Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Togalosh on February 03, 2012, 21:14

Title: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: Togalosh on February 03, 2012, 21:14

Hello,

This will be our 4th summer coming up & for 1 reason or another (usually slugs &/or ice) we've not done well with red cabbages.

This past crop did not heartening up (?). They got so far & leafed ok but the heads/hearts did not form. Our sprouts also have also never grown like the solid balls you get in the supermarkets.

I don't care about the sprouts but it might be a clue as to what I'm not doing right.

What I am doing is:

Lightly Liming the ground before planting,
Firming in well when planting out,
giving space between plants but not loads of space..

I might not've over watered them.

Any ideas?



 

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: Ice on February 03, 2012, 21:31

Were there any problems with drought or shade?

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: sunshineband on February 03, 2012, 21:33

It is best to firm the ground well before planting if you can, and then firm again when you plant.

I grow red cabbages close enough to have their leaves touching and they heart up, so I would think that space was not the issue.

With sprouts it is worth staking the plants so they don't rock in the ground, but you would not stake cabbages  :ohmy:

You do need to give them time to mature -- it takes time to develop a head

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: gobs on February 03, 2012, 22:07

Yeah, yeah. Also, nutrition.

A lot of people do not realise that these 'heads' are flower buds. A lot of brassica as it were, that we eat.

Drought, heat, high nitrogen, all will losen, 'spoil' them. Other stress factors too.

Of those things you list, the only relevant factor could be that they might have gone thirsty.

Forgetting about growing lose leaf varieties, of course. :tongue2:

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: gobs on February 03, 2012, 22:09

Did I mention high temperatures? Cool season crops.

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: Salmo on February 03, 2012, 23:44

Sprouts need to be planted out in about May. The same goes for red cabbage. They both need a long growing season.

Title: Re: Heartless/Headless Cabbages
Post by: Togalosh on March 21, 2012, 22:34

Thanks for replies...(has it really been that long since I posted??)

- They were planted out in full sun & not that bothered by wind although not without it.
-  I watered all my crops pretty well (I think I am singularly responsible for the massive increase in the water bills last year   :wub:) although I did not always water them & it has been much dryer than usual..
- They were planted out as early as possible & grew well to start with.

... I'll pay more attention to watering & extra firming in this year.