broccoli

[charmaine]

hi all
can i grow broccoli and cabage in pots or would they be better in a raised bed please many thanks

[rustylady]

I know some people have grown brassicas in pots, but they like really firm soil and take up quite a bit of space, so I would go for open ground or raised beds.

[Snadger]

Brassicas are fine grown in pots overwinter in greenhouse but because of the summer temperatures (Hopefully!!) would nye on be impossible to keep watered during the summer.
When you think about it, there's an awful lot of surface area of leaf to be kept supplied with water and transpire especially when osmosis is occuring at a rapid rate!!!!

[charmaine]

thank you for your help guys i will put in to raised beds then

[organic]

I know it's not what you've asked - but having heard a few tales around this way it could be worth pointing out. Not to insult your intelligence if you know already but here goes...

What you see sold as "broccoli" in shops is typically "calabrese" when it comes to growing your own.
The stuff you see sold as "sprouting broccoli" is actually "broccoli" when it comes to growing your own.
Last year we got a load of lovely purple sprouting from a guy who thought his "broccoli" had bolted - when my Dad told him it was meant to be like that he said we could have as much of his crop as we wanted as he didn't like the stuff (no, I dunno why either).

So yea - if you want the compact heads - calabrese... if you want sprouting, get "broccoli".

Someone might correct me on it - but that's been my (very limited) experience so far.

[ann-the-nan]

broccoli

Yes,organic, you are right there. Last year I grew some "coloured cauli's" (forget which one was which) but I think it was the "Purple Queen" that turned out to be a calabrese in disguise. Maybe other grapes have thoughts.

[charmaine]

I know it's not what you've asked - but having heard a few tales around this way it could be worth pointing out. Not to insult your intelligence if you know already but here goes...

What you see sold as "broccoli" in shops is typically "calabrese" when it comes to growing your own.
The stuff you see sold as "sprouting broccoli" is actually "broccoli" when it comes to growing your own.
Last year we got a load of lovely purple sprouting from a guy who thought his "broccoli" had bolted - when my Dad told him it was meant to be like that he said we could have as much of his crop as we wanted as he didn't like the stuff (no, I dunno why either).

So yea - if you want the compact heads - calabrese... if you want sprouting, get "broccoli".

Someone might correct me on it - but that's been my (very limited) experience so far.

hiya thanks for your reply and you havnt insulted my intelligence i had seen broccoli as listed in the fruit and veg shops as calabrese but i didnt realise the rest so thank you for your helpfull info i have not tried the purple sprouting although i have baught it for my guines and bunnys we shall have to give it a taste

[smallblueplanet]

You could try these in pots? We grew them last year & they're tasty but only grow to a manageable size of about 18".

Calabrese Kabuki F1 - Detailed item view - moreveg.co.uk, vegetable seed company, vegetable seed, herb seed, flower seed, carrot,

[organic]

I'm glad it helped, charmaine.
I'm glad you didn't think I was being funny too - I'm always aware of how easy it is to sound snarky or condescending online hence the "not to insult" bit.

On the topic of sprouting brocc - I think it's nicer than calabrese! When it's fresh and in season the flavour and texture are really nice. I eat both by the ton and since they are in season at different times it's hard to compare them directly, but I've got better memories of broccoli than calabrese anyway.

Certainly you should give it a go. Lovely stuff!

[Flummery]

I think it's much nicer than calabrese too! I love purple sprouting and for some reason it's hard to get in the shops round here - or it comes in those posh little trays covered in film - why, in the name of sanity?

[charmaine]

thank you

thank you i will definately give it a taste first. there are 6 of us at home who do like all kinds of vegatables so i need to grow for a lot of us. i had never eaten butternut squash until last year when my sister inlaw cooked it for our sunday roast and it was delicious only problem is that its only me and my 3 year old and the mother in-law who eat it mind you my mother in-law had never tried it untill i cooked for he last year and she was 69.we have tried kale but i didnt realise you had to cut it off the stem on the leafs and it was a bit chewy lol

[binley100]

I've got some spring cabbage in pots and tbh it's doing better than the ones at the lottie.

[charmaine]

I've got some spring cabbage in pots and tbh it's doing better than the ones at the lottie.

thats good then. i am going to have some raised beds so i will pop my calabrese in there this year and see how we go . i need raised beds as the pevious tennants had a garden pond the size of a grave and then just filled it in and the brick/concrete walls are still perfectly intact

[Fernw]

You could try these in pots? We grew them last year & they're tasty but only grow to a manageable size of about 18".

Calabrese Kabuki F1 - Detailed item view - moreveg.co.uk, vegetable seed company, vegetable seed, herb seed, flower seed, carrot,

Glad to hear these are tasty as I have just started some off in a tray in the greenhouse and they're just coming through. I plan on putting them in my raised beds. I chose them because they're small and I put environmesh over my raised beds at times.

[organic]

its only me and my 3 year old and the mother in-law who eat it

A while back I made a meal for my aunt and her two daughters - the girls are pretty fussy eaters and I was told not to bother getting any mushrooms for the meal as they don't like them.

I used about twice as many mushrooms as usual and said nothing. The meal was absolutely wolfed down in near-silence... finished off to things like "that was really nice" and then quite strongly worded disbelief when I told them just how many mushrooms they'd eaten. I think they still "don't like" them, but they do, really.

I mention it because half the time people don't have a clue what they are eating and if it's made nicely they'll wolf down things they "don't like" and enjoy it.

Personally I'd grow the squash, feed it to the troops and say nothing until they've eaten it too many times in too many meals for them to go back to "not liking" it.