[harding24]

 My OH and I are very new to growing our own veg and only had our allotment back in September. Eager to get a few thing in the ground we bought some spring greens, red cabbage and brussell sprout plant all of which the garden centre said were ready for planting over winter. We did say to ourselves that this year will be very experimental and took the ethos that if it lives it lives, if it dies it dies. But we didn't managed to do either...

Today we have had to remove the brussells as there were no sprouts and lots of very pretty yellow flowers instead. Our red cabbages grew tall not round and one of them had started to get ready to seed as well.

What happened here and how can we avoid this next time? I'm not that upset about the brussells...only my OH likes them BLEUGH!

[Christo]

Oooh. Not sure what happened here. Not a big grower of the sprouts. All I can say is stick with it; you will succeed. 

[Salmo]

The Spring greens should be starting to grow and should eventually have hearts.

September was too late to be planting brussels and red cabbage which need to be planted in early Summer.

I am afraid you have been a victim of the garden centres. They seem to offer vegetable plants for sale which are unsuitable for the time of year. Either they have no hope of survival if planted out or, as with your brussels and red cabbage, they will not produce a worthwhile crop if planted at the time of sale.

We know that the garden centres will sell anything to make a quick buck, but one wonders what sort of professional horticultorists they employ to get their plants so wrong for the seasons.

Just today I saw 12 inch high french beans and courgettes on offer. OK for a polytunnel but not for the average gardener who cannot put them out for at least another month. A tempting but disasterous purchase for a beginner.

[harding24]

I think your right. A few people were surprised that I had brussells in over the winter . Well, we've started that bit over again and bought some more. Fingers crossed!

[theakston_uk]

I am afraid you have been a victim of the garden centres.

We know that the garden centres will sell anything to make a quick buck, but one wonders what sort of professional horticultorists they employ to get their plants so wrong for the seasons.

Well said Salmo, my mum popped round the other day with some celery she had seen and bought for me from a local garden centre. It's ready to go in the ground now but there's still a chance of frost round here for at least another month if not longer.  In the long run it could put people off growing their own, they buy plants the wrong time of the year and nothing grows so they decide the next year not to bother, but if the garden centres got it right people would have success with what they grow and carry on the next year

[Aunt Sally]

dear me.

Celery is not an easy crop to grow.

It needs to be cosseted and treated like a princess.  If it once gets checked then forget the crop.

[theakston_uk]

Celery is not an easy crop to grow.

I was reading about celery in 1 of my books the other day and it mentioned some varieties have to be earthed up but now there are varieties that are self blanching and yes you've guessed it I've got the variety that needs to earthing up. There are only 12 plants so I might just stick them in an see what happens

[operabunny]

I just grow 'cutting celery' now as it is so much easier. It's not at all fussy! It doesn't need earthing up, you can keep cropping it and it is very hardy (mine overwintered happily with no protection).

[potatogrower]

Its always best to grow from seeds. It maybe cheaper and worth knowing or building your understanding on how to grow them from scratch. shops just want to turn a quick profit and sell whatever they find so i try not to buy stuff unless i know the variety and from that what season its for.

for 1st time growing brussels sprouts myself from seeds and still in its younger days yet. should be an interesting few weeks ahead.

[slow_worm]

dear me.

Celery is not an easy crop to grow.

It needs to be cosseted and treated like a princess.  If it once gets checked then forget the crop.

I agree - I managed to grow a crop once...but grew too much for what we needed, even after giving loads away.  Mind it has tonnes more celery flavour than that bought in shops doesn't it?

[Kathie]

I've never had success with celery but Lovage grows great, stalks can be used like celery and leaves like parsley.