... of Cabbages and things !

The plan was simple : In March, we sowed brassica seeds indoors in trays and outdoors in seed beds and would then decide which method was more effective... but the best laid plans etc. etc. !

The 'permanent' marker we used on the labels was rather temporary and the writing washed off after the first rainfall.

We now had seven varieties of brassica which we could only identify by the last one or two letters. Red cabbage was easily identified by the colour of the foliage and the label showing 'ge'. Purple sprouting broccoli was similarly identified. The others proved more difficult.

In the end we decided to pick the eleven healthiest plants from the seed beds and plant these in separate rows in the bed set aside for growing the brassicas on. We will eventually be able to identify what is being grown when the plants develop.

For future reference, the plants grown in the seed bed were stronger and healthier than those grown in trays... and growing in a seed bed frees-up space for growing other seeds indoors.

So, our plan for next year is :

• In March sow brassica seeds in a prepared seed bed.
• Ensure that they are labelled with a truly permanent marker pen.
• Cover with fleece cloches
• Protect against slug damage.
• Re-plant in May into final positions.