Cabbage
The cabbage I chose this year was Duncan. Probably the most versatile cabbage in the market. Sown early this pointed variety is ready mid-June. Successional sowings will give long-standing hearts through summer to October. Leafy greens from October to March and hearted spring cabbages through to June.
I had intended to plant them out at home but as they were ready at the point where the broad beans had finished cropping I decided to plant them in their place. Unfortunately the allotments have the disease Club Root so I had to take steps to protect my plants. I first liberally sowed the seed in a seed tray and when the plants were large enough to handle I transplanted them into 3” pots. Once the roots had developed enough they were repotted again into 4” pots. This is supposed to give the plants a better start when planted into infected ground. The next thing to do was dig in calcium lime (as opposed to magnesium lime) at the rate of one pound per square yard to raise the pH above 7.5. Club root prefers wet acid soils. The lime came from BHGS near Evesham and cost just over £4 for a 20 kg bag.
Below are the cabbages planted out and netted against wood pigeons which can quickly devastate a crop. Some damage was sustained by cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.
The cabbages appear to be doing well but I will have to wait till harvesting to see if the roots are affected at all by club root.
