Three cabbages were collected having been cultivated under the heavy duty debris netting. The hearts are tiny, but that is of no consequence to Ma’s
Saag making. The outer leaves are a little filligreed. There was even some kale leaves were plucked.
Having found some chicken poop, sank some brassicas today. Mainly cabbages, cauliflowers and brocolli.
This bed was lovingly prepared by Mama H, who had dug over the bed that had originally contained garlic and shallots. Plus grass which had to be weedkilled, unfortunately. This had all died a death, and was now ready for the taking up.
With the area dug over, chicken poop was added. Each plant was plugged in, with a dose of lime. Watered, with blue pellets of doom added around the cabbage collars; the protective cage was the next step.
Yes, the canes are flimsy. In places, there are actually two or three under the pots. Green cabbage netting has been draped over, and weighted down with bricks. The dimensions of the netting are a bit off, so we’ve attached another net across one side and horticultural fleece on the other.
This is the second cabbage cage, Ma has already fashioned one over another set of cauliflowers and cabbages.
“You should grow Indian food”
Right, okay, so some white excel caulis and eastiflor savoys went in today.
I have very limited luck with cabbages and brassicas. Each year I say that I won’t bother, and then we have a flukey cauli crop.
So am trying once more this year, we shall see what happens!>
To date, my success with brassicas has been confined to the cauliflowers that my aunty tish gave me as plugs. Even then, they were hybrids. The sort that make traditional gardeners boo and hiss. At the end of last summer, I plugged into some brought plugs, of assorted brassicas. These were a risk, with no idea of any possible success.
Plugged into raised beds beneath either fleece or net, these were left to their own devices. One thing and one thing happened. Slugs and slimers ate them. They also got a bit leggy as i didn’t space them out properly. Not much has survived, even less has hearted up and formed proper cabbages. I had seen a handful of plants that had somewhat avoided being turned into a lace curtains. What you see above, is some evidence. A small crinkly savoy like artefact. A few of the external, outer leaves were rather lacy, and have been removed. Leaving behind a diddly heart. This is nestled into a bushel type thing, which resembles what I can only describe as spring greens. This didn’t heart up at all. It was just a mass of leaves with a stalk attached to it.
Think the plan is to steam as an accompaniment to casserole. Must admit that I am cheered by having cultivated a crinkly savoy cabbage. Encourages me to think a little closer on sowing some more of my own. The past history for those has not been good; with the slimers decimating them, and then cabbage butterflies doing their thing too. I do have netting this time, so perhaps that might make a difference.
I have tried to sow and grow cabbages. It simply doesn’t happen. This year, I had sown some from seed and also had some plugs. Plugs as the home made sown ones got munched on and I therefore, got very cross. Ma loves cabbages and greens. There is nothing better for home made saag, or for onion bhajis. Brassicas such as kale, go wonderfully with dinner when shredded and happen to be something of a superfood. Meaning that I want to sow them, I want them to be successful. They have their uses, but the costs of cultivating them are a whasit in the derrière.
The plugs were plugged in, in various places. Two raised beds and some open ground. Those in the raised beds, were covered in veggie mesh. All of the plugs, and the few that were home sown, all had cabbage collars. One line of preventative measure. All, were dusted with blue pellets of doom. The veggie mesh, was actually weighed down with bricks. I fully concede that was not done well, and something has still got in. Something to consider in depth and detail should I actually want to sow cabbages and brassicas with attention to detail. Definitely my own fault, you could say; most folks build a brassica cage. Now I know why.
I wandered down there today, aware that there was something green under the veggie mesh. Also aware, that most of it was gnarled and gnawed upon to pieces and resembled filligreed net curtains. I made the journey down to the plot, thinking that I have to put various cabbages and things out of their misery. And to be fair, I did. Those that had been reduced to nothing more than stalks. But I was stopped in my tracks, secateurs in hand from further snipping. There are many that have been chomped on. But there are others, that are starting to heart up, and don’t look so close to meeting their maker.
As you can see from the pictures, it is a very big green mess. A melee of cabbages-I don’t tend to follow the planting distances, though, i should-and at first sight it’s not pretty. I am inclined therefore, to leave them alone. Wait a while, to see what actually comes off. Thing is, they might get munched on even more…..
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