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Giving up on Brassicas

13

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  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    I also gave up on growing brassicas apart from kale, which OH doesn’t like anyway so I only grow small amounts. Not only the pest onslaught but the long growing season tying up the beds and the fact that they bolt early in hot summers. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I tried growing celeriac last year.  It never reached a decent size and just took up growing space.  But that could be my light sandy soil.
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Anyone tried boiling chopped garlic and using the liquid as a slug repellent? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • scrogginscroggin Posts: 437
    Given up growing celeriac , because, although it grows well, the slugs and snails love it.
  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 812
    I'm thinking of trying Nematodes next year, it's a bit of a pain to have to buy and re-apply every 6 weeks, but i'll maybe give it a go.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited November 2022
    We had a lot of small grey slugs on our veg patch so about four years or so ago we used nematodes … and the improvement was remarkable. 

    We’ve not had to re-apply yet … we find it really helps to keep the edges of the bed ‘sharp’ with the grass trimmed short around the edge and a ‘gutter’ between the ‘lawn’ and the veg patch. 

    Also it’s important to keep the soil between the rows well hoed and clear of weeds … the slightest bit of green cover and the marauding army closes in …

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





  • Joyce GoldenlilyJoyce Goldenlily Posts: 2,933
    Lyn said:
    Anyone tried boiling chopped garlic and using the liquid as a slug repellent? 
    My son in law uses it and swears by it,
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Thanks Joyce,  seems no one else has tried it.  Good effective slug repellent but you do have to repeat quite often if you live in rainy areas,   Like all liquid applications such as feeds,   lots of rain,  whole lot washed through.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    Lyn said:
    Thanks Joyce,  seems no one else has tried it.  Good effective slug repellent but you do have to repeat quite often if you live in rainy areas,   Like all liquid applications such as feeds,   lots of rain,  whole lot washed through.
    I tried it last year...can't say how effective it was as I do live in a rainy area (no hosepipe ban this year) and yes, it did wash off and I didn't the time or inclination to continually reapply it.
    Incidentally, I bought a whole Savoy cabbage from Lidl yesterday...61p. I can't grow them anywhere near that cheaply.

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    I reckon that the only brassicas worth growing, for me, are a) things which are much better eaten really fresh (like PSB), b) things which we're happy to eat day after day until there's none left (like PSB...) and c) things difficult or expensive to buy, which we really like (eg kohl rabi).  I can't see the point in spending hours on slug patrol and lots of money on butterfly netting for cabbages, cauliflower or sprouts which are cheap to buy locally.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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