Too late (and hot) to plant PSB?

[compostpopeParticipant]

Hello Charles

I sowed PSB and Kale in June (earlier than you recommend due to me being away on holiday over the first 3 weeks of July) but didn’t have a bed free before I left to plant them out. I therefore planted them in a “nursery bed” about 4 inches apart.

Coming back from holiday I find that with the recent sunny weather they have put on a huge growth spurt. I didn’t think to measure them but they could be about 1½ feet high.

Are they too big too plant out? Is it too hot? Should I start again and resow?

Compostpope

[charlesModerator]

 Summer holidays… I hope it was good. Yes I would plant them out, brassicas are such tough plants and although they will wilt for a week or more, I am sure they will recover. Whereas sowing now is a little late for decent sized plants, though just possible. 

Also the heat is easing now and showery weather coming will be good for plantings.

[compostpopeParticipant]

Sunshine in Cornwall before the school holidays started – it was bliss! I picked up a copy of your salad leaves for all seasons whilst visiting Heligan and wanted to say thanks for writing it as it’s such a good book. It’s full of useful info and I’m going to be using it a lot.

I’ll plant the brassicas just as soon as we get some rain, though here in Switzerland it’s likely to stay hot. I’m planning to set up some shading but have also read that you can cut some of the leaves and so reduce water loss – does that help?

I might try sowing some more seed as well, just in case.

Compostpope

[charlesModerator]

 I m glad you like the salad book.
Yes you can remove some leaves when transplanting but I think plants are best left to do that themselves, they are good at shedding unwanted leaves when under stress or ‘losing’ bits of green leaf which go yellow, as on some of my French beans at the moment. Someone did a trial with leek plants and found that those left untrimmed at transplanting grew just as well or better than those which had their ends trimmed off.

[compostpopeParticipant]

Thanks Charles – I’ll transplant as soon as we get a thunderstorm. The bed is one that did not get covered in compost back in early spring and the soil is currently bone dry and unworkable.

Compostpope

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