Planting out Cabbages into the Garden.
The cabbage plants grown from seed sown a month ago are large enough to plant out into their growing site. They have 2 cotyledons (seed leaves) and 2-3 true leaves.
Before starting, the plant-bed is watered to make the soil crumbs stick together and adhere to the plant roots. The strongest plants in the bed are selected, and dug up with a trowel. The summer cabbage are replanted in rows 45cm apart, and 30 cm between plants within the row. Summer cabbage can be closer together because they are cut with smaller heads.
There are now three different stages of plants in the cabbage patch. They are all covered with mesh to protect them from aphids and cabbage white butterflies.
Hi Top Veg,
What a useful article - I was wondering when I should plant out my cabbage. Does the same go for all brassicas?
Sara from farmingfriends
Comment by Sara - May 28, 2007 2:16 pm
Hi Sara
Thanks for your comments.
It is OK to plant the brassicas out if they are big enough. They should have 2 cotyledons (seed leaves) and 2-3 true leaves, before planting out.
Best of luck
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - May 28, 2007 5:49 pm
[…] 5 or 6 weeks the spring cabbage plants will be strong enough to transplant to their final positions. Cabbages like a deeply dug, well cultivated soil. Firm the plants well […]
Pingback by Top Veg » Blog Archive » Plant Spring Cabbage in the Vegetable Garden. - August 15, 2007 9:29 am
Thanks for the ideas re planting out cabbages. What kind of mesh do you use to protact against cabbage white butterflies and aphids. I have chicken wire tunnels to keep the rabbits away, are we looking at mosquito net type mesh?
thanks
Comment by Claire - May 21, 2008 12:48 pm
Hi Claire
you are right about the mosquito net - any mesh small enough to keep out aphids will do.
Some people use horticultural fleece. We use enviromesh, which is quite expensive, but lasts for a few years. It revolutionised our brassicas. They were not really worth growing before we invested in enviromesh - the greens were eaten to bits, by everything. For the last two years we have had sprouts every day from October to April!!! It also keeps the carrot fly out. You can get it from LBS
http://www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=R-HA&name=enviromesh&sfile=1&jump=0
Hope that helps
TopVeg
Comment by TopVeg - May 21, 2008 6:56 pm