Spring Greens - how big is yours?

[veg4681]

My autumn sown (in Sep) Spring Greens (Vanguard) are still tiny (2-3" ) and I can't imagine they'll be ready for harvesting by March as the guide period on the seeds packet. This can't be right, obviously my Spring Greens is such a total disaster that one would have to let it grow until May for a decent size harvest. They're outside in the veggie bed, unprotected and have survived the frost but growing at a glacial rate. Are you supposed to grow/overwinter them under cover ? If it helps I could cover them with fleece to kickstart a growth spurt.

[Two_Sheds]

Mine are doing pretty well (Offenham flower of spring I think). They're a foot high but not that fat... I just pick off the odd leaf for a stir fry though, not the whole plant at once.

I think I sowed them in August and planted out in October, so they might have had a month's headstart on yours?

[Flummery]

I've been eating decent spring cabbages for months. There formed a good loose head before Christmas. Initially I took a leaf from each to get a serving for us both but at Christmas I started cutting a whole head. I've still got half a dozen left. I've never had them quite this far on before. Mild winter. Have you noticed it's now Climate Change, not Global Warming? Must be a political reason. Cynical? Moi??

[momol]

Veg,

If they don't grow during winter, it will less likely to grow in spring (more possible it will bolt immediately). You can try to fleece cover them to give it warmer but doing so means restricting even more sun to penetrate in (yet there aren't much during these time). Try your best and see what happen. All the best.

[Cutecumber]

the foxes sat on mine

then the pigeons had a go

I pulled them out and will be trying some early peas instead!

Oh well.

[veg4681]

Yeah my Spring Greens, they're sure are a GONER BIG TIME alright (sounds like a lost cause that went with butternut last year). I hope I can learn something this year to be able to eat something in Winter/Spring next year. It seems to me that you really need to start growing from May/June onwards to eat in the following year. It may be a good idea to get your veggie to be as big as you can possibly get them to be but then you have the added worries of 'housing' or 'containing them in your garden which is another task .

Does anybody has a recommendation on cut off point beyond which overwintering veggie will stop growing. Should I be targetting my veggies to be a minimum of 1 feet high before a cut off point of say November when they're likely to stall from any further growth. Mind you, my summer cabbage was very pathetic too. Right guys, I'm sowing all my chunky Brassica seeds NOW!

[momol]

I didn't grow any spring green Veg as I don't like cabbage strong odour but my overwintering veg were sown around mid july or so and by mid to late oct (once the bed are free from summer grown veg), I manured it and waited for another 2 weeks or so and then off they go in their permanent bed. I think by Dec, they kind of stop growing or at least very slow rate ( glacial rate like you said ).

At least you know approximately when to sow for this coming overwintering plan.
Don't get up set, it is a learning issue, you will do better....

[Flummery]

Big secret in my garden is making sure I get them before the pigeons. We live near fields and there are loads of pigeons making a living off the land.

[veg4681]

Big secret in my garden is making sure I get them before the pigeons. We live near fields and there are loads of pigeons making a living off the land.

Bless you, now that's looks like the right sort of size they should be by this time, definitely mine's a GONER. Don't know whether to destroy mine but surely they still have a better headstart than more summer cabbages I shall be sowing soon .

I will grow my overwintering Brassicas ahead to be a minimum of 1 feet high before the cut off point of growth (around Nov) and continue growing them under fleece later this year.

[hypnophil]

Hi Veg,
did you prepare the soil they are in? i didnt with mine, just stuck em in, and they are tiny little things like yours, i was really looking forward to them too!
i was thinking maybe i didnt sort out the soil first, they are in where courgettes used to be by the previous allotment holder.
i am also disappointed with my autumn king and cauli, they are too tall i think!!!!!
and my PSB has not sprouted yet!! i am gonna take more notice of soil prep this year.