Kitchen Garden Forum

I planted out last autumn some spring cabbage, some in the greenhouse (unheated) and some under clouches, the greenhouse ones have grown loads of leaf, but no hearts. the ones in the ground are nothing to write home about!! Where have I gone wrong?

Hi Donedigging,
You do not give us the variety that you have planted which may help us to help you.
Generally speaking the hearting varieties are loose leafed to begin with and then hearten up later.
It may just be that you will have to wait for them to hearten up and I do not think that you have done anything wrong at all.
JB.

I also planted out some seedlings (Hispi variety) in large pots under individual cloches last autumn and mine have also grown well but without hearts. Have just harvested them and used as greens.

Hi Johnboy,
Thank you for your replie. The variety of seed I used was from Suttons and it only says 'Cabbage, April, for Spring and Autumn harvest'
The picture shows large outer leaves, with a conical heart, like a tenderheart cabbage.
Perhaps I will have to be more patient.
donedigging

Hi, Donedigging
Don't panic yet. My own spring cabbage - spring hero - only have outer leaves at the moment. In other years, I've had to wait until May for them to form a heart. It's worth the wait, as although they are quite late for spring cabbages, they beat the bugs and help fill that gap when there's not much to harvest - oh, and they taste good too!

Hi Donedigging,
I have the same problem.
One of my gardening books says that when planting cabbage ...Solidify the soil around the plant after planting using your heal because if it's not firm enough the cabbage will fail to heart up.
Could this be of any help?
Regards, Gerry.

I am , not sure, buy am willing to be corrected, the idea of overwintering spring cabbage is that it needs very little protection in fact it is great for overwintering in open ground.

My Hispi have not hearted as well as they could but the problem may well be with the mild winter, we have had.

Compo

Hi,to Caz, Gerry and Compo
Thank you all for your encouraging replies.

perhaps I am being a little impatient!! I will try to give them some more time!

Have any of you tried growing them now for a winter crop and if so,do they have better results?

Just to add to the debate, the cabbage I sowed last Autumn (sorry, can't remember the variety) has spent the last few months slowly getting established. However in the last month, nearly every one has bolted, doubling (or more) in stem height followed by sprouting heads.

Unlike comments higher up this thread, I think we had a colder winter than the previous few (here in Bristol). Guess I must have done something wrong

Hi Colin,
I am in Bristol too, but seem to have the adverse effect, spring cabbages on the plot are not growing!!
perhaps I have done something wrong aswell!
donedigging