first pulling of the bare root transplants

This spring is about 3 weeks late for the brassica transplants.

Down here in Cornwall it was quite cold by night early on and recently it has been quite dry as well.

However we are now starting to pull the first of the field grown bare root brassica vegetable transplants.

The picture shows a bundle of Brussel Sprouts Evesham Special and a bundle of Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

We sell our plants in bunches of 12 for £2.50 or 20 for £3.50.

Plants which are raised in a seed bed in a field ,

brassica plant raising bed

are cheaper to buy than module or plug plants as no green house or tunnel is used for their production.

In fact no plastic is used or needed in growing these plants.

The transplants will be more accustomed to the climate when planted and are larger and have a better root system than greenhouse raised plug plants.

We dress the field with 4 - 8 tonnes acre of Cornish sea sand, and the little seedlings are grown in this combination of sea sand / loamy soil and make excellent fiborous root systems.

Plug , module and pot grown brassica vegetable plants will get pot bound over time if left unplanted in their growing containers, which restrict root development anyway in the limited space the plants have to grow in their compost.

Bare - root transplants are cost effective and the plants get very sturdy because they have the full depth of soil in which to develop big roots.

This is important in times of dry weather as they will take better and are acclimated to the outside weather as they have been raised outside from seed.

This is direct opposite to green house or tunnel raised plug plants which have been protected from the elements and are softer and a lot smaller than field grown traditional raised transplants.

Pre 1970s most vegetable brassica plants were produced bare root and grown in a seed bed, all cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower calabreze ,broccoli, leeks, kale , borecole were raised this way.

I am one of the few growers which use this method today.

Back in 1924 my grandfather started the business using the same methods as I employ today.

In 1950 my dad took over the business and I started in 1976 in partnership with him.

From 2008 I have been raising these plants with my wife Helen, who is also a partner in the business.