Planting, netting and bug busting brassicas

Last years planting and netting video • How to plant brassicas...
Why I remove the nets in July: • Setting the brassicas ...
If you have questions, we have a FAQ document and video, which you can find here: steves.seaside...
If you are new to my allotment videos you might find a bit of context useful. We live in the north west of England, in Lytham St Annes, which I believe is the equivalent of USA Zone 8. Fairly mild, but very windy.
For more details on the databases that I use to manage my allotment, check out these two blog posts steves.seaside...
We have three allotments in my family, mine (Steve), my wife's (Debbie) and my middle daughter's (Jennie). We also have a small kitchen garden at home. They are all managed in an integrated fashion, so don't expect to see the usual mix of veg on each plot. I do most of the planning and seed starting. We each have our own plots, but we all help each other out.
Jennie's plot has been designed as a traditional allotment, but we put a lot of focus on minimising the work we do there. It's basically a plant and forget it plot, full of garlic, leeks, onions, beetroot, brassicas, squash, beans and fruit trees. It's heavily mulched to reduce weeds and to reduce the need water.
Debbie's plot is mostly full of perennials, it's an ornemental plot. Again we did a lot of work to keep the weeds down and Debbie's approach is inspired by the TV programme The Ornamental Kitchen garden.
My plot is all about experimental growing, maximum productivity and year round abundance. As with all of the other plots I did a lot of work to control the weeds, but it's a high maintenance plot. I'm always planting, harvesting, experimenting and generally having a great time.
Collectively the plots deliver an amazing abundance of fruit and veg all year round. Debbie, Jennie, Jon and I are effectively self sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit for much of the year. During winter we sometimes have enough surplus to feed our local family. During the rest of the year when the surplus from our house garden comes on stream we have surpluses in some crops for quite a few friends as well.
This video provides an overview:
• The big picture of our...
I do an update of the allotments, roughly twice a month, you can find the tours here:
• Full allotment tour as...
Our approach to allotment life is to: grow as much as we possibly can, to be self-sufficient in veg all year round and in fruit in season, to give away our surplus to friends and family, and to have as much fun as possible. For more on self sufficiency check out these videos:
• Super quick update on ...
We are not slaves to gardening though, I spend about 14 hours a week on the plots (on average) Debbie and Jennie a lot less. We keep nudging that down as we eliminate non-productive work: like grass cutting, weeding and watering as much as practical. We are both newbie gardeners, only starting the allotments in 2016.
I'm a bit obsessive about the nutrient density of the veg that we grow and making the plots easy to work because it's through this allotment lifestyle and food that I've overcome a debilitating auto-immune disease.
I'm always aware though that it might not last so I make sure that I don't work too hard, eat as much organic fruit and veg I can and design the plots so that I can still work them when I flare up.

[@PrairiePlantgirl]

The canes along the edge is a great tip. I’m still learning to grow brassicas.

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks, it makes it really easy to adapt the frame to different sized beds. We tend to use up old canes that are no longer sturdy enough for bean frames : All the best - Steve

[@nickthegardener.1120]

Hi Steve it's brassica day today for me.👍

[@SteveRichards]

Monday for me

[@ronaldandsusanshaws-growing]

Hi Steve, That was a great job well done, It's good when you come across a tool that makes the job a lot easier, Take care and stay safe.

[@SteveRichards]

Absolutely Ronald and as you know I'm always looking to make life easier : All the best - Steve

[@gogogardener]

@@SteveRichards I'd hoped you would post an Amazon link to the planting hole spade (or whatever it's called).

[@SteveRichards]

Spear & Jackson Traditional Stainless Long Handle Bulb Planter Spear & Jack... www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JBXTH2Q/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_8xnWEbRYD5FQP

[@cqammaz53]

Looks good

[@gogogardener]

Thank you. A lot of good info here. Can you check your notes and see when you started your seedlings? (never mind... just read your response to another person) I'm experimenting starting leeks this month for Fall / Winter harvest. I was going to experiment starting my brassicas in August. But when I see you plant together, I'm wondering if waiting until August is too late. I'm in S. Calif in a low desert. Zone 9b. Sometimes we get a mild frost by mid Nov. More importantly, it's typically hot here until the end of October. Sept is usually still brutally hot. I do have some shade cloth to use. Here's what I've learned growing broccoli in particular. I've noticed that established plants will survive with little water during heat of Summer, though not producing a crop per say. I'd harvested a decent amount and let the ground go fallow, because I didn't have time to water. Surprisingly, they didn't die! I used mychorizae (sp?) fungus when I plant and it really makes them tough. Maybe your mushroom compost works the same way? I theorize from observation of my garden and others, that planting brassicas into no till gardens seem to thrive better; because they take advantage of the fungus network more than other plants.

[@SteveRichards]

August is a good date if you are planning to grow your brassicas in a polytunnel, or for spring cabbages (harvest now) and for quick growing kales like Red Ruble, which you harvest small. You might also get away with small sprout plants to harvest for leaves : All the best - Steve

[@kaywilliams8737]

Thanks Steve. I've just started this March (lockdown!). I grown some decent sized plants and now I'm scared to plant them out! So many things could eat them. I have bought the metal posts you have and the canes, I have BT. But ... where do I get the netting, what do I ask for. My bed is 4m x 16m. Thanks. Ps I hope your back is better Kay

[@SteveRichards]

The cheapest net you can get is scaffold or debris netting, but it comes in a big roll and would be too much for you. Check out the FAQ linked in the video description, it has a link to the net supplier I use : All the best - Steve

[@ben-fe3zy]

I think we'll allow you a few cable-ties to provide all your food. Mind you, the boeing 747 that shipped the blueberries the rest of us are eating didn't use any cable ties at all. ;)

[@SteveRichards]

Lol James, we had a few off that 747 too unfortunately, but ours will soon be ready! : All the best - Steve

[@AJWGBFX]

Hi Steve, at present I've got nets over my brassicas to keep the flying rats off. Some will get too big in a few weeks and I'd like to remove the nets. When you use BT do you have to do under the leaves as well as the top surface? Thanks for your videos.

[@SteveRichards]

The caterpillars ingest the BT when the eat the leaves, so when they are tiny they won't eat it if it's not on both sides of the leaf, but as soon as they are big enough to make a hole they will. We generally only spray when we see caterpillars, so at that point they are fairly big and so we only spray the exposed leaf surface, it's too much like hard work to spray everywhere and as you know I'm an 80/20 gardener : All the best - Steve

[@AJWGBFX]

@@SteveRichards thanks Steve. I was thinking it was going to be hard/impossible for these old bones to spray the undersides. As you say, Stay Alert, Spray the Leaves, Save the Veggies. Best regards

[@SteveRichards]

My knees know how you feel! : All the best - Steve

[@gregwmanning]

Gday Steve, Have you considered cutting a tube out an appropriate sized used plastic drink bottle to line your new tool's planting hole, it may slowdown some of your soil pests?

[@SteveRichards]

I did consider it when someone mentioned it a while back, but I'm a simplicity freak, so I only adopt extra tricks when I've failed by other means : All the best - Steve

[@richardpill8322]

Nice job, very neat.

[@SteveRichards]

Thanks Richard, I do like to be neat, brings joy to my heart every time I visit, but the real reason - as I'm sure I've mentioned before - is that neat is efficient and I don't have time to be inefficient, as I can only do 14 hours a week : All the best - Steve

[@jacquieexpat]

Great job Steve and very helpful, thank you. Where do you buy your BT from please? Thanks.

[@SteveRichards]

ebay is the best source Jacquie, but you have to buy a lot, so we by a big tub and give the rest to fellow plot holders : All the best - Steve

[@jacquieexpat]

Steve's Seaside Allotment thanks Steve 👍

[@AtheistEve]

That’s a lovely wide enviromesh net. How wide is it? And, can you remember where you got it from? I’m using one that’s almost, but not quite wide enough. So there’s no wiggle room.

[@SteveRichards]

It's 4m wide, see the FAQ in the description of all of my recent videos, it has links to most things I use : All the best - Steve

[@AtheistEve]

Thank you, Steve. Loads of useful resources there. Cheers.

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

I'm worn out now. Spent first half of the day at hubbys plot painting wood planters, the shed etc; potting on, potting up. Then a few hours at mine planting out and weeding. By the time we've had food and showered it's gone 9pm lol! Can I ask if your polytunnel is heated? X

[@SteveRichards]

Hi Bev, no, the only real growing space we have that's heated is the conservatory, we have a little electric radiator in there, costs £30p a night when it's freezing outside : All the best - Steve

[@bevsartsandcrafts715]

Steve's Seaside Allotment ah thanks for that. Take care and keep safe x

[@SecrePeach]

Hi Steve, really informative video, thanks! when did you plant your brassicas, cabbages and leeks for this winter sowing? Your plants seem so much further along than mine!

[@SecrePeach]

I meant when did you sow the seeds?

[@SteveRichards]

Late March, about 6 weeks before planting, see my planting guide for me steves.seasidelife.com/2020/01/18/all-year-round-vegetable-sowing-planting-guide/ : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

Wow bet that was a long day. Seedling looked great. Alot of effort but it all pay off.

[@SteveRichards]

It was Mark, but I got to eat a lot of food, so there's always that bonus! : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

@@SteveRichards yes that's very true lol. It's a weird time of year now. Don't need to sow that many seeds. What seeds are u sowing?

[@SteveRichards]

Ah, you will have to wait for the June video to find that out Mark ;-) All I have left for May is a batch of lettuce, which are just for an experiment comparing different growing conditions, they will just be spares : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

@@SteveRichards ok cool. Yea I've planted some sprouts as the label fell of a few of mine wasn't sure which was which. I grew some carrots and lettuce that it

[@sallygiles3658]

Hi Steve, what is bt and where do you get it from please

[@SteveRichards]

Bacillus Thuringiensisis Sally, I get mine from eBay : All the best - Steve

[@sallygiles3658]

@@SteveRichards thank you very much 🤗

[@littleGnT]

Hi Steve they look really good strong plants. Can I ask where you get your BT from please?

[@SteveRichards]

ebay is the best source, but you have to buy a lot, so we by a big tub and give the rest to fellow plot holders : All the best - Steve

[@barneysiddleeventer2077]

Hi do u plant all ur bassicas under 1 net in 1 bed?

[@SteveRichards]

No, we scatter them around, so that if one area gets a lot of pests another area won't. We don't have that big plot anymore : All the best - Steve

[@waltershomesteaduk4235]

I’ve recently seen reusable cable ties

[@SteveRichards]

We might look into those in the future Walter, but I tend to look at the big picture, we are fully carbon neutral and we also offset an additional 10 ton of carbon a year, so a few pounds of carbon a year in cable ties doesn't keep me up at night when it saves me a lot of time : All the best - Steve