Extra Early Brassicas – 16 Seedlings Supply

Description

Extra Early Brassicas – 16 Seedlings

Extra Early Brassica Plants are a great way to give you some of the earliest crops of Brussels, Cabbage, Calabrese and Cauliflower – plant them in March and you could be harvesting from May!

This Collection is for the smaller garden or household and includes 4 plants each of:

• Broccoli (Calabrese) ‘Marathon’ – Produces dense blue-green, finely beaded succulent heads from May.
• Cabbage ‘Duncan’ – One of the best spring cabbages, producing firm, pointed heads in May but can be picked before maturity and eaten as ‘spring greens’ in April.
• Cauliflower ‘Maybach’ – An excellent, early maturing variety that will not ‘blow’ in warm weather.
• Brussels Sprout ‘Clodius’ – Dependable solid, round sprouts ready in time for the Christmas period and continuing for the remainder of winter when other green vegetables are scarce.

By sowing seed in the autumn and then gently growing the plants on over the winter under controlled, cool greenhouse conditions to produce sturdy young plants that are ready to despatch and plant out in mid/late March, some 8-10 weeks earlier than the main brassica planting period.

The Extra Early Brassicas have been sown in October and overwintered undercover with frost protection. The plants are tough, sturdy and stocky ready hardened off for immediate planting on arrival.

How you will receive your plants:

Selected by our team of experts and sent from our nursery, you will receive your super seedlings in plug trays in a box. These are designed to keep your plants secure and to prevent damage in transit. Super seedling plugs can be planted out straight away without potting on.

Can’t plant straight away?

If you aren’t able to plant your seedlings out straight away then ensure they stay moist. You can place your plugs on a saucer or tray of shallow water so they are able to stay hydrated. Aim to have your plugs planted within 3 days.

Planting hints and tips:

Potting seedling plugs on: On arrival place your plug trays in shallow water to allow them to soak ensuring the rootballs are moist. Use the end of a pencil or a narrow dibber to gently tease your plugs out of their trays. Choose potting on pots approximately 3 inches in diameter to plant your plugs on. Fill the pots with quality potting on compost and tap down until level. Use your pencil to make a hole in the top of the compost and place your plug plant in, gently pushing around the base of the plant. Repeat this process for all of your plugs and then place them in a tray and thoroughly water with a watering can using a fine rose to prevent the compost from being displaced. Grow your plants in a cold-frame, large sunny windowsill,  or greenhouse. Water every 2-3 days and more frequently if sunny to prevent drying out.

Hardening off: Once your potted on plants reach a good size and are ready to plant out in their final location, the first step is to harden them off before moving them outdoors permanently. This involves simply placing them outdoors during the day and back undercover at night to allow them to get accustomed to the lower temperatures. Once they have been hardened off for a week your plants should be ready to plant out in their final location.

The plants will not look as fresh as spring sown plants but don’t be alarmed! The plants will be taller and have some yellow leaves which will either fall off or green up as the plant gets growing. The plants are typical of those planted by commercial growers up and down the country and will thrive in prepared soil.

These plants will crop 6-8 weeks earlier in your garden than spring raised crops and give your first flush of produce from your garden – and what’s more many will have cropped before persistent brassica pests are around. ) Caterpillar and whitefly.

Prepare your planting bed dig over and add some pre planting fertiliser, rake level and walk over the bed firming the soil.- Brassicas like firm soil. Lightly rake the surface level again.

Using a dibber or trowel make a hole deep enough to cover the root ball and the neck of the plant. Water the hole and put the plant in backfilling and firming the soil lightly around the plant.