Mixing Brassicas?

[jayb]

I quite fancy a couple of experimental crossings, any thoughts on outcomes?

Collard x red cabbage.
Sprouts x collard.
Sprouts x red cabbage.
Nine Star x Purple Sprouting.

[Hector1]

Not sure of outcome but final cross sounds potentially tasty and productive

[jayb]

I'm quite drawn to that one too. One hesitation is that although the PS I'm growing has been trouble free and the crop looks to be excellent, it is not the most flavourful variety, or perhaps I'm losing my taste buds for purple sprouting? Perhaps the good out ways the not so. I know it's an F1, but can't recall the name at the moment.

[jayb]

Just a thought, are there any red spring cabbages, I can't think of any?

[Galina]

My Grandpa Maycock's Collards are a bit like that - a mixture of everything that would cross, then selected for longevity. I get shoots and psb type florets, kale and something resembling savoy cabbage. Doesn't matter whether they cross with anything, because they are crossed anyway. No doubt my GMCs are by now a bit different to the types that Victorian clergyman Maycock had, but the idea is the same. So yes, go for it, especially if you can get longevity in there somehow too. My GMCs do 3 years, then I take seed. Some will die off earlier (no issue because the longer lived ones need more space) and their seed does not get into the gene pool. Together with the Daubentons, GMCs are great, they can't be harvested for as long, but you do get the florets in spring. I had Purple Sprouting Broccoli die on me during colder winters a few times too often, the GMCs may not have as many florets, but still a lot and they don't freeze off. I have purplish plants, no full purple or red though.

Crossing just two brings back memories of that flower kale, Posy, or brukale or whatever they call it. Neither fish nor fowl. A bit like designer blown sprouts. Perennial psb is not difficult, although getting it past the frost is, MIL speaks of 'making it perennial' by picking every last flower off as something they used to do in her childhood. Would we get larger florets crossed with 9 Star? Or pink 9 Star caulis? I can see the attraction of a red, looseleaf cabbage, but would want this in a perennial form. Maybe if one of the Daubenton does flower it would be nice crossed with a red cabbage or with a red Brussel. Good luck.

Slightly off topic question: does a 9 Star really get 9 mini caulis on a large plant? Or is that a bit of hype and they get just a few?

[Silverleaf]

This all sounds very exciting!

[templeton]

If your PSB is an F1, does it have cytoplasmic male sterility? I thought that was how they got F1 brassicas...

[jayb]

If your PSB is an F1, does it have cytoplasmic male sterility? I thought that was how they got F1 brassicas...

Oops, got carried away, that pretty much scuppers my plans for this year!

But still time to plan ahead for next year....

[templeton]

Oops, got carried away, that pretty much scuppers my plans for this year!
..

Not necessarily. Only an issue if you don't like CMS. You will still get genetic mixing, but only in one direction. Without thinking it through completely, if you maintain a mix of CMS and non-CMS in a grex or hybrid swarm, you should get lots of variety, but not be able to collect seed from individual plants to maintain lines. Would get complicated, but could still be fun, and worthwhile. Remember, CMS is not necessarily frankenfood, the story of the discovery of CMS parsnip in the UK in the 60's or 70's in a naturally occurring population is interesting.

[jayb]

Hmm, I suppose I could try for seed and just grow them as F1's and not save seed from any of the plants, ideally I'd much prefer to stay clear of CMS if at all possible. But that is a gut reaction, I'm sure it has a place and I just don't know enough about it.