Brassicas

Introduction and cultivation

Brassicas are a diverse group of crops, including cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, kale, trunips and swedes. Of this group I have had most success with kale and pruple sprouting broccoli grown over a winter. For all brassicas, I have sown seeds in trays of " John Innes No.1" compost, then transferred single seedlings to pots of "John Innes No.3" or a general purpose compost. Once seedlings have 4 true leaves, I have transplanted them to their final growing positions. All brassicas have a moderately high water requirement and should be kept well watered.

Sprouting Broccoli

Sprouting broccoli, Brassica oleraceae is a large plant that occupies ground for a long period of time. I have found it to be useful to plant immediately after new potatoes, growing through the late summer and autumn, through the winter and cropping the next spring. Thus it fills the "hungry gap", the time around March and April when the winter's stored vegetables are exhausted, but before the spring vegetables have started cropping. Sprouting broccoli produces masses of edible infloresecences on plants up to 1.2m (4 feet) tall.

Kale

Kale grows over roughly the same period of time as sprouting broccoli, but is ready earlier and is grown for it's curly, edible leaves, rather than shoots. Again it can be successfully planted directly after potatoes.

Problems

Brassicas are a favourite source of food for slugs, caterpillars and pigeons. Slugs and snails are best controlled by sensible applications of an appropriate slug killer. Caterpillars, particularly cabbage whites, can be excluded by growing crops under fine netting. This excludes butterflies, which cannot lay their eggs, thus leaving crops free of this pest. Alternatively, crops can be regularly checked for caterpillar eggs between June and September and any eggs or caterpillars brushed off the leaves. Pigeon attacks are a particular problem for overwintering brassicas during cold spells. Growing crops underneath netting is again the best answer, more effective albeit less enjoyable, than shooting pigeons.