One of the first crops that I transplanted into the garden was the brassicas. Brassicas, or cole crops, are species from the genus Brassicaseae. These include cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, colrabi, as well as the cultivated and wild mustards. These crops like the cool, damp weather of early spring and fall, so they are one of the first plantings.
Our little transplants were rescued from the compost pile at Milkweed Farm (www.milkweedfarm.wordpress.com) in Brunswick, Maine. They had been discarded because there was no room left for them in the field during the succession of planting. But because I got them from the compost pile there is really no way of knowing if they are cabbage, broccoli, or kale, or what variety of each they might be. I have a pretty good knowledge of what the seedlings of all these crops look like, but they are all so similar, that I am still just making an educated guess. I believe that most of what I brought to Ketcha is broccoli, a couple are cabbage, and one is kale. But I really am not sure. They are doing great, however, growing strong, and it won't be too long before they are beginning to bear and then we'll know for sure what they are. So when you are in the garden, take a wander past the brassicas, and see if you can guess who is going to grow into what!
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