Hello group
I hope you all had your best cropping year as I have(partially)
My first two years gardening a veg plot were a learning for me and to get
what I thought was a good soil, and I thought I had it.

I live in S****horpe which is in UK South of Hull

I have had a great third year with my veg plot: potatoes, beans, tomatoes,
herbs, onions, garlic, shallotts etc.

My cabbages and cauliflowers however have failed for two years running!
In the first year I had cabbage maggot, and I got over that problem this
year by using "collars" to stop them laying eggs at the roots.

THIS year they have looked lovely and green, but have not "hearted up"
despite feeding them at regular intervals with blood/fish/bone and also
growmore.

3 small plots, one with blood/fish/bone the second with growmore, the third
with both (and a couple with no fertilizer at all...they are useless)

I have rung the changes so that my own cultivations and shop bought are in
shared and different beds to eliminate fault but all are the same.

What can I be doing wrong?

Thanks for reading this lengthy text.
Part_No

"Part_No" wrote
Hello group
I hope you all had your best cropping year as I have(partially)
My first two years gardening a veg plot were a learning for me and to get
what I thought was a good soil, and I thought I had it.

I live in S****horpe which is in UK South of Hull

I have had a great third year with my veg plot: potatoes, beans, tomatoes,
herbs, onions, garlic, shallotts etc.

My cabbages and cauliflowers however have failed for two years running!
In the first year I had cabbage maggot, and I got over that problem this
year by using "collars" to stop them laying eggs at the roots.

THIS year they have looked lovely and green, but have not "hearted up"
despite feeding them at regular intervals with blood/fish/bone and also
growmore.

3 small plots, one with blood/fish/bone the second with growmore, the
third
with both (and a couple with no fertilizer at all...they are useless)

I have rung the changes so that my own cultivations and shop bought are in
shared and different beds to eliminate fault but all are the same.

What can I be doing wrong?

Thanks for reading this lengthy text.

Firstly, should they have hearted up yet? Which variety? When did you plant
out?
Only two of our winter cabbages have hearted yet and they are the ones that
have it wrong.

Uneven watering can cause problems with some although cauliflowers are worse
for that.

Check the ph of the soil, brassicas prefer an alkaline soil (ph7+) but
certainly don't like a very acid soil.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
just W. of London

"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello group
I hope you all had your best cropping year as I have(partially)
My first two years gardening a veg plot were a learning for me and to get
what I thought was a good soil, and I thought I had it.

I live in S****horpe which is in UK South of Hull

I have had a great third year with my veg plot: potatoes, beans, tomatoes,
herbs, onions, garlic, shallotts etc.

My cabbages and cauliflowers however have failed for two years running!
In the first year I had cabbage maggot, and I got over that problem this
year by using "collars" to stop them laying eggs at the roots.

THIS year they have looked lovely and green, but have not "hearted up"
despite feeding them at regular intervals with blood/fish/bone and also
growmore.

3 small plots, one with blood/fish/bone the second with growmore, the
third
with both (and a couple with no fertilizer at all...they are useless)

I have rung the changes so that my own cultivations and shop bought are in
shared and different beds to eliminate fault but all are the same.

What can I be doing wrong?

Thanks for reading this lengthy text.
Part_No

They shouldn't need regular feeding with blood fish and bone. I mean it's
not an exact science, the way I do it is to ensure the allotment is annually
fed with manure or compost and a fertiliser such as the one you suggest is
added in the spring. The ground must be firm for the plants to heart up so
tred the ground down before planting. I add a small amount of lime to the
planting hole to help avoid club root and I also plant club root resistant
ones. Mine have been hearted up for a month or two now but they hold up well
and should last a into the winter. I wonder if your feed is too much and
it's stunting the roots??

Robert
www.rraa.moonfruit.com

"Bob Hobden" wrote in
:


"Part_No" wrote
Hello group
I hope you all had your best cropping year as I have(partially)
My first two years gardening a veg plot were a learning for me and to
get what I thought was a good soil, and I thought I had it.

I live in S****horpe which is in UK South of Hull

I have had a great third year with my veg plot: potatoes, beans,
tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, shallotts etc.

My cabbages and cauliflowers however have failed for two years
running! In the first year I had cabbage maggot, and I got over that
problem this year by using "collars" to stop them laying eggs at the
roots.

THIS year they have looked lovely and green, but have not "hearted
up" despite feeding them at regular intervals with blood/fish/bone
and also growmore.

3 small plots, one with blood/fish/bone the second with growmore, the
third
with both (and a couple with no fertilizer at all...they are useless)

I have rung the changes so that my own cultivations and shop bought
are in shared and different beds to eliminate fault but all are the
same.

What can I be doing wrong?

Thanks for reading this lengthy text.

Firstly, should they have hearted up yet? Which variety? When did you
plant out?
Only two of our winter cabbages have hearted yet and they are the ones
that have it wrong.

Uneven watering can cause problems with some although cauliflowers are
worse for that.

Check the ph of the soil, brassicas prefer an alkaline soil (ph7+) but
certainly don't like a very acid soil.


Thanks Bob for your reply.
I have been away for a few days.

BTW our soil around the area is very light(a joy to dig)and just about
everything I plant seems to thrive.

I think some should have hearted by now because some are a summer variety
(F1 minicole) which I planted in April to harvest late summer.
The rest I forget, but were an overwinter variety planted last Sept/Oct
for harvest May onwards.

As I say NONE even look like they will heart up.

It's been suggested that I have not put them in firm enough soil, and
that seems to be correct as some neighbours have been cropping all year
with the same plants as me(we bought them together), and they "hoofed"
theirs in very firmly as I did with my brussel sprouts, and they are just
perfect. It never occured to me that cabbages and caulli need the same
treatment.
I will be doing a ph test as soon as I get a kit.
I already have next years caulli and cabbage in and have hoofed them in
so it's too late to do much now so I will have to wait 'till 2010.

If you can advise me on anything I havn't done or have done will you give
me a few pointers please.

Thanks again
Part_No

"Robert \(Plymouth\)" wrote in
:



"Part_No" wrote in message
...
Hello group
I hope you all had your best cropping year as I have(partially)
My first two years gardening a veg plot were a learning for me and to
get what I thought was a good soil, and I thought I had it.

I live in S****horpe which is in UK South of Hull

I have had a great third year with my veg plot: potatoes, beans,
tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, shallotts etc.

My cabbages and cauliflowers however have failed for two years
running! In the first year I had cabbage maggot, and I got over that
problem this year by using "collars" to stop them laying eggs at the
roots.

THIS year they have looked lovely and green, but have not "hearted
up" despite feeding them at regular intervals with blood/fish/bone
and also growmore.

3 small plots, one with blood/fish/bone the second with growmore, the
third
with both (and a couple with no fertilizer at all...they are useless)

I have rung the changes so that my own cultivations and shop bought
are in shared and different beds to eliminate fault but all are the
same.

What can I be doing wrong?

Thanks for reading this lengthy text.
Part_No

They shouldn't need regular feeding with blood fish and bone. I mean
it's not an exact science, the way I do it is to ensure the allotment
is annually fed with manure or compost and a fertiliser such as the
one you suggest is added in the spring. The ground must be firm for
the plants to heart up so tred the ground down before planting. I add
a small amount of lime to the planting hole to help avoid club root
and I also plant club root resistant ones. Mine have been hearted up
for a month or two now but they hold up well and should last a into
the winter. I wonder if your feed is too much and it's stunting the
roots??

Robert
www.rraa.moonfruit.com



The ground must be firm......Thats the answer

I made sure the sprouts were in firm and got a showcase crop last year
but it never twigged on me that caulli and cabbage would benefit!

I have a light soil and YES needs a good treading before planting.