Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Annad83 on April 13, 2014, 12:54

Title: Kale help please!
Post by: Annad83 on April 13, 2014, 12:54

Think I might have been a bit ahead of myself.... I started my brassicas off in march and I now have monster plants! What should I do ?

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: DD. on April 13, 2014, 13:11

Plant them out.

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: al78 on April 13, 2014, 13:17

Have they been hardened off? If so, plant them out. If not, harden them off and then plant them out.

Don't know where you are from but I would guess that where you are it is mild enough now to start planting out the hardier stuff (like brassicas). Just make sure to protect from slugs and net against pigeons at least until they get big enough to handle a bit of damage. When you plant them out make sure you firm the ground around each plant, and if you are in the south of England, give them a good watering as there is no rain forecast around here for the next five days at least.

All this assumes you have some ground prepared to plant the out of course.  :)

BTW I am only in my second year of allotmenteering so some of the above may be subject to correction by the more experienced members.

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Annad83 on April 13, 2014, 13:48

Thanks all !! Planted out under net well firmed in, how many kale plants per person do you think I need? I have red and cavelo Nero! 

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Nobbie on April 13, 2014, 14:27

Quote from: Annad83 on April 13, 2014, 13:48

Thanks all !! Planted out under net well firmed in, how many kale plants per person do you think I need? I have red and cavelo Nero!

It depends how much they like kale :lol:

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Christine on April 13, 2014, 14:38

Probably not as many as you have if they all thrive!  :D

Do you know a lot of rabbit/hamster/guinea pig owners and chicken keepers?

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Totty on April 13, 2014, 16:41

You won't want any more than 10 plants at the most realistically.

Totty

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: al78 on April 13, 2014, 16:51

Quote from: Totty on April 13, 2014, 16:41

You won't want any more than 10 plants at the most realistically.

Totty

Which does make you wonder why they put 200 seeds in the packet.  :unsure:

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Totty on April 13, 2014, 16:55

Maybe to allow for huge family's that have poor germination rates.(http://)

Totty

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Annad83 on April 13, 2014, 17:00

Thanks Totty and everyone ! I've gone for 5 red russian and 5 cavelo so sounds like I'm on the right track. Cavelo stays low to the ground and red russian grows to about 3 foot is that right ?

Title: Re: Kale help please!
Post by: Totty on April 13, 2014, 17:10

I think 10 plants for an average family, grown well, is more than enough.  :)

Totty