Saturday 12 April 2014

What is a "cole" veggie?

A Cole vegetable is part of the "Brassica" genus, which is within the mustard family. These veggies are grown during the cooler months. However, Cole does not refer to 'cold', but is derived from the Latin for 'stem'. In our Gingerbread Garden we have Broccoli, Cauliflower, and, as from yesterday, Brussel Sprouts.
I planted two separate lots of seeds for both Broccoli, and Cauliflower. It is really hard with seeds this small, to control how many seeds jump from the creased paper into the soil. So yesterday, having cleared the snail infested beans, I thinned out the Broccoli and Cauliflower, and transplanted 20 of them into the high bed. I have not grown either of these before, so it will be fascinating to track their development. Needless to say, until the "flower" heads appear, I have no idea which is which.

Tomorrow, that most maligned of veggies, the Brussel Sprout.

3 comments:

head in the sun said...

You know - we have no snails here.
Very surprising.
Someone suggested we probably have blue-tongued lizards about but I think it might be the prevalence of skinks. They are everywhere - maybe they eat snail eggs (is there such a thing?).

Julie said...

Snail eggs ... dunno. I think they might be borne along on spawn, like frogs. Hang on a tick! Blimey ...

"The make-up of the snails will include their reproductive organs on the bottom of their body. This is close to the front of their body as well, allowing for easier abilities to mate.

The mating practices of snails allow them to deliver eggs for new snails to be brought into life at a consistent rate. Snails will go through a complete mating ritual with each other, usually which will communicate to the other snail for an average of two to twelve hours. At the end of this ritual, the pair will fertilize the eggs in the other, so both of them will deliver eggs. It is known that a snail can carry up to 100 eggs at a timeat a time."

I have snails everywhere at the moment. Those miniature snails. Look cute, but pack a wallop. The underneath of the green-lid rapid rail was awash with the blighters.

The cats bring in skinks (and frogs) so I know they are in the garden.

head in the sun said...

sheesh!