The cole crops, also known as crucifers, are all quite closely related and thus, also share common diseases and pests. Members of this family include cabbage, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, radish, rutabaga, turnip, and brussel sprouts. The best methods of control that we can advise are to practice a minimum of 4 year rotation, use new starter mixes and strict sanitation, and remove all cole plant material after harvest. Keeping the area free of weed species related to this family such as wild mustard and wild radish also helps reduce the incidence of pest and disease infestation. Some of the more common pests & diseases of cole crops include:
Aphids Control aphids with a hard spray of water which knocks them off the leaves for a week or so. Aphids on broccoli heads should not be sprayed with insecticidal soap as this breaks down the naturally waxy coating of the head which can then decay. Late varieties won't form many sprouts in summer so there is much less chance of severe aphid damage. The aphid population usually drops radically after the first frost.
Flea beetles These voracious eaters chew little round shotgun holes in leaves, especially newly set out transplants. They move so quickly you seldom see them. Cool, damp overcast weather slows them down; warm, dry weather and isolated plants encourage them. The adult beetle overwinters in plant litter or in the ground and emerges with the first warm weather. Eggs are laid in the summer near the roots of the host plants and the larvae eat the roots. Some growers cover newly set out seedlings with a screen box or Reemay to protect seedlings; shade seems to inhibit their activity. Pyrethrins or rotenone will help control flea beetles, and parasitic nematodes are useful if root damage is severe. Misting plants that are being attacked may drown the adult beetle or at least force it to hide while the plant grows!
Root maggots These are the larval form of a small fly that lays her eggs right at the base of the plant. Maggots are 7mm long, pale, and cluster in the roots of the plants. The infected plant becomes stunted and stops growing. A piece of tar paper or old rug 15cm square with a cut from one edge to the centre laid right on the soil and snug to the stem of the plant should deter most flies. Early plantings are the most vulnerable as the pupae of the fly overwinters in the soil that grew cole plants, so rotating cole crops is vital.
Imported cabbageworm The damage is done by the larval form of the pretty little white butterfly that flits around the garden in the spring. She lays tiny white eggs (that turn straw yellow before hatching) on the underside of cole plants; they can easily be seen and knocked off. Floating row covers prevent the butterfly from laying eggs. Once the caterpillar starts eating, the holes can be seen if the plants are inspected regularly. The green caterpillar will be stationary along a vein on the underside of the leaf and can be "squished"! Small plants are the most vulnerable and need this attention from you. Undisturbed, the caterpillars grow rapidly and can do serious damage. If you use BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) remember to spray the underside of the leaves as well.Plants that seem to repel the moth include onion, garlic, tomato, sage, tansy, mint, nasturtium, hemp, hyssop, and rosemary
Clubroot Clubroot is quite a serious disease because once plants become infected, the fungus (Plasmodiophora brassicae) can live in the soil for more than 7 years. Plants that are suffering from club root are stunted, have yellowed leaves, and wilt in midday. On inspection, you'll notice that the roots are short and thickened by gall formation. This disease is not seed borne but spread on infected manure, contaminated irrigation water, plant refuse, and on soil clinging to shoes and boots. This disease is more severe on acidic soils so adding lime to raise soil pH above 7 provides some control. Good soil drainage also helps as the fungus needs travels in soil water to get to the roots. Disinfect tools and shoes to prevent spreading the fungus to uninfected soil.
Why is composting important and how does it work?
As gardeners, we remove nutrients from soil continuously. Harvesting, weeding, and removing spent plants all interrupt the natural process of replenishing the soil with organic matter. Composting allows us to recycle nutrients and return bulky garden wastes to the soil. Finished compost slowly releases these nutrients over time, giving gardeners a sustained fertilizer.
The compost recipe requires five ingredients:
i) brown (carbon) waste such as wood chips, straw, dried plants and corn stalks;
ii) green (nitrogen) waste such as kitchen scraps, soft leaves, and grass clippings
iii) micro-organisms including bacteria and fungi that break down these wastes;
iv) moisture to prevent the compost pile from drying out;
v) oxygen to enable the micro-organisms to work aerobically.
The first two ingredients are readily available in most gardens. As you build a new compost pile, try to alternate layers of brown and green materials in about equal proportions. Think of the brown layers as "fuel" to sustain the pile, while the green layers are the "fire" that kick-starts the process. The most common problem for gardeners is a pile that has too much brown waste. If this happens, try adding more green waste or other sources of nitrogen such as liquid fish fertilizer, blood meal, or canola or other seed meal or green produce discarded from the grocery store.
One of the key ingredients of any compost pile is micro-organisms. A typical pile of garden refuse is very slow to turn into rich brown humus and does not heat up. Bacteria and fungi are needed to breakdown the green and brown layers. In the process, they emit heat which warms the pile and helps the micro-organisms to work even faster. To inoculate your compost pile with these organisms, you can use garden soil, finished compost, or, if need be, a commercially prepared mix of these organisms. We prefer to add a 1-3cm (½-1 in.) layer of soil, which should be added every 15 cm (6 in.) or so, and a fork-full of some of the partly digested compost from another pile. Think of this as adding the yeast into a batch of bread. The beneficial organisms going into a fresh batch of compost from a pile that is further along will assist the pile to move in to the next stage of digestion.
A properly working compost pile needs the right balance of air and moisture. It should only be as wet as a wrung-out sponge. Providing air to the pile is accomplished by regularly forking over the material. The micro-organisms that digest the waste require air to work properly. If the pile is too compacted or the air pockets are filled with moisture, the pile will actually start to smell unpleasant. If this happens, try turning the pile or adding bulky materials like corn stalks or straw.
Composting is like bread making. You are working with living organisms and learning by experimentation what works for the material going into each batch.
Completed compost is a dark brown, crumbly material that doesn't look like what went into it. When you hold finished compost up to your nose, you should smell that "earthy" smell of soil. There should be no hint of ammonia. When adding compost to your garden, it is important to realize that it is still alive with micro-organisms and that these micro-organisms will do wonders for your soil in a way no chemical fertilizer can. They will continue to slowly break down plant matter and make the nutrients available to your plants. Compost itself will also fluff up your soil and provide a haven for soil-building creatures like earthworms.
Genetically engineered seeds - What are they?
Scientists can now bypass the traditional breeding methods of manipulating plant characteristics. Rather than cross-breeding plants, they can work directly with plant DNA -- the genetic code containing the blueprint for all characteristics. Scientists can now take pieces of this code with the qualities they want and insert them into any cell.
We at West Coast Seeds do not support genetic engineering for the following reasons:
1. A single gene does not give rise to a single characteristic. There are too many unforeseen reactions to make this a safe method of breeding.
2. There is an assumption that once a gene is transferred, it will stay where it is. This has been disproved in many cases where "weedy" relatives have picked up characteristics from stray pollen.
3. The type of characteristics that are presently being manipulated, such as resistance to glyphosate and inserting Bt genes into crops, is environmentally unacceptable. We feel that there is a great risk of encouraging glyphosate and Bt resistance by using this technology.
For more information, please contact the BC Biotechnology Circle at:
#208-2211 W. 4th Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6K 4S2
Tel: (250) 835-8561
Hybrid seeds: what are they?
We are often asked that question. The easiest way to explain is to first understand what is not a hybrid. You may notice that some plants mature earlier than others of the same strain, or may have a slightly different colour. This is a clear indication that they are open pollinated. If you grow their seed next year, you will pretty much get the same plant you had the previous year. This is a great, cost-effective way for you to select plants that do well in your garden.
However, uniformity in disease resistance, date of maturity, and all physical qualities is necessary for most market gardeners and useful for home gardeners with very limited space. This uniformity is ensured by growing hybrid seed.
A hybrid is created by crossing two unique parents. Crossing involves taking the pollen from the male and transferring it to the female. The first generation of offspring from this cross all look and act the same. They also show what's known as hybrid vigour: they come out stronger than their parents. But you can't plant their seed in order to raise these plants the following year. The seed collected from a hybrid plant will either resemble one of the parents, or be sterile. In our catalogue, hybrid seed is indicated by the term "F1" after the name.
We at West Coast Seeds feel there are benefits to growing both open-pollinated and hybrid seeds. We endeavour to provide both types of seeds for all the crops that we offer. With the understanding of the benefits and disadvantages of both hybrid and open-pollinated varieties, you - our customer - can choose which type of seed you want to grow.
Throughout this catalogue, hybrid varieties are marked with F1 or F2 right after the variety name; for example Sweet Million F1 tomato. All the varieties without this designation are open-pollinated
What are the benefits of crop rotation?
Rotation is the practice of not growing plants where similar plants grew the previous year. This practice prevents the build up of pests and diseases and optimizes the use of soil nutrients. Plants from different "families" need different amounts of nutrients and their root systems also penetrate the soil to different levels. To simplify, we try to alternate between leaf crops and root crops. Leaf crops tend to be heavy nitrogen feeders with fairly shallow root systems. Root crops usually require more phosphorus and potassium and need deep soils in order to grow properly.
Different plant families also prefer different soil pH levels, so the rotation plan includes planning lime applications. PH preferences are:
1. Brassicas include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustards, kale, kohlrabi and Chinese cabbage.
2. Roots & Solanum: The root crops include carrots, beets, & radishes; the solanums are made up of tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Alliums include onions, leeks and garlic.
3. Squashes and Salad include cucumbers, melons and Summer & winter squashes, as well as salad greens like lettuce, radicchio and endive.
4. Potatoes love acidic soil.
To optimize space, we like to practice a four year rotation. In year one, we grow brassicas and heavily lime the soil to increase the pH. Year two, the roots and solanums are still using the residual lime. Year three, the squashes and salad greens are enjoying the slightly more acidic environment. Year four, potatoes are grown when there is the least amount of lime left and the soil is wonderfully acidic for them.
Other crops such as spinach, corn, onions, and celery can be used to increase the number of years in the rotation.
There are many times, however, when our gardnes have just one spot where we can grow tomatoes or where the trellis for peas is permanently in place. If you are short of rotation places, seriously consider moving the soil instead of the plants. It's a bit of work with the shovel and wheelbarrow but well worth it when you see the improvement in the health of your plants.
