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Post by raymondo on Sept 13, 2011 5:20:53 GMT -5
Good news oxbow. I'm excited, even though it's growing in a different hemisphere!
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Post by raymondo on Apr 14, 2012 5:49:58 GMT -5
I've added to the diversity of the collard project. I let some collards, red cabbage, Tuscan kale and savoy cabbage go to seed together. I collected the seed and kept each plant's seed separately. I planted some of the collard and the Tuscan kale seed, along with some of the glossy/red mix that I started a while back..
The Tuscan kale produced only a half dozen seeds only three of which have grown. One has some red and all three have much broader leaves than the seed parent. The collard seeds are producing red tinged plants and plants with lightly savoyed leaves.
One thing I've noticed is that all the glossy plants are much smaller than the non-glossies. I wonder if this is just coincidence or whether the two are linked. I hope it's just coincidence.
So far, no cabbages have turned up. I may need to grow out significant numbers for this to happen. I am now looking forward to colder weather to see what happens to the colours. Pics soon.
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Post by richardw on Apr 14, 2012 13:21:40 GMT -5
Interesting what differences have shown up Ray,look forward to seeing photos of them
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 14, 2012 14:27:46 GMT -5
Ray! How do they taste?
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Post by raymondo on Apr 15, 2012 5:19:00 GMT -5
Interesting what differences have shown up Ray? The original combination was a glossy collard (Green Glaze) with a red cabbage. I've got F3s of that cross growing and the plants range from plain green through to glossy red-tinged plants. The current mix has produced, as I said, some lightly savoyed plants and some red-tinged plants. The red-tinged plants are lovely and I'm very tempted to pull them out and start a line of red-tinged collards. We'll see how things go over winter. I think the taste is pretty good Holly but they aren't at their peak yet because the frosts haven't really started. I'm expecting the flavour to improve as the cold provokes more sugar production. The collard patch is looking good at the moment. We're in for some wet weather so I'll take some pics when sunny skies return. |
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Post by raymondo on Apr 16, 2012 21:14:38 GMT -5
I'm so taken by the prettiness of the red-tinted collards that I've decided to dig them up come spring and plant them together somewhere to flower. I'll develop a red-tinted line, but still with some diversity - with leaves that are glossy and matt as well as savoyed and smooth. The colouring is like ottawagardener's cabbage cross.
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Post by ottawagardener on Apr 16, 2012 22:12:23 GMT -5
I'm starting to look at your red glossy crosses with even more interest (had a lot before) as I'm wondering if they would detract flea beetles. Observations? Also, you must post pictures of the red tinted collards.
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Post by raymondo on Apr 17, 2012 0:16:46 GMT -5
Don't know about flea beetles as we don't have them here that I know of, at least not in the area where I live. The glossies, whether red or green, seem less prone to other insect attack. Certainly last season they were less ravaged than the others. Not immune though.
I will definitely take some pics as soon as it stops raining. I'm hoping that won't be for a few days yet as we've had a long dry spell and the ground needs a good soaking.
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 17, 2012 15:57:51 GMT -5
Here's Ottawa's Chinese Cabbage.... Attachments:
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 17, 2012 15:58:52 GMT -5
And here's Vivid Choy, a beauty of purple and green...making lots of seeds for next year. Attachments:
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Post by 12540dumont on Apr 17, 2012 16:02:42 GMT -5
And the Broccoli feeding bees and making seed. I left all the small broccoli in the field. So this represents 6? different types. I'm pretending I'm Ray and going wild with brassicas. Attachments:
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Post by steev on Apr 17, 2012 21:20:06 GMT -5
No doubt I should have left my overwintered mustards and kale to seed, but I do think those flower stalks are tasty, much more zing than broccoli.
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Post by raymondo on Apr 22, 2012 4:12:52 GMT -5
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Post by oxbowfarm on Apr 22, 2012 5:52:44 GMT -5
The glossy trait does not seem to deter flea beetles. Neither does red/purple. But glossy does seem to deter other cabbage pests, especially cabbage white caterpillar. Red does also, so the combination should be more pest resistant. I personally suspect that glossy and red make the cabbage white caterpillars easier for predators to see because they disrupt their camouflage, I've seen the wasps hunting them on the cabbages, stands to reason a dull green caterpillar should be easier to spot on a shiny purple surface.
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jim
grub
Posts: 75
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Post by jim on May 5, 2012 22:32:18 GMT -5
How long is your growing Season Raymondo?
Im also jealous that you don't have flea beatles!
Loving those glossy ones...
Jim
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