Challenge Brassica – Part 1 – What’s The Challenge?

18th Sep 2024

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Keep Out Cabbage White Butterfly Cage, Projects – Challenge Brassica, Veg – Autumn & Winter

I think we ALL might have had enough of the Cabbage White Butterflies and/or caterpillars this year, decimating our brassica plants, but no, not me, nope, I’m nurturing a whole bunch of new brassica plug plants in the greenhouse. I love a challenge!

You may think your plug plants are safe in the greenhouse, but no, nothing could be farther than the truth! I’m having to evict the cabbage white butterflies from the greenhouse now as well! And double check the plant leaves for eggs and tiny caterpillars. At least I’m not squeamish about caterpillars anymore!

I actually can’t wait for the slugs and snails next as I embark on another challenge with Brassicas.

In a homage to Challenge Anneka, I’m calling this Winter’s Growing Adventure ‘Challenge Brassica’!

What is the Challenge?

For those who haven’t seen Challenge Anneka, I urge you to check out this British TV Gold from the 1980’s and early 1990’s on YouTube.

At the start of Challenge Anneka, there is always a large challenge like she has to get a large amount of double decker buses and convert them all, in a short amount of time. Whatever the challenge, she nails it every single time. Let’s see if I can do the same.

So what’s the challenge with my brassicas?

Unfortunately its not that glamorous, it’s a simple challenge to get my Brassica plants to survive from September to April so I can have:

Spring Cabbage in April,
Make Cauliflower Cheese in December,
Eat my own Brussels Sprouts in January and
Have Kale with everything because I love it!

It’s not too much to ask for, is it? mmmm.

How am I approaching the Challenge?

I’m approaching Challenge Brassica with a Positive mindset. I have the advantage of growing spring cabbage and autumn cauliflower last year so I’m confident I can do it! Perseverance is required with the Brussels sprouts as I’ve not had a great experience yet with these.

Mindset is everything, and being in the right mindset makes you move forward, have passion and enthusiasm and you feel all the better for it. Make sure you are telling yourself you can do this otherwise, you’ll just give up before you’ve started.

Things I will need for ‘Challenge Brassica’

Brassica plants – I bought mine as plug plants (kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts) from Rocket Gardens a month ago and potted them on into pots in the greenhouse.

2. Spring Cabbage Seeds – I’m growing Cabbage variety ‘April’ because it’s a compact variety. I sowed the seeds in early September, in this late warm summer weather, they germinated in a week. But they should be sowed in July to August.

3. An Aluminium Cage to put my Netting over. You can use hoops, I used the blue water pipe pushed into bamboo canes in the ground when I had my first veg plot, but now I prefer the square or rectangle cage.

4. Environmesh Netting – due to cabbage white butterflies still being around, as long as the plant is not touching the netting and it is secured firmly in the ground, this fine mesh netting will keep out the cabbage white butterflies and other flies.

5. Determination and Warm Clothing to come out of hibernation and check on the Brassicas in the winter!

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