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I have a confession to make. After raving about the arrival of the purple sprouting broccoli and extolling the virtues of winter veg in my blog last week I realised that I had forgotten to mention red cabbages. Not only are red cabbages easy to grow

The caterpillars of both the small and large cabbage white butterflies are are the two culprits. The first is pale green with a body up to 2.5cm long, the second is bigger at 4cm and is yellow with black markings. The adult butterflies lay eggs

Learn how to plant spring cabbages by following Monty Don's video demonstration, with tips on soil preparation and planting depths, as well as a special technique to keep pigeons at bay.OctoberMore advice on growing brassicasHow to plant brassicas

Follow Monty Don's video advice on planting summer cabbages, with advice on avoiding cabbage root fly.springMore advice on growing vegetablesGrowing courgettesPlanting broccoliGrowing carrots in a containerCrop rotationBrowse a variety of vegetable

The culprit is the flea beetle, which, like its namesake, jumps away when disturbed. The small, shiny, black, brown or blue beetles emerge in April and May, after winter hibernation, ready to start feeding. Eggs laid near host plants hatch in late-summer. The beetles feed for a f...

I know I keep banging on about cabbages but they are just about the best crops I have grown this year. The wet weather and cooler temperatures seem to have suited all the brassicas well and I've got cabbages coming out of my ears (strange thought

chrysanthemums.It is pretty straightforward to grow your own ornamental cabbages although they suffer from the same predators as normal brassicas. Seeds should be sown in springtime.They should last in containers for much of the winter - although if the pigeons

Despite the attentions of the cabbage white caterpillars my Brussels sprouts are doing really well. I think the calabrese acted as a kind of sacrificial crop, as the cabbage whites have gone for these first, the cabbages second and the Brussels last

Sarah Raven demonstrates how to use ornamental kale in borders, to bring colourful interest over winter, with information on the different varieties available.autumnMore advice on growing brassicasHow to plant brassicasMonty advice on planting

Sow peas in lengths of guttering under cover, so you can plant out seedlings in an instant rowPlant out onion sets in rows, spacing them about 10-15cm apartCarefully dig away grass or plants growing close to the stems of fruit trees to reduce