MY FIRST CABBAGE!

I'm pretty delighted to report that I've just managed to grow my very first cabbage.  I've been growing broccoli, pak choy and wombok for about three years, but haven't really ventured out to try other members of the brassica family such as cabbage and kale until recently.

I am pleased that despite my issues with white butterflies in the late summer/autumn, that I've managed to enjoy some success!

However, I've noticed some brown spots appearing on the older leaves and it turns out that it is a fungi called alternaria.

I have seen this occur on some of my broccoli plants previously and have always just popped the infected leaves into the compost, but after conducting a bit of research: I've discovered that the disease can live on in old debris for a couple of years....yikes!  We've had a lot of rain over the past few days and moisture is something that can really aid this disease to spread.

It also highlights to me just how important it is to implement a crop rotation cycle in your garden.  This is a system I use in my garden whereby I never plant out the same crops in each bed.  I use a four year plan as many diseases can live on in the soil even after you've treated your plants.

My garden is organic and it appears that the best treatment for alternaria is copper fungicide.  Best I get out in the garden and get on top of this disease now before it takes over my whole crop!