Another threat to your cabbage plants is the cabbage root fly, which can lay its eggs at the base of your plants and cause significant damage. To deter these pests, you can place felt cabbage collars around the base of the stems. Not only do these collars help prevent cabbage root fly infestations. But they also have the added benefit of suppressing weed growth. In some cases, the collars may also deter slugs and snails. By taking these protective measures, you can enjoy a healthy and bountiful cabbage harvest. Harvesting cabbage

Place one seed in each hole and cover with compost. Water them well but don't drown them. The pots / modules can be placed in an unheated For best results, it is recommended to eat cabbage fresh. However, you can store it in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week. Some winter varieties can be stored for several months in a cool, dry and frost-free place. Problems when growing cabbage You can use cardboard boxes to supply the material for your plant collars. Just flatten the boxes and cut them into pieces that are the right size for your collars.

Although gardeners have been making cabbage collars for years to protect plants from this pest, mine are a little different from the flat cabbage collars others use. Their shape affords an added layer of protection, and it works like a charm. What Are Cabbage Root Flies? Shield your plants from cabbage white butterflies and pigeons by covering them with insect-proof mesh or fleece. The next key point to note when planting cabbages is that you want to prevent, as far as possible, cabbage root flies from getting at the roots. Mulch during the growing season to encourage grub-hungry beetles. Try spreading a layer of wood ash or diatomaceous earth around the stems to deter the flies from laying their eggs. For plants that you suspect are already affected, pile compost around the stems. The plants will sprout new roots into the compost, which may give them just enough energy to keep going despite the initial damage.

I also thought I would show you my dahlia plants that I grew from seed. It really is easy to grow dahlias from seed and you get flowers from the plants in their first year. I find it easier to grow the plants from seed each year, as it’s cheaper than buying tubers and saves all the hassle of storing the tubers over winter (especially as all my room for storing things is taken up by vegetables). The height is 4 inches, so we would need to cut a rectangular piece of cardboard that is 4 inches by 6.28 inches. Then, we would curl the cardboard into a tube and join the ends with staples to make our collar. Of course, plant collars will add a little extra effort to your gardening. However, it is worthwhile to protect your plants from devastating pest damage. If space is limited during the prime spring sowing season, consider using modular trays to sow cabbage seeds outdoors. This will allow you to transplant the seedlings into the ground later, ensuring that you can still reap a bountiful harvest. Transplanting cabbage For successful cabbage growth, it is important to choose a sunny location with firm and fertile soil that drains well. Avoid planting cabbage in the same spot where brassicas or cabbage were grown in the previous two years.Durable – they will last a long time and can be reused (some plastic won’t hold up well in the sun, though).

While you can certainly buy brassica collars for your plants, these simple tools are just too easy to make at home with materials from your recycling bin to not try at least once. Personally, I prefer cardboard. It is easy to work with and will ultimately decompose. Just follow these steps to make your own brassica collars: when the seedlings are about 7cm high harden them off outdoors in a protected position for a week or so until they are about 10cm high. You can buy cabbage collars but they’re a bit pricey, so I decided to make my own. Longer-lasting alternatives to cardboard would be roofing felt or carpet underlay, but if you have cardboard to hand by all means use it – just be prepared to renew it later on. I try really hard to attract wildlife to my allotment. I grow flowers and wildflowers to attract beneficial insects to my plot over the year, I feed the birds and have bird boxes, I have two ponds to attract frogs to eat the slugs, I garden organically and I have bug boxes and two hedgehog boxes. It’s important to take care of your plants to ensure a successful harvest. Although cabbages are generally robust, they can be affected by various pests and diseases. To keep these issues at bay, you can take the following precautions:might normally do. This is to ensure that there are no gaps at the base of the stem for the cabbage root flies to enter the soil. The final step in making cabbage collars is to bend the small flaps created in Step 3 upwards. Step 5 While cabbages thrive best in the ground, you can also plant them in large, deep containers filled with multi-purpose compost. Choose compact varieties and plant them similarly to planting in the ground, with up to three plants in a 50cm pot. However, growing bags are not suitable for growing cabbages. Cabbage plant care You can buy cabbage collars online or from almost all garden centre. An alternative is to make your own as shown in the