I'm giving up cabbages

Well, after many years of thinking I should grow them, I won't be anymore. The classic cabbages I mean, like greyhounds, early Durham, Savoys etc.... the ones that heart up once only. Even with excellent looking specimens, they are always hiding slugs, and their poo is everywhere.
To be honest I don't need them and only grow them because I think I should grow a bit of everything, but the pest thing is just too much.
I grow early and late spinach in the greenhouse, and readily gorge on my easily grown sprouting broccoli in the Spring. My early kale takes me from Summer right through to March, and brussels are available September through to March, and all without any of the angst of a single head going over. They are gradual or pick and come again crops without the angst associated with hearted cabbages and inevitable hidden slug issues. I have a soft spot for 3 or 4 red cabbages around the turn of the year for the fruited side dish, but that's it from now on. "Cabbages" are history.

Each to their own, I  suppose, but I wouldn't be without my cabbage  I use slug pellets occasionally if damage looks likely because of wet weather, but apart from that I find them easy and pest free 

I know what you mean, my caulis last year were like social housing for slugs and snails, l had to " groom" them, separating all the leaves one by one and lifting the molluscs out.

I have given up with spring cabbages, all mine bolted this year, so I'm just doing kale and chard for the spring instead. Had some good winter cabbages last year, but I've probably planted too many.
There should be fewer slugs this year, but then again they're more likely to bolt in these conditions. You can't win!

i like the idea of salty water going to give that one a try but i must admit its sometimes a pain when you've taken the time to grow good brassicas only to feed the slugs

i just can't work out how commercial growers grow acres of brassicas so perfect no slug holes no slug poo cut and rapped

so how do they do it Stanley?

i use the blue slug pellets  only on netted areas not on open ground I've never used nematodes but have been told by other gardeners that they do work but as i said salty water is on my agenda for my brassicas

It isn't just the slugs that have influenced my decision. All brassicas need copious amounts of netting, and I am only prepared to net so much of my plot anymore. It's looking like all important onions are going to have to be netted in future, so something had to go. "Pick and come again" brassicas like kale and brussels are the future, and slugs are easily dealt with. Just how many varieties of brassica do I need ? I love my kale and if I miss the odd winter Savoy, I'll just have to buy a couple.

I know what you mean about netting.. it does seem I use more and more every year. For me though it is a choice of no useable crop, chemical applications or netting, and netting is the way we are going.

I can see your logic with the cabbages, victoria park, as you eat few of them and varieties like savoys do take up ground space for quite a long time too

it would be an idea  to explore the method of the commercial growers and how they manage to grow 40 acres of brassicas  without a slug or caterpillar in sight

http://www.ahdb.org.uk/slugcontrol/HDC%20Factsheet%20-%20Slug%20control%20in%20field%20vegetables%2005%20Aug%202010.pdf

The advice is for multiple soil cultivations to kill slugs and expose eggs to predators before planting and 6 applications of slug pellets @448g per hectare throughout the growing season.