Planting out cabbages

Thursday 4th May
I didn't get down to the plot until after 6.30pm with little time to do much before sunset.
I went to prepare things to plant the cabbages I had brought down, only to find a tray of pots with young Dwarf Curly Kale plants left by my neighbour. Despite major health issues, with a little help from surrounding tenants, his plot has remained well kept and almost weed free. I noticed he had been down and planted quite a few curly kale plants for himself. I shall sort out a place to plant what is one of my favourite winter veg.
I cleared the few weeds growing through the mulch from one of my Brassica tunnels and excavated through the mulch the patches for planting. Then I suddenly realised that it was the other tunnel (on the other side of my plot) would need to be moved first next spring and therefore needed to have these summer cabbages planted in there and harvested and cleared before spring.




​After weeding and spreading the mulch evenly, I cleared 10 patches and excavated a small pit about 3/4" deep in each patch. A hole excavated with my bulb planter had some lime scattered in and around. I had cabbage plants in sets of five in pots which dropped nicely into the holes so I finished with a row of five 'Greyhound' plants and five 'Golden Acre Primo'. A dose of water and a sprinkling of slug pellets and it was finished.









​I then watered all the rows of seeds and scattered a few slug pellets on those susceptible areas. I moved the fleece tunnel that had unsuccessfully protected my potato sprouts from the frost over on to the double row of Parsnip seeds. It will keep the soil from drying out as well as protect the small parsnip plants from carrot fly that attacks parsnips as well as carrots.
While planting the cabbages I had noticed the huge purple sprouting broccoli plants had actually produced some more small sprouts! I picked over them and got two handfuls of sprouts. I also looked over the kale and curly kale which was also producing sprouts so I picked them as well. Nothing I collected would have got onto a supermarket shelf but will make a very tasty veg with my dinner over the next few days.
Once again it was dusk as I went home and once again I was the last to leave so I locked the gate on the way out, remembering to scramble the number.

---