5 Steps to Planting Brassicas with Poppy

It's a great time to get your brassicas like broccoli, cauli and cabbage in the ground!

Location - a raised bed in a sunny/ party shaded area is a good spot.
Set your seedlings up for success with a good soak in Tui Organic Seaweed Plant Tonic.
Prep your soil by digging in some Tui Performance Organics fertiliser pellets and Compost.
Planting! Handle seedlings with care and firm them into small holes in the soil gently.
Water your seedlings in well!

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A very pleasant lesson on planting with Poppy.

diane moore
Thanks for jogging my memory Poppy . Something for me to do on my long weekend .

Carol Ryan
Why does my Cauliflower and broccoli only get to a small size head and then open up while small.

Mike
- Hi Mike, there are several reasons for brassicas not hearting. Before planting make sure plenty of compost and organic matter is dug into the soil to get the plants started with plenty of nitrogen. The main cause of plants not hearting is temperature fluctuations - hot and cold, as well as inconsistent watering, possibly drying out at some stage during the growing season. If you are in a region that has had unseasonably high rainfall then that could also be a factor. It is important to feed plants during the growing season, use a balanced fertiliser such as Tui Vegetable Food every 4-6 weeks or probably a better option is a liquid fertiliser such as Tui Seaweed & Fish fertiliser at fortnightly intervals. Too much nitrogen will give a lot of leaf growth so a balanced fertiliser is best to ensure plants heart up. The loose heads can still be eaten as long as they haven't gone to seed. Time of planting is also important. In warmer regions plant seedlings from March to May and August to October. In cooler regions plant from February to April and August to October, the earlier in the season the better to avoid the cabbage white butterfly caterpillar.
  
  Lianne