[LottieLyn]

Hello to everyone!
It's great to find a site like this. Very interesting and informative.
I've just acquired a new allotment - with it's associated hard work.
I've had one before, and a veg plot in the garden and a greenhouse too in a former life so I'm not completely new to it.
However, a couple of days ago I planted some cauli's, which I've never grown before. My "allotment bible" said to plant them firmly etc....which wasn't difficult  as it was like planting them in plastacine (sorry, I can't spell) in the clay soil. I covered them with fleece, but wonder if I should net them instead - or perhaps net them later when they've grown a bit. I also put down slug pellets.
Any suggestions from you experts for their survival over the winter please? Any cauli tips would be welcome. I see them as a bit of a challenge!
I hope someone can offer me some advice........

ps I'm on the south coast so it's very mild, but wet and windy, at the moment.

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

I'll move this over to Grow Your Own for the veggie people to have a look at your question.  I've also edited your thread title so they can see what your question is about at a glance.

I'd have thought that fleece will do in the short-term but netting would be stronger.

It will help if you could tell us your location by editing your forum profile (click your username) 

[LottieLyn]

Ha ha!
Thanks Yorkie.
I guess I need to find my way around the website properly!
I've updated my profile. It wouldn't let me do it until after I'd sent my first post......or so I thought.....:-)

[sarajane]

Iwould say netting would be better at the moment  -  it will let more light at the plants this time of year and the netting will keep off those pesky pigeons that love young brassicas. 

[shoozie]

Also make sure your netting is well pegged down to keep the mice out .... Or you'll be like me with zero veg ..... All my spring cabbage was nicked 

[LottieLyn]

Oh no.
Ok, thanks for the tip Shoozie 
I hope you have more success this year. 

[TerryB]

Hi LottieLyn
Come the spring keep them watered and give them a feed.
This year we just drop some chicken pellets in the watering can and gave a feed each week. Had the best Cauli's ever this year.

[Bing]

Hi LottieLyn
Come the spring keep them watered and give them a feed.
This year we just drop some chicken pellets in the watering can and gave a feed each week. Had the best Cauli's ever this year.

does it mean that I can sow cauliflower now and grow them over the winter in allotment, not in greenhouse? thanks

[Yorkie]

I *think* it's too late for sowing seeds now.

[LottieLyn]

Hi all.
Thanks for your help - I really appreciate it.
Bing - I got my plants from the local nursery - they're about 6" high so have a good start. Only £1.50 for 12 so worth trying if you can get them.

[TerryB]

does it mean that I can sow cauliflower now and grow them over the winter in allotment, not in greenhouse? thanks
[/quote]

Hi Bing
I also think its to late for sowing seeds, we planted ours out in Sept.

[rowlandwells]

this the first season for a long time we have actually picked  cauliflowers most of them just a bit bigger than tennis balls but never the less a good flavour and nice and white curds

i set autumn giant i know they should have been as big as footballs but ime thankful for what i got i did set quite a few plants so we had several meals out of them + i gave some away to  the autumn sown are mayflower for spring cutting and they are growing well [fingers crossed]

and yes all my brassicas are well netted also with rabbit wire round the crop and into the ground it seems much time consuming but necessary

going to try all year round next year with my autumn giants off-cause