Thread: Winter pansies
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Old 17-09-2011, 05:40 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Jake Jake is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Feb 2011
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Default Winter pansies

On Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:44:53 GMT, Baz wrote:

wrote in
:

Baz wrote:
I have just got back from the local market with 20 violas, 20 pansies
20 spring cabbage and 20 caulli for 12.50. From a trusted dealer,
not by me but a friend.
Too many brassicas to handle but I can give at least half away.


Send me some! I can never get cauliflowers to grow. :-(
Actually. Isn't it the wrong time of year to put caulis out? I
thought they went out in spring, and now was the time for sprouting
broccoli and cabbage.


Caullis are a bit difficult I know and I am pathetic with them.
Actually they can be planted in Sept. to overwinter in a bed with some
frost protection to give them an early start in spring.
I bought the plants on a whim to see what happens. At £1.50 for 20 plugs it
would be rude not to.

You might not have good results because they need to be planted very firmly
indeed. I mean plant them and really stand or stomp around them.(as with
all brassiccas) Someone told me "firm root, firm fruit" and that has been
true with cabbages and brussels sprouts, and the odd caulli I have managed
to get to the kitchen.

Don't give up, keep on trying because I can see a day in the future when
you might need your home grown veg!

Baz


Don't forget the netting! You have posted the availability of some
brassicas to the internet. Do you think pigeons don't read newsgroups?


If the seller was decent (as you think) the variety should be a frost
hardy one, in which case you may get by with just closing the leaves
around the curd and tying them with some string when frost threatens
and then just drop some fleece over them at night. I used to get away
with that when I had my own allotment (though that was some years ago
when winters were not so cold as we didn't have global warming) ))

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the less wet end of Swansea Bay
but moved on from Tolkien; now half way through
the complete Harry Potter.

www.rivendell.org.uk