Bad start to a new garden

So, after ASDA cut their cavolo nero from 600g to 300g and still selling it at £1, I decided to transform my front flower bed into a kale and salad bed. After nursing young kale of the scarlet variety in the house, I finally moved it to the prepared garden bed where the seedlings have been thriving for a month.

A few days ago i started noticing some of the plants turning purple and i thought it was just part of the growing phase (plants 4th row from the right). The purple plants then started wilting, and it was then that I pulled the wilted ones and found out that the roots and the stem under the ground have been gnawed.


I have no idea what is causing this, but today I managed to pull one of the plant and noticed a small, nimble, white centipede-like creature crawling around the roots.


Any help in finding out what is causing this is greatly appreciated

 

Hello Rage, and a very warm welcome to the forum. My compliments on the neatness of your planting site. Please don't take this the wrong way but. Have you considered the planting distances.

Brassicas are perhaps one of the biggest nighmares for plant pathologist. Perhaps first and foremost. All brassicas, members of the cabbage family demand an alkaline soil. The average pH value being 6.5 -7.5 In general as so many gardeners now use mass produced multi purpose composts, ususllay the packed/baled item will have a NPK somewhat on the acidic side. Believe me, attempting to understand the laws of pH can become a nightmare. In short. Wheterornot you plant out brassicxas, either in raised bed with imported compost, or on open ground, plots and farms. Apply a good spreading of lime. Not only will your plant enjoy this, so many soil inhabitants wil hate it and leave your plants alone. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the advice. The salad was already spaced as seeds on tape and the kale is about 25cm apart. I will buy lime and see what happens.

 

Hi,

Though those creatures may have been the cause, many are just clean up crew who come in after the real cause has damaged the plants.

If using Lime when plants are in the soil be careful not to get it directly on the plants as it may scorch the leaves.

What concerns me is the hedge behind as that will be competing for all the moisture and nutrients from the soil and will probably lead to a stunted crop, unless you very regularly water and feed that patch, which will in turn make the hedge and its roots grow in to it even faster !

Next time that bed is empty I would dig down as deep as you can, say 500mm + and place a vertical barrier of strong polythene to help contain the hedges roots.

Have used this in such situations -Damp Proof Membrane 3m x 4m

 

My apologies. The lime should be applied to the soil and then dug in, prior to planting this will provide control againts soil borne critters. There used to be powders and pastes that the plants roots could be dipped when planting. Long time since I grew veg.