Planting and interplanting the main crop kalettes

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[@plot1895]

What a super video. I planted some brassicas last week and had some ‘wonderings’ which you’ve addressed. Your videos and eBook are always my first stop and it’s the clarity that makes it all so helpful.

[@SteveRichards]

So nice of you to say, thanks : All the best - Steve

[@williamallison1029]

Enjoyed the video very informative and practical crops all doing well Steve good gardening BA

[@markshaw5835]

Great video, be interesting to see as I planted out my kalettes the same day as u, be nice to compare mine was a little rot bound in there pot but I'm sure it won't hurt them. Very interesting video lots information. Really need to plan better this year for next year

[@SteveRichards]

Can't go wrong with a bit of planning Mark, not too much though! : All the best - Steve

[@markshaw5835]

@@SteveRichards that's very true, I started planting before planning lol. So my plan failed need to plan more a head. I want to try separate the beds to like salad and them brassicas bed

[@Pixieworksstudio]

Hi Steve, I have just put mine in too. Oddly I hadn't heard of them until I watched your videos, but I already had the seeds. Dobies, call one of their varieties posy flower spout, so I just grew them. Haha - I only realised what they are now they are grown. I was so busy I kind of forgot about them, and realised that they couldn't really be anything else. Oh the joys :)

[@SteveRichards]

I generally - when I remember - call the plant a kalette, but the stem harvest, a flower sprout. Since I'm always going on about the benefits of also harvesting the top of the plant, the flowers and the leaves it makes sense to me : All the best - Steve

[@Pixieworksstudio]

yes exactly, and it is an easier word all round, it still doesn't seem to be very popular on youtube gardens. but it is a great veg to grow. Let's hope it gains in popularity. @@SteveRichards

[@TheEnglishladyskitchengarden]

You've just reminded me that I need to get some of those fence pins this year . Green garlic would be a good crop for the edges of those raised beds. I'm glad that you planted your leeks in bunches as that's what I did recently as I just had so many to plant.. It was laziness on my part and I'd wondered whether it was a mistake to do this

[@SteveRichards]

It's a bit late for planting green garlic now I think, when we've tried it before it doesn't really thrive. We planted our last batch about a month ago : All the best - Steve

[@SteveRichards]

You can find the fence pins in my shop, but there's plenty of other options : All the best - Steve

[@TheUntypicals]

You should sow Phacelia with your brassicas to keep the caterpillars off and also later provide nutrients when it dies off

[@SteveRichards]

I’d rather interplant

[@dn744]

Very tidy 👍

[@SteveRichards]

You know me, too lazy to do anything but tidy : all the best - Steve

[@carolinejackson9405]

H Steve, only found you this year as I was searching on help & advice for planting up my new polytunnel. I'm amaized at all your videos, where do you find the time to do it all? I have never heard of kalettes before but they look so interesting I have ordered some plants to be delivered later in the year. 😀

[@SteveRichards]

I’m sure you will like them Caroline, as to the time youtube takes about 3 hours a week and gardening takes 10 hours on average, more like 14 in April : all the best - Steve

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

Nice one Steve. Have you ever thought about crossing your own variety of kalette?

[@SteveRichards]

I've not Steve, at this stage in my life I'm not that sort of gardener, even saving seeds takes too much time for me. My 10 hour/week gardening budget keeps me pretty focused on growing/harvesting food. Give me another 10 years though and I might embrace that side of my experimental personality. Last year I did have a Brussels sprout plant that was more like a kalette in nature, those 'blown' sprouts were the best : All the best - Steve

[@DigwellGreenfingers]

@@SteveRichards I'll look out for the "Seaside Sprout" or the "Blackpool Broccoflower" in a few year's time then LOL

[@TheEnglishladyskitchengarden]

@@SteveRichards I found that with a Sprout plant. The blown sprouts were so tasty and sweet.

[@ruthhamilton5290]

Hi Steve, great information as always for a newbie veg grower. Do you only apply the fruit and veg nematodes once? When is the best time to apply it? 😊

[@SteveRichards]

Unfortunately Ruth you need to apply them every 2 weeks, so it can be quite expensive, although it depends a lot on the pest and how badly you suffer from each pest. For carrot fly for example I focus on applying when I thin the carrots and when I weed them. For cabbage root fly/cutworms I apply for the first 6 weeks, by them the plants are big and strong and can withstand most pests. For onion fly, I apply every 2 weeks. Since I'm harvesting so much the cost is very low, compared to the harvest value : All the best - Steve

[@ronaldandsusanshaws-growing]

👍👍👍👍

[@annwright2433]

Hi Steve, please excuse my ignorance in this question. Is the ebook updated automatically as . want to add the link address to my bookmark. Its brilliant.

[@SteveRichards]

Hi Ann, yes it’s always up to date, the reference info section links to my data so it’s updated daily : all the best - Steve

[@earthangels3370]

Hi Steve, where do you buy your green hanging baskets from?

[@SteveRichards]

Take a look in the video description, there’s a link to my Amazon store there, has details on most of the things I use including baskets : all the best - Steve

[@cathy9900]

Are they spaced at 80cm in the video? It looks closer?

[@SteveRichards]

A little closer on the row, about 80cm between rows. This is the density I grew at last year and it worked out very well. If I get the same success this year I will update my book with this new recommendation. Brussels planted at the same spacing didn't do as well, but I'm trying them again this year, to see if that was down to the spacing or the very dry weather : All the best - Steve

[@SteveRichards]

I should mention that at this closer spacing, I really did need to keep on top of leaf management. Removing older leaves every 1-2 weeks and especially removing tangles of leaves on the inside of the bed. This helps the leeks too. Last year they were in a very shady spot too, but this year they have quite a bit more light : All the best - Steve

[@cathy9900]

@@SteveRichards great thanks I have a 1.2m wide bed and was hoping to get 2 plants to the width and give a bit more space along so I'll see how they get on. I've grown far too many as they are my best germination and early growth success this year!

[@SteveRichards]

I'm sure that would be fine Cathy, provided you give them plenty of food and water : All the best - Steve

[@cathy9900]

@@SteveRichards thanks Steve