[richyrich7]

when do you plant them outside richy ?

Usually about mid march I tend just to go by what the weathers like, how strong they look ( sometimes I give them a week feed of phostrogen ) and if I've got there beds ready.

I grow runner beans a similar way, but I use newspaper pots ( not loo rolls as they can be treated with fungicide etc) and pack them into bread trays, etc

One thing I have never got right is growing brassica's always seem to loose them to slugs or similar or I just forget to water them  :oops:

[Patrick]

Thanks for the advice everyone.
As it's a completely bare plot with one side rotavated courtesy of the local council and one side double dug into twelve beds about 12ft x 5ft courtesy of me and my aching bones I have no problem with room for planting.
Generally though, is it better to sow and transplant even if space is not a problem?
All the books I've looked at seem to suggest brassicas are always transplanted but don't give any reason other than being able to utilise space for existing crops, of which I have none. Apart from some garlic which has come up and some broad beans which the magpies have had.
Do some vegetables really grow better for transplanting?

[shaun]

i grow all y bassicas 1st in trays then i transplant them into pots to get a big root ball on them,the main reason being to try and get them growing to stop clubroot getting a hold 1st,also i find that if you plant them when they are realy small they end up getting a long stem and flopping over.
always plant them up to the 1st leaf whatever they are and realy firm them in.

[Patrick]

Thankyou Shaun.
Makes perfect sense.

[muntjac]

eaar ear