Broccoli Plant 'Besty'

Brassica Seedlings – Transplanting You can transplant the seedlings from indoor or outdoor seed trays, when several true leaves appear. The seedling leaves appears quickly but then the true leaves start to form from the growing tip. Plants should be about 10-15cm tall and will be 5- 6 weeks old. Using a dibber and trying to disturb the roots as least as possible, lift the seedlings by their true leaves and not the delicate stem. Make a deep hole and lower the roots until the lowest leaves are at ground level. Brassicas like to be firm, so planting them deep then firming the soil well around them, will benefit the growth of the plant. A good tip is to fill the hole with water and let the soil fill around the roots, then firm the soil around it.

Brassica Plugs, Garden Ready Plugs and 9cm Plants. – Our Brassica plants are grown under cool conditions and are hardened off ready to be planted direct into their final position. When you receive your plants, remove them from their packaging immediately. Give them a good water, plugs can be put into a shallow dish of water and leave for a few minutes for the plug to soak up the water. Pots and Garden ready packs can be watered overhead with a fine rose spray. If particularly dry, plunge them into a bucket of water until no air bubbles are seen from the compost. Ideally, they then need to be planted, however, if you can’t plant straight away, place the plants in a cool shady part of the garden, out of the wind and keep moist until ready to be planted.

Prepare for Planting – If you can prepare the ground prior to the delivery of your plants. Brassicas need fertile soil, so add a good amount of well-rotted manure or compost into the soil and mix in.

Brassicas do best in neutral to Alkali soils of pH 6.5 to 8 ideally. If your soil is too acidic ie less than 6.0 then you can add in lime and dig in before planting. Soil should be compacted before planting as Brassicas don’t like ‘rocking’ by wind when they are growing. This breaks the very fine new roots and can check growth. Brassicas can be planted deep, up to the first pairs of leaves and firm well when planting.

Feeding and Watering – As they are hungry and thirsty plants, attention needs to be given to the correct nutrients in the soil and constant watering through their growing season. Along with high Nitrogen levels, ensure there are trace elements present in the soil, as this will help to reduce and leaf issues. If leaves do start to show yellowing, then a liquid high nitrogen can be applied. Brassicas especially need Boron and Magnesium to ensure constant healthy growth. Keep watering consistent rather than dry and soaking, especially when the weather is hot.

Spacing – Brassicas can take up a lot of room, but modern varieties have been selected to give the same size of produce with less unnecessary leaf, or small overall size without reducing head size in cauliflowers and cabbage etc. Brassica roots are quite shallow and will spread wide, so getting the spacing right is crucial. All the varieties differ and check the specific spacing on the web site. In general the spacings are as follows.

Broccoli – 45cm between each plant and 60cm between rows.

Brussel Sprouts – 50cm – 60cm between each plant and 50cm between rows. They can benefit from staking too especially in windy areas.

Cabbage– 30-45cm between each plant and 40cm between rows.

Cauliflower – 40-50cm between each plant and 50-60cm between rows.

Kale – 30-40cm between each plant and 40-50cm between rows.

Bare Root Plants: Several of our plants come supplied as bare roots. Despite appearances, they are alive and well. They have been previously grown in the ground and lifted when dormant throughout the winter months, so that when you receive them, they are strong, full of energy and ready to be planted out. This is our most economical way to buy many plant varieties including roses, strawberries, trees and bushes.

Seedlings: Seedlings are young plants that have grown from seeds and are still small, usually with just a few leaves. They are in the early stages of growth and are ready to be potted on or planted outdoors to continue developing.

Plug Plants: A wide range of our varieties come in plug size, including Strawberries, Tomatoes, Chillis, Peppers, Cucumbers and Courgettes. Grown in individual cells with a bio-degradable membrane that will break down in the soil, no need to remove before planting. Pot and grow on to form larger plants that can be planted later in the season. Protect from frost if necessary.

9cm Plants: Our 9cm plants are larger and much more established than our plug ranges, meaning they are ready to plant out straight away. These will establish quickly and produce flower and fruit much quicker than smaller plugs. Protect from frost if required.

13cm Plants: A substantial plant with many already developed flowers or even early onset of fruit if the season has been early. Great for filling in gaps or plating into patio containers.

Grafted Plants: Grafted plants are created by joining together two different plant varieties, typically by attaching the stem of one onto the root system of another. This process allows for desirable traits, such as disease resistance or better fruit production, to be combined into a single plant.

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As brassicas are mostly leaf, they need a high level of nitrogen to get the best from them. Well-rotted manure provides a lot of this, but adding in specific high nitrogen fertiliser will also be of benefit during the most vigorous growth periods.