Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage alternative in the Garden

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I finally got my kid to eat broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage (all raw) but now, finding I can't grow them worth squat in the garden! I need alternative veggies for him to eat that provide basically the same nutritients. Things I can grow with a 90-day growing season.

None of us like Brussells Sprouts, and only my Hubby likes swiss chard.

We grow a lot of various lettuces (but no bitter ones) and some spinach. He'll eat them with Ranch dressing. Would these substitute ok?

 

[Joel_BC]

I finally got my kid to eat broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage (all raw) but now, finding I can't grow them worth squat in the garden! I need alternative veggies for him to eat that provide basically the same nutritients. Things I can grow with a 90-day growing season.

The search for an expanded range of veggies is always a good idea. I wouldn't rule out broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage in a 90-day growing season - especially if you can start seedlings indoors. At our place, we often (not always) have a growing season of less than 120 frost-free days, sometimes with coolish nights. And we notice that with healthy seedlings planted in a fertile soil we can definitely be harvesting cabbage-family plants within 90 days.

An enemy, though, is a soil-borne slime mold that causes a problem known as club root. That's a condition that stunts the cabbage-family plants. For instance, you might get a cauliflower about as big in diameter as a tennis ball, or less. And when you pull the plant up, you might see a root cluster that looks like a turkey's claws.

If you have that in your garden, say so. I've got some info for dealing with it.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

My problems with broc, caul and cabbage are (1) bugs (2) bunnies (3) weird temperature fluctuations. I don't want to devote any more time and space to something with no "payoff".

I can't get them to grow and I've tried for 3 years. So i need to find something nutritively similar to grow in their place.

 

[Bettacreek]

This doesn't help with the veggies, however, you should look at the Basalmic Vinegrette. I buy it in a spray bottle for fairly cheaply, and a little goes a long way. Often times, I don't even have to use the 10 spray serving size for a large salad (which I'm sure is way more than a serving size in itself, lol). My kids LOVE it too... 3 and 4 year olds... they BEG to eat salad for snacks and such. Granted, maybe my kids are just weird, because they love broccoli too (I did as a kid as well).

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

I'll give it some thought. My kid's a very picky eater.

Do you use the B.V. as a nutritive addition or just for the taste?

 

[Bettacreek]

Honestly, just for the taste, lol.

 

[BarredBuff]

Try growing cabbage and broccolli under row cover, that eliminates most of the bugs and keeps the rabbits out. I don't think it is that expensive either, and it can be reused over and over.

 

[terri9630]

You may have to fence for the rabbits. I've found them to chew right through the row covers.

 

[MyKidLuvsGreenEgz]

We just put in a welded wire fence but the little suckers wriggle right through. Will have to (in a couple of years) go along the bottom with chicken wire (money issue). I have a row cover but that's for the strawberry beds only.

I think I'll keep trying with red cabbage.

But I'd really like a similar-nutritive value veggie to those cruciferous plants. I guess we'll settle for various lettuces and spinach.

Thanks anyway.