Trying again with my cabbages... any useful tips

[mew]

Hi everyone

I planted some cabbage seed (Derby Day from Alan Romans) which germinated about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately these have perished (damping off ive been informed by you lot in the know).

Ive made a second sowing and have placed them in a clear plastic sleeve and put them in the windowsill in my kitchen.

Can anyone give me any tips or a steer as to how I can avoid this next time round or if what ive already done (see para above) is right or wrong. Its my first time at trying to grow some veg so im keen to learn and try and not make the same boo-boo.

Many thanks all

MEW

[Wombat]

G'Day MEW!

It helps when you are planting the seeds to ensure that the soil lvel in the punnets is not below the edge of the punnet side. that way you do not get pockets of still, moist air that favour damping off. Make sure tha wherever you put them there is good ventilation/air drainage.

Also I find that if you don't regularly wash any punnets etc that you are re-using in disinfectant you can get a build up of damping off too!

Hope that helps.

Nev

[mew]

Hi Nev thanks for this. I have filled the pots to the level so hopefully this should help.

Am I ok putting the the seedlings and compost which have gone wrong in my compost bins or am I best disguarding of it completely?

Thanks
MEW

[Wombat]

Depends on how hot your compost gets. I may be a bit overcautious but I discard completely under the same circumstances.

Nev

[yugogypsy]

Plant lots of tall marigolds around your cabbages, carrots and tomatoes, they repel almost every insect in the garden, and if flies are a bother, hang a pot of them outside the door-the petals are edible for those of you who like edible flowers!

Lois

[Wombat]

Ummm, Hi Lois!

I tried Marigolds and NOTHING deflects the cabbage white butterfly and cabbage moth.

Nev

[yugogypsy]

Did you try the really tall (30 inches) marigolds ?, that is what is most effective here.

If all else fails-what my Dad did was to spend some time in ye olde cabbage patch every day, dancing around with a badminton racket, (what a sight) swatting the moths, not a very green,planet friendly idea I know, but it kept the moths down

Lois

[Wombat]

If all else fails-what my Dad did was to spend some time in ye olde cabbage patch every day, dancing around with a badminton racket, (what a sight) swatting the moths, not a very green,planet friendly idea I know, but it kept the moths down

Lois

I think that is a lot more ecofriendly than using a whole stack of sprays, dusts or other chemicals. I just pull the grubs off and feed 'em to the chooks!

Nev

[flower]

cabbage whites don't appear to like sage so interplant with your cabbages and I recently read that sowing red clover and planting brassicas through it had fantastic results!

Cabbage whites adore nettles so perhaps a crop of them (for soup and nettle tea) nearby would act as a sacrraficial decoy?

my brassicas are always so pitiful the cabbage whites turn up their little noses in contempt

[yugogypsy]

Don't know about the nettles-we've got them everywhere and they don't seem to deter the moths much.

Lois