14 May - Planting Out Beans & Brassicas

The promised warmer weather has arrived so I've been busy getting my Brussels sprouts, cabbages and runner beans planted on the allotment. I've already prepared my brassica bed (see posts 5th & 12th May) by firming and adding lime.

My Trafalgar F1 Brussels sprouts were the first to go in. My bed is six foot wide and I only planted three per row ensuring that they have at least two foot between plants. For the past couple of years I've always put in four plants only ending up having to pull one out because it's stunted by a neighbour - this time I'm starting with three per row. I've 9 plants in all, setting them three either end of my space and three down the middle.

In between the sprouts I've planted cabbages, Primo II (aka Golden Acre) and a few red Ruby Ball F1. There's plenty of room for them and they can be cut smaller if need be - freeing up room for the others to get larger. All these cabbages will be done by mid-Autumn and the sprouts will have plenty of room to go on and develop. Well, that's the theory anyway. Brassicas really need to be firmed in well, especially Brussels sprouts. One of the main causes of sprouts blowing open is the plant not being firmly anchored in the soil. I really firm my brassicas in by using my heel - be gentle and careful not to step on the plants but really get them in solidly.

One more thing with any brassicas - they need to be protected against pigeons and cabbage white butterflies. As I've noted in my previous entries, I use two 'goal posts' of 2x2 treated wood sunk into the ground with net stapled in-between (see 12th May entry). On top of each horizontal bar are three nails partly hammered in to hold the thick pond netting that gets hung over the top. The edges are weighted down with a few stones.

Given the warm weather forecast for at least the next five days, I decided to plant out my runner beans. I feel it's still a little early but almost a week of warm weather will hopefully get them going. They've been stood outside hardening off for a week so, fingers crossed, they will be OK but it's still a bit of a risk. I prepared the ground and put up my canes almost a fortnight ago - I added a bit of lime, general fertilizer and some rough compost.

I raised my Scarlet Emperor runner beans in deep root trainers for the first time this year and I've got to say I'm pleased with the results. The roots are really well formed, the leaves are large, the stems are thick and the resulting plug plants are easy to set out at the foot of the canes.

That's it, enjoy the fine weather for the next few days. Bye for now.