Cabbage Collars Green Gardener Economy Pack of 100

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Autumn varieties – sow indoors or outdoors in mid- to late spring. They are slightly slower growing than summer types and bred to withstand higher summer temperatures, although light shade in the middle of the day is beneficial. They grow best in cool autumn weather and should be harvested before the first frosts. Crop rotation should be practised. Otherwise cabbage root fliescan emerge from overwintered pupae in the soil under the fleece or meshcover, if host plants are grown in the same piece of ground in successive years At planting time in May firm your young plants in the ground and slide the collar around the base of the plant using the wavy cut in the collar. Typically I recommend covering cole crops with floating row cover to keep pests away, but in the case of cabbage root flies, covering them too early may actually trap newly emerged adult flies underneath the row cover, so instead I turn to making cabbage collars to protect my plants. I put a collar around each plant by late April because the first generation of adult flies typically starts to emerge in early May through June here in my Pennsylvania garden. Making Cabbage Collars What You’ll Need:

Fabric roll tube– after a roll of fabric is used up, the leftover cardboard cylinder will give you enough material for many plant collars. You might be able to find this item from an upholstery shop, a fabric supply store, or a craft store (such as JoAnn’s, Michael’s, etc.) I mentioned a few weeks ago that not only do I have to lime my plot because our soil is so acid, but I also have to use brassica collars here to stop cabbage root fly. I have bought 180 of them this year so far and used the lot and I already had some from previous years which have been used as well. Starting at the center point, use the box cutter to cut four 1- to 2-inch lines that radiate out from the center point. Try to space them equally. Step 4To prepare a cauliflower, cut the head into smaller florets, removing the toughest stems and slicing up smaller stems, so everything cooks evenly. Then steam, stir-fry, sauté or bake. Cauliflower is great in soups, stews and other hearty dishes, including classic cauliflower cheese. To make low-carb cauliflower ‘rice’, grate the head or whiz in a processor. Or enjoy the florets raw with a dip or in salads. White colored varieties of cauliflower will need shading – also known as 'blanching' –to keep them from discoloring, so that they will be tender and white when they are harvested. The leaves should naturally curl over the head of cauliflower plants as they "self-blanch," but this often doesn't happen, so they need help being secured in place,' explain the experts at Bonnie Plants. There are lots of cauliflower varieties to choose from, grouped according to harvesting time. There are faster-growing varieties for summer and autumn crops, and slower-growing varieties for harvesting in late winter and spring. If you buy several different types, you can have cauliflowers practically all year round. You may find that staples will not work to secure the ends of the plastic sheet together. In that case, you might want to use glue to hold the ends together.

A plant collar can help to protect your plants against common pests, including cutworms and cabbage root maggots. Plant collars are often called brassica collars, broccoli collars, or cabbage collars, but they can also help to protect tomatoes and other plants as well. For consistent crops of tasty, high-quality caulis, it’s best to choose F1 hybrid varieties, and if you’ve ever had problems with clubroot disease, select resistant varieties. Look too for varieties with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in trials – see our list of AGM fruit and veg for RHS-recommended varieties of cauliflowers and many other crops. Discoloured heads – protect the developing curds from sun and frost, which can turn them yellow or brown, by folding the leaves over the head and tying in place with string if necessary. Fold the circle in half to mark the center line, and then unfold it. Fold it in half in the other direction, and unfold it to mark the exact center of the circle. Use the scissors to cut down one of the lines from the outermost edge of the circle into the exact center. Step 3

Making Cabbage Collars

Unwaxed cardboard may warp slightly during the growing season. This wasn’t a problem for me, but you can use waxed cardboard for a longer-lasting cabbage collar if you find this to be problematic. cardboard, enough to create a 6- to 8-inch circle to go around each plant or recycled rounds of cardboard from frozen pizzas Cabbage worm – are the offspring of moths. Their eggs are scattered on the underside of leaves, and when hatched the worm eats into the foliage damaging the plant. Try covering plants over with netting once planted to prevent the moth from landing. As with any vegetable crop, companion planting with beneficial plants can help to reduce the threat from pests.