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Planting cabbages twice in the same bed?

daveknight.epsomdownsdaveknight.epsomdowns Posts: 2
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone.

New to the forum and to veg growing and hope you can help.

I'm planning for this year and will use a four year rotation. The beds are about 8ft by 4ft. I have a variety of cabbage (Mr. Fothergill's Offenham 2 (Flower of Spring) that can be used to grow two crops. One harvested in Sept-Nov and then next year in Feb-Mar or Apr-May.

Now the question. The overlap of those two plantings are such that I could use the bed twice. Start at one end with the first "season" and start cropping. A bit later, there will then be space to put in the second "season" at the "starting end" of the bed.

Will I hit problems?

Growing in chalky soil, so think (not tested) that it's pretty alkaline.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    You will be leaving yourself prone to problems with club root which affects the vigour of all members of the brassica family including turnips, mustards, broccoli and cauliflower as well as leafy cabbages of many and varied varieties. 

    It can take years to get the soil clean afterwards - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=128k 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Blue OnionBlue Onion Posts: 2,995
    Consider growing another early crop that you can follow with the cabbage instead.  I plant an early row of peas as soon as I notice a few tiny weeds begin to grow.  By the time they are nearly finished, my indoor started cucumbers are hardened off and ready to be put in the ground.  Sometimes there is a bit of overlap, so I just put the cucumbers immediately next to the base of the peas.. and sometimes I just direct sow the cucumbers in a similar proximity.  I cut off the peas at the base to avoid any root disturbance, and by then the cucumbers are ready for the space.  You might not like peas, but there is probably another veg that will leave space available for your cabbage.. anything that is not related, of course.  
    Utah, USA.
  • daveknight.epsomdownsdaveknight.epsomdowns Posts: 2
    Thanks for the advice. I'll have a rethink!
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