Broc, Cauli and Red Cabbage

[mew]

Hi

I planted out some

Marathon Calabrese
All Year Round Cauli
and Red Cabbage

end of march / april time (I got them as plugs when they were about 7 inches tall or so - i had no luck with my own .

As its my first year at growing im not sure what to expect and when.... the leaves are growing rather large now (some about 15 - 18 inches in length) but no show of heads yet - Just wondered when should they start forming?

They've been planted in a brand new raised bed never used before with organic compost I purchased for the job.

Any advice would be greatly received.

Thanks as always

MEW xx

[hedgewizard]

Bloody ages. Most brassicas are in the ground for between nine and eleven months, although I haven't checked your varieties - but based on your planting times it'd be late autumn or early winter. Sorry!

[Clara]

I just asked a similar question, and got similar answers so hopefully all is not lost and we´ll be enjoying our brassicas in time

[red]

watch out for butterfly eggs.. jsut rub them out, and cabbage aphid.. er.. rub them out too...

[hedgewizard]

Yep, nightmare. I've put in hoop cloches this year - must put the netting up. I hated doing egg patrol. No matter how much attention I gave it, there were still periodic plagues!

[mew]

Hi

My lottie patch has netting on all the four beds I have, but my raised bed at home doesnt.

I check the bed every evening when I get home. So far I cant see anything, but im not really sure what Im looking for when it comes to the eggs etc - where do the lay? on the leaves, in the heart??? What do they look like - or i guess thats a pretty obvious and silly question

Thanks again

MEW xx

[red]

generally you find them on the underside of the leaf. thye are yellow. they can be singles... which are hard to spot.. or a cluster.. all laid ina neat pattern - neat that is until my thumb comes along and goes 'squish' on them...