[Irene]

I'm blessed with numerous cloth and plastic cloches for protection when needed and wondered if anyone here has ever experimented with planting cabbage seeds directly into the garden plot?

I have space for the experiment but wonder if the glass of wine this evening is making me feel over optomistic. My kitchen garden is all of 30 secs from the house so responding to colder weather would be easy as far as placing the cloches. Has anyone tried this???

[prakash_mib]

there are lots of varieties of cabbages (eg. primo) which comes with sow direct instructions. I think it should be allright  if you try one of those
and I dont think you need cloches for them (you can use them until they germinate and then net them straightaway

[peapod]

Cabbage responds well to direct sowing into a well tithed area.  It wont suffer with the cold either.

You'll be fine 

[Irene]

Well...as I've poured my second glass of wine and really want to try this that's all the validation I need 

Tomorrow I will start using one row for "starts"...definitely cabbage, but may also try my other brassicas (brussel sprouts, broccolli, etc.). I'll back up with my greenhouse but would truly like to see how this works. My kitchen garden is already stitched but I will rework one with a good potting medium to give the seeds optimum opportunity to prove their worth.

As an ex-pat I can't tell you how much I have learned and enjoy gardening in the U.K.. Its quite a different approach..in a positive way.