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Post by Shrubrose on Mar 22, 2008 11:55:09 GMT
I'm determined to get over to the GH today Chuckles to have a look if they're up or not. They should be by now I reckon. I sowed them on the 21st Feb!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2008 12:16:20 GMT
Chuckles... No Walking Sticks - YET  |
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Post by Shrubrose on Mar 23, 2008 13:48:33 GMT
Had a ganders yesterday - nuffink!  |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 1, 2008 7:02:15 GMT
 What are you lot doing to the poor things there can't only be me that has managed to get them to germinate. My two sown last year are now planted in the garden. The other three are still only at the two leaf stage so are still on the GH.
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Post by Tig on Apr 1, 2008 12:48:56 GMT
The Dr Hessayan book I got on my last excursion to the charity shop recommends sowing them in August!! Maybe that is why we are struggling a bit?  x Tig |
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Post by Shrubrose on Apr 1, 2008 18:08:01 GMT
Wish I'd saved two seeds I still haven't given up hope  |
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Post by Chuckles on Apr 14, 2008 7:29:27 GMT
Can't believe I'm the only one out of us all who has managed to get 5 going. The 2 in the garden must be at least 12" tall now, the other 3 are still nippers though  |
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Post by Tig on Apr 14, 2008 19:54:01 GMT
I have sown the last two seeds you sent me tonight Chuckles, we'll see it they choose to germinate ... or not!
x Tig
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2008 13:16:40 GMT
We've just cut down our two walking stick cabbages intending to start the drying process ..... and we've lost the instructions. Can anyone help with advice or a link, please? Can't remember if the stems should be laid flat or stood upright, how long to dry for and whether they should be filed down a bit before drying as well as after. Any help appreciated. Googled but keep finding cultivation instructions only. Thanks.
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Post by Tig on May 7, 2008 15:31:54 GMT
I have found a bit of information in one of the Dr Hessayon books which states that the stalks should be cut into walking-stick lengths and allowed to dry for six months, then laquered, fitted with a handle and rubber tip at the base.
Elsewhere I have read that they are best hung vertically in an airy place to dry, you could probably tie a loop of twine around them and suspend them from that.
Hope that helps a bit wintersday.
Tig
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Post by Deleted on May 7, 2008 19:13:27 GMT
Thanks for replying. Hung up sounds good and easier to store. We'll do that and keep searching for tips.
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Post by Tig on May 7, 2008 23:34:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2008 7:24:24 GMT
Thank you. I now have "hang up cabbage stalks" on today's to-do list! That's a first!
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Post by Tig on May 8, 2008 8:27:45 GMT
;D (I don't think that will ever be on my to-do list, I can't get the little beggars to germinate ) Tig |
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Post by Shrubrose on May 8, 2008 11:01:25 GMT
Me neither! I cant bring myself to throw them out yet though - I keep hoping they'll spring to life |
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Post by oldmoleskins on May 8, 2008 11:52:06 GMT
My last seed is marked by a little white tombstone of a plant tag... 3 or 4 weeks on with no sign of life, I'm afraid it's not now going to provide the hours of innocent fun and amazement a novelty walkingstick cabbage should... sorry Chuckles.
OM.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2008 14:24:12 GMT
Strange about the germination difficulty. We sowed our's last Feb/March in a propagator. First tray damped off, or something else which resulted in seedlings flopping. Second attempt came through ok. Placed plastic rings around them for protection against our garden snails once they were planted out. We intended to leave them to grow for a second year but once they started flowering everything else in that bed was hidden (small garden). Perhaps with more moist a soil they would not have flowered so soon.Stalks now hanging in the shed.
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2008 15:27:24 GMT
No sign of any Walking Sticks here |
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Post by Tig on May 8, 2008 15:40:43 GMT
I feel much better (in a sad kind of way, if you know what I mean ) x Tig |
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Post by Chuckles on May 19, 2008 13:20:10 GMT
Oh dear what have you lot done to them The 1st 2 I sowed and I planted out a while ago have gone mad and must be getting on for 18" tall now  The other 3 are about 8" tall so are catching up fast. Oooooh wintersday, great to read someone else has grown them, I'll probably be asking questions later and comparing with you ;D |
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2008 14:51:12 GMT
We made two big mistakes, although the sticks are quite substantial anyway. First mistake was not using a long or strong enough stake to begin with and so had to replace the supports twice while the cabbages were growing.
Second was when we dug them up. I immediately used a saw to remove the root, thinking "I'll do that while it's soft, to save some effort", only to read later that you are meant to leave the root on (or at least some of it) in order to have a ready-fashioned handle.Never mind.
Since the stalks were hung in the shed a couple of weeks ago, the core of each has started to decompose and we imagine it will all flake away or have to be be poked out once it's dry.
Good fun but I'm pleased to have the space again now they've gone from the garden.
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Post by Chuckles on May 20, 2008 21:41:19 GMT
Thanks for those tips wintersday. I really ought to be thinking about staking the 2 larger ones now really, job for tomorrow |
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Post by Chuckles on May 29, 2008 7:40:27 GMT
 Still not got round to staking the 2 larger WSC, they are really tall now. Thats them in the center in front of the fence panel and it's a 5ft panel ;D |
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Post by Shrubrose on Jun 3, 2008 18:23:18 GMT
Going great guns aren't they Chuckles?  Now, I'm not saying they are and I'm not saying they aren't but.........I've got two cabbagey looking plants that seem to have suddenly appeared from nowhere. On mulling things over and seeing how I seem to get seedlings growing where they shouldn't, I realised that I often reuse the compost from my supposed 'failures'. Beginning to get the picture? There's two lots going at the moment - something I cant yet identify and then these two cabbagey looking things. Could they be my failed WSC? I'll keep you posted Chuckles ;D |
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Post by Chuckles on Jun 3, 2008 20:43:34 GMT
 for you
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Post by Tig on Aug 13, 2008 9:37:29 GMT
Chuckles how are your walking sticks doing?
Something else which I forgot didn't grow for me!
x Tig
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Post by Chuckles on Aug 15, 2008 16:14:38 GMT
Funny you should ask Tig, well not funny really  If I said Cabbage White  The 2 largest plants were as tall as me so thats 5' 7" and the other 3 were about 4' All but one has gone for chicken fodder, they thought it was thier birthday with all the caterpillars. Not sure if the one I've left in will come to anything or survive tbo. I'm so annoyed becasue they were fine the other day when I checked. |
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Post by Tig on Aug 15, 2008 18:35:52 GMT
Ohh what a b@ggar Chuckles, I suppose with them being so tall they are the first thing the cabbage whites see, and it would be quite a challenge to find the little pests at that height (well it would for me - shorty at 5' 1 and a half inches ) |
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Post by Shrubrose on Aug 16, 2008 4:07:38 GMT
Just to update - my mystery plants turned out to be oriental poppy Bad luck Chuckles - I'd be spitting!!! |
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Post by Chuckles on Oct 17, 2008 16:03:42 GMT
Been looking at my one and only WS today and despite it being knobbled by the cabbage whites it has put on some green growth at the top. I'm going to leave it as it's not in the way and see what happens |
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What are you lot doing to the poor things 
The other 3 are about 8" tall so are catching up fast. 
If I said Cabbage White 
The 2 largest plants were as tall as me so thats 5' 7" and the other 3 were about 4' All but one has gone for chicken fodder, they thought it was thier birthday with all the caterpillars. Not sure if the one I've left in will come to anything or survive tbo. I'm so annoyed becasue they were fine the other day when I checked.