Thursday 21 March 2013

Spring Greens - Are They Worth It?



 Every summer, about the end of July/beginning of August  I sow the seeds of Spring Cabbage or Spring Greens, as they are more commonly called.  If you want to be able to harvest something from the veg plot in early  spring, when there is very little else to eat, then growing spring greens is a good plan.

The only downside to this is that you need to have space to grow quite a few plants as they are a loose-leaf cabbage that doesn’t form a tight heart.  So if you only have limited space then this plant isn’t for you.

Different varieties mature at different times – I grow Wheeler’s Imperial and Durham Early but you can also overwinter Hispi in a cold frame and plant it out in early spring for a succession of leaves.  If you leave them in the ground long enough they will eventually heart up, the idea is to leave one in three plants to develop,  using the others for the leaves.


Because they are a loose-leaf type it means the leaves are fully exposed to the light and so they are dark green, coarse and often tough, and more strongly flavoured than most people prefer.  It is considered to be closer to a wild cabbage in taste.

They stand up well to the ravages of winter, but I keep mine cloched as an extra protection as well as a deterrent to pigeons.


So – are they worth it?  Well, it is an expensive veg to buy in the supermarket, almost £2.00 for a pack of four cut plants, which only provides one meal.  So for me personally I say yes it is worth growing because I absolutely love the strength of flavour, lightly steamed with butter and nutmeg added – I  am almost addicted to it.  I could never grow enough to feed my addiction though – but when there is very little else to eat on the plot, I can always fall back on my favourite brassica of all – the lowly Spring Cabbage.

Do you ever grow it – or am I on my own here?

38 comments:

  1. Yes so versatile and something I really must grow and so far have failed miserably... mainly due to pigeon attack!

    BUT now I have a gigantic pigeon-proof cage there's nothing to stop me.

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    1. Fabulous to have a pigeon-proof cage - hope it works - anything to keep the little blighters from eating our food.

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  2. I just don't have the room for these but was looking to see if there is a minature version, or I might even try in large pots this year so they can go onto the patio during winter and carry on growing. I love spring greens so don't want to miss out. Hope the weather isn't treating you too badly this week. Chel x

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    1. The weather is appalling as usual Chel - snow again today! I have never tried to grow them in pots but it might be worth your while giving it a try.

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  3. Yes we grow it and if you have space then it is worth it.

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    1. I only wondered as no one seems to blog about it and I suppose compared to the more exotic brassicas it may seem a bit of a boring plant.

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  4. I love 'em, but can't justify the use of space to grow them in my small plot. What could be better than a rich beef casserole served with celeriac mash and Spring Greens??

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    1. No they certainly wouldn't be on your VSR list Mark. An excellent veg though.

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  5. I've not grown Spring cabbage before and you have sold me on it. My allotment is seriously lacking this winter, even my Kale has been decimated by the pigeons even though I thought I had covered them well enough. For the spring greens its just about being organised at sowing seed in July/August. I must do so this year.

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    1. It's hard to remember to sow cabbage seeds in July I must admit - so I pop the seed packet in the appropriate place in my desk diary so I don't forget.

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  6. I grew some Wheelers Imperial in the tunnel.I find the stalk is very limpy and tall. I suppose I could start using it now, right?

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    1. I expect yours are further along than mine, being in a polytunnel, but I should think they would be fine for eating now.

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  8. Replies
    1. Glad you agree - I am just waiting for mine to get a bit bigger - if I can find them under all the snow, that is.

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  9. Not yet Elaine but have made a note to give them a go this year. Having said that I had better put pen to paper and not rely on my memory :) They sound most tasty and it would be good to have something to pick at this time of year.

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    1. I am still waiting for my psb to flower - the weather is just holding everything back

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  10. I gave up on growing greens years ago because they were too much trouble and under constant attack from pigeons. That said, I spend a ridiculous amount of money on buying them since the whole family loves them. They are delicious and I must confess to feeling a mixture of envy and admiration when I see other people growing them.

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    1. I have often thought about giving up on growing greens but I don't know what I would do without them in winter - they are a pain though and do take up a lot of ground.

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  11. After years of struggling against slugs, caterpillars and pigeons, I've just about given up on brassicas. This year I decided that there are just a couple of types of kale worth the effort of growing, but now I've read your post... maybe I should give spring cabbage one more go?

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    1. Kale is great as it just keeps on giving but I find it pretty tasteless - you can't say that for spring greens - bags of taste.

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  12. When I read this post today, I was feeling rather...I don't know.. questioning myself and gardening and was it worth it and the big WHY. Both your blog post and Canoe Corner's post were uplifting..set my sail straight so to speak. Thank you for that.I mention this on my blog today and hope you don't mind.

    Great looking greens and no, I have not grown spring cabbage..but have overwintered Kale and brussels sprouts and other brassicas which seem to do very well here in Nova Scotia, even with the snow cover.

    A big thank you Elaine.

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    1. Glad my post and the Canoe Corner post have inspired you to keep going - I know what you mean though - sometimes you do wonder why - the way things are going with commercial food production we should be thankful that we don't have to rely on others to produce our food for us.

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  13. This year I've left all the bare stumps of Kale and Sprouts in the ground. These have now both started to re-sprout, and we are already eating the results. The Kale is particularly sweet and tender, and the whole stems are covered in fast growing leaves.

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    1. I did that last year with broccoli and kale and it was very successful - it didn't work this year - not sure why.

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  14. I don't grew cabbages as a plot neighbour grows lots and always gives me enough for my needs! If I had to grow them space would be a problem on my small half plot. xx

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    1. Yes, I can understand that - just think what you could grow if you had a full plot.

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  15. Hi Elaine, I found you via Brenda. I must admit I've yet to try growing any brassicas in my garden. Between insect issues and the strong taste I've stayed away from them but this year for the first time I'm trying kale. I am finding that fresh garden food makes all the difference to taste so who knows, maybe I'll become a kale lover by the end of the season?

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    1. I don't think kale has a very strong taste so you should be ok - but I do think you are missing out on some lovely veg by not growing brassicas and you are right - everything does taste different when you grow it yourself.

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  16. I grow a few of them in my little plot. Just for the fact there is something to harvest I think. They are lovely though.

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    1. Yes it's a shame that you need plenty of space to grow enough for a decent harvest.

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  17. I think Spring Greens are a great tasting crop, but like Mark, now that I only have a small space to grow in, I think I will have to forgo the pleasure of growing them.

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    1. When you have limited growing space of course you have to plant veg that are good value for the space they take up and spring greens take up a lot of ground for a long time.

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  18. I love spring greens but have never grown them. I really want to get more in the plot this year which will last over winter, so I'll have to remember to sow some later in the year.

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    1. Good luck with growing them and remembering to sow the seed.

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  19. Hola Elena estoy enamorada de tu blog es tan fresco y tan didacticto me encanta te empiezo a seguir y a disfrutar de hermosa huerta bello trabajo besos Sandra.

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    1. Hello Elena I'm in love with your blog is so cool, I love you so didacticto start to follow and enjoy the beautiful garden beautiful work kisses Sandra

      Thank you Sandra I'm glad you enjoy my blog, thank you for your comments

      Gracias Sandra me alegro de que les guste mi blog, gracias por sus comentarios

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  20. I want to live in a place where I can grow these someday :)

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