Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Duped into growing cabbage!

Lisaappleton09Lisaappleton09 Posts: 3
edited June 2020 in Problem solving
Hi all,
as the titles suggests I have been totally duped into growing wild cabbage of  all things! Seeds were bought from wish dot com and I thought I was purchasing hibiscus. After giving these massive tlc and time, now that they thriving it’s Evident  to anyone that they’re Not hibiscus at all but are plain old wild 🥬 

Brassica oleracea

 I cant believe it! So now I have about 30 wild cabbage plants all sitting in pots and as gutted as I am, I may as well keep them....but what to do with them?  Contrary to what Ive read, they flowered this year into huge big plants with Very very tall spikes of yellow flowers.  the giveaway should have been the huge descent of caterpillars 🐛 but I still didn’t cotton on! they’re on the cusp of becoming a problem in their pots.  bottom leaves are turning red and yellow and orange and dying off.  I’ve never grown so much as tomato before and am at a loss at to what I need to be dang with them now and where to put them (not pride of place next to my dahlias as planned that’s for sure!) if anyone can keep a straight face long enough to lend me some advice I’d be really grateful?!

Posts

  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    edited June 2020
    I'm sorry for you, what a disappointment. The decision is totally yours what to do with them. I would compost them as if they are put into the garden they will self seed all over. Still time to grow some thing else though.

    Have you contacted the seller? There must have been some sort of mix up. 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Oh bless you @Lisaappleton09 ... welcome to the forum 😊

    We’ve all been there  >:)

    My best advice is to use them as the foundation of a really good compost heap and put it down to experience. 

    If you want reliable seeds ... the unusual as well as the more every day, you won’t do better than Chilterns. 

    Take a look at their catalogue and keep a tight hold on your bank card. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Lisaappleton09Lisaappleton09 Posts: 3
    edited June 2020
    Bijdezee said:
    I'm sorry for you, what a disappointment. The decision is totally yours what to do with them. I would compost them as if they are put into the garden they will self seed all over. Still time to grow some thing else though.

    Have you contacted the seller? There must have been some sort of mix up. 


    Thanks for the speedy reply! yes it’s a huge disappointment and I’d be way to embarrassed to tell you exactly how much TLC these got before I realised that the cabbage looking leaves were...errr.....cabbage!  unfortunately you rather take your chance when you buy from Wish dot com based in China.  i ordered sunflower seeds and I was sold devils Trumpet last year , which thankfully was pretty obvious within a few weeks, but unfortunately I can’t go back to site really As these seeds were also bought last year, just didn’t get around to sowing them.  Guess I’ll just have to suck it up and put it down to bad luck, but who in all honesty wants scores of wild cabbage which may or may not be edible? they’re currently being ravaged by mealy bugs anyways which was how I finally identified them from pics online.  silly me...my job tomorrow was going to be plant them in the front borders!!! Yup...I think the compost heap is sounding good and I’ll try not to cry when I watch all that hardwork turn into mush 😂 Mealybugs !greenfly and aphids are Giving me massive headaches this year. they’re devouring everything in sight and have pretty much taken over the greenhouse.   I have sunflowers in bloom already but they’ve had a great time snacking and sucking the life out of those leaves too.  I don’t think it’s going to be my year 😆 

  • Lisaappleton09Lisaappleton09 Posts: 3
    Dovefromabove said:
    Oh bless you @Lisaappleton09 ... welcome to the forum 😊

    We’ve all been there  >:)

    My best advice is to use them as the foundation of a really good compost heap and put it down to experience. 

    If you want reliable seeds ... the unusual as well as the more every day, you won’t do better than Chilterns. 

    Take a look at their catalogue and keep a tight hold on your bank card. 
    https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/

    i LOVE Chiltern seeds.I literally decorated an entire acre of land in flowers from chiltern seeds Last year.  The ‘hibiscus’ were one of those  midnight impulse purchases after a glass or three too much wine....so was the fluffy pink toilet seat cover  🤪

Sign In or Register to comment.