Brassicas are a tricky crop that are all about timing and temperature. Mess those up, and your cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. will mature too quickly and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, literally and figuratively! Here are some of the lessons we’ve learned in failing with brassicas for a few years 🙂
0:41 – Brassica Overview
1:36 – Timing
2:29 – Watering Tips
3:35 – Fertilizing Tips
4:30 – When to Plant
5:47 – Tying Cauliflower Leaves
7:02 – Secondary Harvests of Broccoli
7:55 – Variety Selection
8:23 – Giant Cabbage
9:03 – Cabbage Moth Prevention
IN THIS VIDEO
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I've learned the same thing over the last 5 years, growing in zone 7 in VA. I start seeds in June-July and transplant end of August. Also has many less pests in the fall compared to spring plantings.
We learned in fall of 2021 that we LOVE brussels sprouts. Will be doing many more of those next year. Cauliflower and Kale are our next two favorites.
Just throwing it out there, I would absolutely buy San Juan Cabbagestrano Jr swag
Many brassicas taste the best after freezing temperatures. Kale, brussel sprouts and OMG savoy cabbage. Soo sweet I thought my husband had seasoned them with honey. The advice is therefore to check and see what brassicas benefit from freezing. Kale easily takes minus 18 degrees celcius.
Thanks this video was needed
Last year I covered my brassicas with agrifabric hoop houses. Worry free. No bugs of any kind and the most beautiful leaves ever. and I've always had moth and aphid issues. This year all the brassicas will get the agrifabric and plants that need pollinating will be covered by chicken wire.
By the way, first time on your channel.
Kevin! Garden hack video! The King of Random's Diaper Pellet hack
Hi, Kevin! Congratulations on a great series! In this episode you concentrated on Western brassicas and mentioned your challenges with them in San Diego. You would have far fewer challenges and much larger harvests if you grew East Asian brassicas, which have been bred for warmer climates. My wife grew (organically) tons of various types of Chinese brassicas while living in San Diego, with four or five harvests per year. Cold climate brassicas are unsuited for your climate zone. In my native Northern Europe we traditionally don’t even as much as look at kale and Brussels sprouts before the first frost. Here in California, I have been known to put them into the freezer for at least one hour before cooking, and they taste sweeter then.
For me in a cold zone. Kentucky, starting my brassica plants now indoors. As soon as once they sprout start bringing outside daily to acclimatize them for 20 minutes or so. Once temps here are constant 50s put in ground. Cover with tulle/netting immediately because of white flies. Replant indoors in late late summer to have ready to plant outside in cooler fall temps. Good luck
Hi Kevin. I bought 2 raised beds from your website and would like to know the best irrigation system you suggest. Tape vs tubing vs whatever is out there. Much appreciated.
How well do lady bugs work for your garden? Like intentionally placing a bunch in there
I'm also in a colder zone but looper butterflies lay their eggs on my brassica leaves and then the little green caterpillars devour my plants. I have sprayed, hand picked and harvested great brussel sprouts, and no cabbage.
Okay, why are they called Cabbage Months? Moths only fly at night and the pretty white nightmares with the black dot on their wings, are only around early on the brightest mornings. Right?? So they are what, then? Cabbage Butterflies?
Epic gardening are you selecting shortlisted winners for a previous giveaway or someone is using a fake account? there s a poser using your picture maybe to scam
Hey Kevin, I've used calendula lately as a sacrificial plant in my garden kind of near my brassicas for aphid issues. It worked nicely in the spring here in Toronto. The ladybugs came shortly after, so I didn't have to sacrifice too many of the flowers. They're great though because they grow back to easily with the heat of summer. I struggle a lot with kales and broccoli in my garden too, so I hope this year I can enjoy some from the garden.
Good vid. I have the same issues u had. Timing was my issue so I'm banking on getting it right this spring
Many years ago, when we lived further north, there weren't very many bugs to bother our brassicas, except that darn cabbage moth. Floating row cover made all the difference, and the cabbages were absolutely perfect. The variety names were Quartz and Centron, and of course they aren't available any more. Its very windy here, and I'm afraid the row covers won't stay on very long. Going to try the chicken wire idea, thanks.
Tip 8 – Grow in an area without [censored] cabbage white butterfly.
I was successful with cabbage for the first time this year. I'll be harvesting in a couple weeks- zone 9 southeast. Timing is the ticket.
Really interesting piece, thank you. I admit was hoping this might cover raising brassica seeds indoors, something I’ve had no success with despite trying every year. Here in Tasmania, I plant seedlings of broccoli and cauliflower in mid-March (early spring), covered with wire waste baskets until the cabbage whites disappear in late April. This timing gives me a late winter harvest. But trying to raise the seeds indoors starting in the last couple of weeks of summer (late Feb) is, for me, impossible, I always end up buying seedlings. So maybe sometime you could do a piece on this?
This was a great video! Love all your tips and tricks but I do have a question. A few years ago,I got a bunch of wood flakes that I was wanting to use as mulch but never had the time to do so and I was scared that putting the flakes themselves in would ruin the roots or plants health. Now that pile is all decomposed and I’m just wondering,would it be a good idea to use that as mulch for a garden?
I have a indoor winter growing area in my home in New England but the temperatures are still too chilly to grow warm crops like basil or cilantro. My new favorite to grow and eat is leaf broccoli-Spigariello Liscia. Never heard of it until I bought some seeds mainly to round up my order for free shipping. Extremely easy to grow, pest resistant, and tastes like spinach/kale.
I have no problem growing in my zone 5a but those little cabbage moths create havoc on my crops. I finally found a solution on amazon. row cover made of mesh. Lets sunlight and water in. No issues this year with my kale. I will use again as I don't like to spray.
Would love to know more about growing artichoke im in zone 7b NY. Would love any tips.
I’ve found that the Bt pesticide is very effective on those cabbage moths/caterpillars