Will re-sow but thought I had been patient this year..the other things put in look fine, just the brassica's seem to be misbehaving! Any Tips / suggestions???
Westi
Spindley Again!
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Westi
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Thought I'd waited long enough - got grow light set up & blind up further than it's ever been in the last year - & more importantly it's been sunny, (OK lighter than it has been), but got BS & Cabbage plants looking - well sad!
Will re-sow but thought I had been patient this year..the other things put in look fine, just the brassica's seem to be misbehaving! Any Tips / suggestions???
Westi
Will re-sow but thought I had been patient this year..the other things put in look fine, just the brassica's seem to be misbehaving! Any Tips / suggestions???
Westi
Westi
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sally wright
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Dear Westi,
apart from more sunshine which I feel we could ALL do with. The next best thing is to brush over their tops with your hand. This will make them think it is windy and they should start to thicken their stems a little. You will only need to do this for a little while a couple of times a day. Or if you think the neighbours will contact those folks with the white coats and rubber bus then use an occillating fan for about 20 minutes twice a day.
It is also a good way to start hardening off plants later in the season as well, especially things which can go leggy such as courgettes and squashes.
Regards Sally Wright.
apart from more sunshine which I feel we could ALL do with. The next best thing is to brush over their tops with your hand. This will make them think it is windy and they should start to thicken their stems a little. You will only need to do this for a little while a couple of times a day. Or if you think the neighbours will contact those folks with the white coats and rubber bus then use an occillating fan for about 20 minutes twice a day.
It is also a good way to start hardening off plants later in the season as well, especially things which can go leggy such as courgettes and squashes.
Regards Sally Wright.
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FelixLeiter
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Don't sow quite so early, is my tip. Some years we have to accept that spring is going to come late, this year being one of them. I guess if you want early summer cabbage, then sow again soon (me myself personally do not as I think there are so many other vegetables to enjoy in summer) but Brussels sprouts mature just fine from an April sowing, even into May.
With very early sowings it's a difficult balance between giving them enough warmth to encourage growth with sufficient light to sustain it. Brassicas tend to leap ahead more than other veg in response to warmth, which is why your Brassica seedlings are leggy while the others are not. Meanwhile you could enjoy them in a sandwich, with a bit of egg, perhaps.
With very early sowings it's a difficult balance between giving them enough warmth to encourage growth with sufficient light to sustain it. Brassicas tend to leap ahead more than other veg in response to warmth, which is why your Brassica seedlings are leggy while the others are not. Meanwhile you could enjoy them in a sandwich, with a bit of egg, perhaps.
Allotment, but little achieved.
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Westi
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Thanks FL. Thought would be fine down here in the tropics but see now we might have to adjust to being colder than previous years! Will sow a 2nd crop next week as am on hols! Hoping of course you are further North than here!
Westi
Westi
Westi
Hi Westi,
When you say spindly what do you actually mean?
Here we sow our cabbages in modules on the benches in the tunnels without any artificial aids whatsoever and certainly growth is somewhat slower but feel that the young plants progress at their own pace and we
judge the worth of the plants by their root structure rather than their top growth.
JB.
When you say spindly what do you actually mean?
Here we sow our cabbages in modules on the benches in the tunnels without any artificial aids whatsoever and certainly growth is somewhat slower but feel that the young plants progress at their own pace and we
judge the worth of the plants by their root structure rather than their top growth.
JB.
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Colin Miles
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I still haven't sown anything. The average temp for the year so far here in 'sunny' Carmarthenshire is just over 2C or just under 37F. Am hoping that the mole has finally agreed to leave the greenhouse so I can get to work there. Outside the wind is still cold and only the daises are growing.
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Westi
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JB - about 2 1/2" tall but with only 2 immature leaves on the top, now flopping over. I'm watching everything else closely & not happy with the compost - seems too airy, can push the other plants down about 1/2" so they aren't realy secured into the soil, if that makes sense.
Bought a new bag of compost & will resow into that as the broad beans seem to have some sort of fungal growth around the edges but they seem OK. I bought the first bag before Xmas (was cheap) & just left it in greenhouse until I was ready to sow so now thinking might be more to do with that - ie: plants stressed so trying hard but not strong enough to cope!
Westi
PS - Will B Beans be OK once planted out or should I bin them & not risk whatever fungi / or whatever getting onto lottie??
Bought a new bag of compost & will resow into that as the broad beans seem to have some sort of fungal growth around the edges but they seem OK. I bought the first bag before Xmas (was cheap) & just left it in greenhouse until I was ready to sow so now thinking might be more to do with that - ie: plants stressed so trying hard but not strong enough to cope!
Westi
PS - Will B Beans be OK once planted out or should I bin them & not risk whatever fungi / or whatever getting onto lottie??
Westi
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Primrose
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As a matter of interest, what brand of compost were you using? Is it one of the non peat varieties? Last year I had all kinds of germination/seedling problems with commercial compost. I've just bought some New Horizons peat free compost for this year's sowings and am hoping for better results. The bags have a symbol on them saying "Which" best buy.
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Westi
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Got it off the milkman - was same as last year which was probably where it came from! Packaging was different from what I have just got to replace it! I don't know if it was peat free - just a bargain at the time!
Should know better I know, but had used it before!
Westi
Should know better I know, but had used it before!Westi
Westi
The great thing about brassicas is that you can plant them up to their necks - unlike many plants that will just rot off if planted too deep. This also encourages very vigorous root growth, which helps ameliorate the impact of club root and root fly, as well as making them more stable and drought resistant.
Tomatoes are the same.
Tomatoes are the same.