Cabbage planting - information needed

[Catherine]

I know this might sound strange but I cant find any information in any book I have read on planting cabbages.

Firstly I do understand that you have to rotate crops, so the bed I grew cabbages in last year wont have them in this year. BUT if you are growing successional cabbages and you have picked say three cabbages from your bed and there is now a space, can you plant more cabbages in their place. I have been told yes and no by people on our site.

I must say that I am not very strict with rotation, except cabbages, as we have club root.

I also thought that after last year, when we went to the effort of making a frame to keep the cabbage whites off the plants, I hardened the plants off outside and still got caterpillars on the plants, (how stupid was that) this year I am putting them straight in the frame before hardening them off. I saw a cabbage white butterfly yesterday.

Well I hope this question doesnt sound too stupid.

[alan refail]

Dear Catherine

Three points to start with:

1- You don't have to rotate crops. It's just good practice - and one I never come to grips with

2 - If you have clubroot, rotation will make little or no difference with a 3 or 4 part system

3 - As has been said before, there is no such thing as a stupid question. Though there may be "stupid" answers

Having said that, my advice would be to plant new brassica in the gaps, taking whatever precautions you use against clubroot. You are not really upsetting the rotation much and you could hope for a quick crop at this time of the year.

[Catherine]

Thank you Alan. Does that mean that the cabbages are hardy and I can get them in the ground now as I have some that are getting quite leggy as I tried to get them large enough to survive the cabbage root fly and club root. Last year we did really well with our cabbages because we got them quite sturdy before transplanting them in the ground then we dug a large hole and filled it with compost and a sprinkling of lime. This seemed to work for us though there were a few plot holders who po pooed this idea. We have had frost promised for tonight and later this week.

[alan refail]

Catherine

Unless they are very tender frost shouldn't harm them. If you're worried why not pot then on into a larger pot and let them get a bit bigger?

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Catherine, are you getting through that list of jobs?

[Catherine]

Dear OH I was up at the plot at 6am this morning because we have had frost here overnight and I did not put my sweet peas back into the polytunnel last night. Everything was covered in frost, my broad beans which are about 8 inches look ok. My cabbages were quite frosted but seem okay and the polytunnel looks not too bad though I am worried about the butternut squash seeds as they have just produced two big leaves. My list is not doing too well I am afraid I will just have to work harder. Off now to do the ironing and then .................