Brassicas are not really fussy about soil conditions as long as the soil is not too acidic – with the exception of cauliflower, seen as the hardest to grow.

I add some extra compost around my cauli’s and grow in a little shade as they hate weather that’s too hot. I Apply some lime to the bed a month before planting out and try to plant where my peas/beans had grown the previous year so they get the benefit of the nitrogen, though bad planing on my part means its not always the case. I feed with chicken manure when they are planted out to their final growing position..

1# Never lime and fertilise at the same time.

2# Never grow brassicas in the same bed, rotate each year. I use a 3 year rotation for my brassicas to prevent clubroot..

Growing brassicas

March

I sow my seeds into root trainers around six weeks before planting out. I find these are ideal as they open out like a book, keeping the soil around the roots …

May

lime the bed

June

Planting out.

I use a hand trowel to make a hole;  watering the hole with a full watering can per hole, planting my seedlings up to the the first leaves. I don’t do a merry dance on the soil before planting to firm the soil as I prefer to firm down carefully around the plant with my foot. The water helps to bed the roots and I’ve never had a problem with my sprouts not planted firmly enough..

Then its time to batten down the hatches, covering the bed with a fine netting to keep the pesky cabbage whites off .

# I water and feed my brassicas through the netting!

Cabbage whites are the only problem I have at the plot, using collars at the base of the plants has never been necessary..