. my personal grown Brassicas
  are much smaller by comparison but i always used very deep,loose well fertilized soil. variety of Brassicas has a lot to to due with head size. I have seen several Cauliflower head over the 5 lbs at the local farmers market from the white sails variety. if want large heads you really need a good variety.

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by 7magpies (U8108459) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  I think the problem in raised beds may be that the soil is too loosely packed. It helps a bit if you tread the soil firmly down around the roots. Brassicas like really firm soil, and mine (in raised beds) are never very successful.
  
  On the other hand, I grow excellent carrots, which like the opposite sort of soil, soft and loose. Swings and roundabouts ....

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Mithranstar (U14439116) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  I grew cabbages for the first time last year and grew them in pots! Everyone told me (after i'd already planted them) that it couldn't be done, but they grew brilliantly. They weren't huge heads, but I picked them relatively small because they had split from a less-than-perfect watering schedule and would still have served two people easily.
  
  Maybe the size they will grow to may not be as big, but it should still be possible to get good cabbages in a raised bed or even on a balcony!

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message7

• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by carol-ryan (U14543719) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  I am only on my 2nd year of growing my own. I too have raised beds and my cabbage and cauliflowers are doing brilliantlty, so too are my carrots and parsnips. All I do is water every other day in this dry spell. Brocolli has not done well though 4ft tall and just flowers, any ideas where I went wrong?

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message8

• Message 9

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by royn45 (U3572483) on Thursday, 8th July 2010

  I also grow in raised beds & last year with brassicas wasv a complete failure owing to lack of watering & feeding this year i have sprouts caualies & cabbage in with regular watering & feeding with a seaweed extract feed they are doing well. ps. (seaweed extract from Wilko's.)
  Good luck

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message9

• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by flower-bud (U14397996) on Saturday, 10th July 2010

  Thankyou everyone for your helpful & interesting info. I don't think it was dryness as I watered well every day. I've also just bought some liquid seaweed from Wilkinsons & have started to feed this to my runner beans & onions. I've just bought some summer cabbage plants & will use this on them. I'll keep you posted!

  Link to this forum: Brassicas

  Report message10

Back to top