[MattieG]

Hi All

I've had my brassica seedlings on the go for a good 4 or 5 weeks now and they are about 2" tall but they are just not getting any bigger.

Is this normal do they take a while to get going?? Is it worth transplanting them to separate pots and seeing how they do, they are not dying so maybe they are ok???

Thanks
Mattie

[m1ckz]

i repotted mine at 2inches  took a week to pick up but are fine now

[Maarten]

How many true leaves do they have and what is the size of the pots/cells/tray?

[Beetroot Queen]

Mine seem ti have stopped too.  they are in three inch pots so they have plenty of room yet for what they need.

[finleyfreyaseth]

mine were same sat in cold greenhouse so planted em out in the big wide world and they've doubled in a week think they need feel cold air blowing through there leaves

[Potty Plotty Lotty]

They may have run out of nutrients. Pot them on and hopefully they will start growing again.

I find that compost these days doesn't have as many nutrients in it as it used to so I pot on or give a dilute  liquid feed if the roots are not well developed/I'm running out of space. 

[MattieG]

Yeah mine are in 4" square pots... ill pot them on and see how they go thanks

[shoozie]

Hi All

I've had my brassica seedlings on the go for a good 4 or 5 weeks now and they are about 2" tall but they are just not getting any bigger.

Is this normal do they take a while to get going?? Is it worth transplanting them to separate pots and seeing how they do, they are not dying so maybe they are ok???

Thanks
Mattie

Mattie. There's no rush to sow brassicas so early - honest    I haven't sown mine yet, and all will be well 

[3759allen]

i found last year my brassicas ran out of nutrients too quick. when planted out they romped away.

this year i'm going to start in modules and increase pot sizes little and often to try and give them nutrient boosts and stop them using all the nutrients too quickly.

you prob could add nutrients, but i'm tight and if i can get results from not adding costly feed i will do.

[Beetroot Queen]

Could we not give them comfrey tea or nettle tea etc as thats free.

[Totty]

If you have individual seedlings planted in 4inch pots, there is no way they have depleted the nutrients already. Unless very poor compost has been used. Mine go from seed trays, into large module trays before going out. I've not noticed them running out of nutrient, ever.

I think all brassicas like conditions a little rougher than many might imagine too. When I transplant them to modules, I always put some soil from the bed they are destined for, into the potting on mix (same with all veg I pot on) this way they will transplant much better as they are already used to the soil to an extent. Brassicas especially will not thank you for over nurturing them and continuous potting on with light fluffy mp compost will do them no good at all.

Totty

[beesrus]

That advice sounds pretty good Totty.
Sorting a decent potting compost has never been my strongest point. Usually a mixture of JI no 2 and a multi purpose compost. Somehow the seedling leaf colour is always slightly pasty and not the dark green of other growers. Was going to incorporate a little BFB but didn't get around to it.
Brassicas definitely do better the sooner I plant them out. Fortunately I have no cabbage root problems on my plot.
This year my Summer Greyhounds/Durhams/primos are already being hardened off and will be planted out under enviromesh as soon as this cold snap finishes and I've finished trampling the bed down. In a week I guess. The bed has benefited from Winter tares this year and a good sprinkle of chicken pellets, so here's hoping.