It’s official, after my Challenge Brassica project this winter, the best time to grow brassicas is… drumroll …. the Winter.

Why? The main reason and biggest reason is – that there are NO pests! Let me just wait until that sinks in a moment, yes I said No Pests.

Brassicas like cabbages, kale, Brussels sprouts are plagued with pest problems during the Summer months, like the cabbage white butterfly and it’s armies of caterpillars, so why do we keep trying to grow them during this temperamental season?

---

Reasons Veg Growers try and grow Brassicas in the Summer

• We don’t know what we are doing, the seed packet says sow in March and so we sow in March but having no clue about pests that appear in the Summer.
• Growing vegetables is an experimental experience. Even though other growers say don’t grow, we are compelled to grow it anyway, it’s part of the human nature to prove & therefore learn it for ourselves.
• We are taught from an early age, that there’s always hope. Hope that there may not be a lot of butterflies this year or that the netting will hold them back or that you will get those homegrown Brussel sprouts you’ve always wanted!

---

Challenge Brassica – Timeline

My challenge to grow Brassicas through the winter started in August and now it’s March and I have not seen any pests since I planted them in the ground, not one single pest.

If you want to Grow Brassicas over winter, here’s the timeline:

August

• Bought cauliflower, kale and Brussel sprout plug plants and potted them on in the greenhouse.
• Pests Problem: A few caterpillars picked off as cabbage white butterflies few into the greenhouse.

September

• Planted the established vegetable plants into raised beds and netted the plants over a aluminium poles cage.

October

• Brassica plants putting on great green leaf growth.

November

• Cauliflowers forming and kale leaves growing.

December

• Harvest Kale and Cauliflowers.

January

• Harvest Kale and Cauliflowers.

February

• Brussels sprouts started to form. Harvest last of the Cauliflowers. Kale Harvests still ongoing.

March

• Still no pest problems.
• Harvesting the last of the Kale. Brussels sprouts growing larger, due in April.

---

Challenge Conclusion

My conclusion is simple, I’ll be growing the best brassicas over winter from now on with no hassle, no pests and just sit back and relax harvests.

---

New Experiment

Of course I’m a sucker for an experiment and a failure, so I have Sown Summer Cabbage seeds in January this year to see if I can beat the cabbage white butterflies to a harvest in May. They start hatching as butterflies in April, so its a close call.

As they say, if you master the fear of failing, there’s nothing to hold you back. Overcoming fears makes you more resilient and confident in dealing with them in the future.

Let’s see how I get on with my Summer Cabbage seeds later on in the year.

Seed Sow Along – Summer Cabbage Seeds

---

Challenge Brassica Series

📕Part 1 – The Brassica Challenge

📗 Part 2 – Soil Replenishment & The No Dig Method

📘 Part 3 – Planting & Spacings for Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cauliflower

📙 Part 4 – Exploring Netting, Hoops, Cages for all Budgets to Cover Brassica Plants

📒 Part 5 – Challenge Brassica – One Month Plantings Update

📔 Part 6 – Kale & Cauliflower Harvests

Conclusion – Brassicas Should be Grown in Winter.