If you’ve been reading our Weekly Veg Out for a while, you may have noticed that we often advise you to remove the older, yellowing leaves of brassicas.
There is nothing wrong with brassica plants – kale, broccoli, cabbages, cauli etc – when you see their leaves turning yellow. It’s a natural part of their growth process. The older leaves, usually lower on the main stalk or the outer leaves of cabbages and cauliflowers, will start to turn yellow as the plant puts its focus on the newer leaves and the plant naturally sheds its older leaves.
Pulling off these yellow leaves, and raking them up from the soil, is a good thing to do on a regular basis. There are two main reasons for this:
1. It helps to prevent fungal disease from spreading
If you gather up the yellow leaves and pull them off from the plant before they drop, you stand a good chance of preventing fungal disease from building up on them, This in turn will help to prevent disease from spreading from the old leaves to the new leaves and the main stem.
2. It helps to keep slugs at bay
Slugs and snails are particularly attracted to decaying leaves, both for food and for a hiding place. Gathering up these brassica leaves so that they are not lingering around attracting slugs or providing them with a convenient shelter will help to keep your beds a little more free from slugs and snails, and your healthy, growing brassica plants will not be quite such obvious targets.