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Brassica advice if someone would be so kind?

gordonpitcairngordonpitcairn Posts: 6
in Fruit & veg
The cabbages and broccoli I planted 6 - 8 weeks ago are doing well and looking pretty big and healthy. I just wanted to clarify or disprove advice i was given a few years back but haven't actually tried as yet. I was told that any low leaves that are touching the ground I should be removing to decrease the chances of disease and to allow better air flow around the stems of the plants.
Any advice either way would take the mystery away for me and clear up the nagging "what if's" once and for all!
Thanks for your time and wisdom in advance.
G
NZ

Posts

  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Not sure but we have planted out seedlings so that the cotyeldons leaves are below ground and made really firm. The big problem though is the pigeons and then the white butterflies so you have to work around both of those.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Like @bertrand-mabel I always plant my brassicas up to the nodes of the first true leaves and firm the plants in well as they don't like wind rock.  I don't remove any other leaves unless they're already aging and going yellow.

    We use a hoops and net system to protect our brassicas from butterflies and their caterpillars.

    Another trick is to add lime to the soil before planting as this helps protect against club root - not likely to be a problem if you are doing crop rotation to manage soil fertility and avoid the build-up of pests and diseases. 

    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
  • didywdidyw Posts: 3,573
    I'm not growing any brassicas this year.  Last year was such a pain as my netting wasn't up to scratch and the cabbage whites still got in.  The only leafy green that does well for me is chard. I decided the hassle just wasn't worth it, especially as we have an excellent greengrocer in town who sells produce from some brilliant local growers.  So this year - salad potatoes and climbing french beans!
    Gardening in East Suffolk on dry sandy soil.
  • ColinAColinA Posts: 392
    I always remove lower leaves from Brussel Sprouts as they grow to let in light and air, Also a tip my father always swore by was to put soot around the stem when planting any type of Brassica to stop cabbage root fly --- and it works.
  • gordonpitcairngordonpitcairn Posts: 6
    Thank you all for your comments. The deeper planting and soot addition are two things I will definitely try for my next planting. I feel that Ive also planted them a trifle close to each other so I think maybe the removal of selected lower leaves may enable better air flow due to my slightly frugal spacing!
    cheers
    G
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