Home Vegetables Brassicas

Brassicas

Brassicas
Cauliflower Amsterdam reaching maturity

Brassicas from October to March*

Short of time and space to grow my own brassicas from seed to crop during the colder months, I trialled DT Brown’s Winter Greens Collection.

But what exactly is a brassica? Well, it’s the cabbage family and includes Brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflowers, turnips, swedes, kale, calabrese and radishes.

In the Winter Greens Collection were 20 plants, five of each variety, an ideal amount for my limited raised bed space. From an August planting, there are pickings to be had from October-March. Here are the varieties:

Cauliflower Amsterdam F1

Good cold tolerance and a strong grower, providing tasty caulis from October-November. The curds have a wonderful, buttery flavour, a world away from the tasteless mush of supermarket varieties.

Brassicas
Sprouting broccoli Rudolph

Kale Reflex F1

A new strain, which is tastier and more succulent than many older varieties. It can be picked as required from October to February and is very hardy.

Cabbage Tundra F1

One of the hardiest winter cabbages, standing in good condition from November to March. The large, solid, crisp heads are full of flavour.

Sprouting Broccoli Rudolph

Start picking deeply-flavoured young spears from November until March. The vibrant purple heads and lilac blue-green leaves are very attractive in the vegetable garden.

*That was the advertised timescale – all mine were much later.


Potted guide

Potted guide: cabbage

  • SOWING TIME: February-September.
  • HARVESTING TIME: Almost all year round, if successional varieties are planted. Cut through the stem just above ground level with a sharp knife. Cut a deep cross in the stump of spring and summer varieties for a second crop of smaller cabbages.
  • PLANTING DISTANCE: Compact varieties 30cm apart, larger varieties up to 45cm apart. Plant spring cabbages 10cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Thin out to 30cm apart in late Feb/March.
  • ASPECT AND SOIL: Full sun, well-drained. If your soil is acidic, lime before planting.
  • HARDINESS: Very hardy.
  • DIFFICULTY: Easy – unless attacked by cabbage root fly or club root.
Brassicas
Cabbage Tundra F1 and cauliflower Amsterdam F1 in January

Brassicas – a cabbage for every season

There’s a huge variety of cabbage seeds, and naturally, some of their seasons overlap, especially for multi-purpose types like Duncan and Pyramid.

WINTER CABBAGES: Holland Winter White, Kilaxy, Marabel, Tundra, Duncan, Noelle, Brigadier, Caramba (winter sweetheart), Jewel. Savoy – Protovoy, Alaska, January King 3, Savoy Spinel, Tourmaline, Supervoy, Siberia.

SPRING CABBAGES: Duncan, Sennen, Pixie, Greensleeves, Winter Jewel, Durham Early, April, Wheelers Imperial, Duchy, Pyramid.

SUMMER CABBAGES: Kilaxy, Candisa, Bourbon, Mozart, Primo, Duncan, Greyhound, Pyramid; Surprise, Hispi, Elisa, Jersey Wakefield, Duchy, Sir, Caramba, Derby Day. Red – Red Rookie, Red Jewel, Kalibos, Red Drumhead. Savoy – Mila, Savoy King.

AUTUMN CABBAGES: Consul, Picador, Winnigstadt, Duncan, Minicole, Surprise, Brigadier, Duchy, Attraction, Sir, Kilaton, Pyramid. Red – Lodero, Kalibos, Red Rookie, Mohykan, Red Jewel. Savoy – Resolution, Savoy Spinel, Savoy King.

Broccoli
Purple sprouting broccoli

Problems with brassicas

Club root

Plasmodiophora brassicae, a soil-dwelling micro-organism, leads to massive root swelling, distortion and severely retarded growth. It can also affect Cheiranthus (wallflowers), Matthiola (stocks), Aubrieta and Capsella bursa-pastoris (shepherd’s purse). Attacks happen in moist, warm soil, mainly from midsummer until late autumn. Spores can infect soil for up to 20 years.

Symptoms: Stunted growth, purplish foliage and wilting in hot weather, which may recover under wetter conditions. The root system becomes massively swollen and distorted. Due to this, growth and yield are severely reduced and plants may die.

Organic controls: Make sure you buy plants from a guaranteed club root-free source. If you know your soil has the disease, grow plants in pots to a larger size before planting out. The larger, healthy root system gives them a better chance.

Don’t spread contaminated soil on tools, wheelbarrows or shoes. You can also raise the soil pH by liming. On acid soils, lime at the rate of 500g per sqm, with lighter dressings of 270g per sqm in subsequent years. Improve drainage, or make raised beds and keep down susceptible weeds.

Partially-resistant cultivars: Brussels sprouts Chronos and Crispus F1, calabrese Trixie, cauliflower Clapton, cabbages Kilaxy and Kilaton, kale Tall Green Curled and swede Marian.

Red Russian kale and Cavolo Nero, Oct 8 garden in pictures
Red Russian kale and Cavolo Nero

Cabbage root fly

White larvae approx 5cm long feed on surface roots, stunting growth and causing plants to wilt and die.

Organic control: Grow under insect-proof mesh/horticultural fleece, especially seedlings.

Caterpillars

Cabbage white butterflies are the most common, caterpillars boring holes in leaves and cabbage hearts.

Organic controls: In mild attacks, pick off by hand. Insect-proof mesh or fine netting (5-7mm) can prevent egg-laying.

Brassicas growing page updated January 2022