Tue 30 Dec 2008
If you have judged cabbage by the pale, often strong tasting heads sold commercially, you will be surprised to discover the delicious flavor of the vegetable when home grown, as well as the variety of rich colors and leaf textures available. You can choose from among several red varieties and the crinkly Leafed “Savoy” varieties, in addition to the green cabbages.
Cabbage should be planted to mature during cool weather. You can grow spring and fall crops where the cool but frost free growing season is five months or more in length. Plant early varieties or hybrids in the spring; these mature in 7 to 8 weeks from transplants. Later varieties, such as the king-size kraut cabbage, need up to 12 weeks to mature from seeds and should be planted after midsummer for fall harvest. Winter cabbage can be grown in mild climate areas, but the heads tend to burst and send up flower stalks as a result of warm spells.
How to plant
Plant cabbage in a different spot every year to avoid pests. Spring cabbage is usually grown from plants to gain three to four weeks time. Grow fall cabbage from seeds sown in the garden after midsummer. When buying spring cabbage plants, look for a light purple cast to the leaves. This indicates that they have been properly hardened off.
Plant seeds ‘/2 inch deep. Transplant them 24 to 30 inches apart. Make sure to set in the plants to the same depth that they grew in the flat and to firm the soil around the roots.
Care
Grow cabbage rapidly with frequent light applications of high nitrogen fertilizer and regular watering. Cabbage responds favorably to the cool, moist soil conditions produced by a mulch of hay or straw.
Pests
Aphids are prevalent and persistent pests. Control them with a soapy water spray (see page 54) or use rotenone or malathion (note label precautions).
The most serious pest of the cabbage is the green cabbage worm, the larva of a small, white butterfly often found hovering over cabbage patches in late spring. Cabbage worm feeds on the tender young leaves, producing ragged holes, and often burrows into the heads. Good control can be achieved by using one of the dusts or sprays for chewing insects; Bacillus thuringiensis and rotenone are effective.
You can control cabbage root maggot, a small, yellowish white maggot that tunnels into the roots and causes plants to wilt, by spraying the ground around young seedlings with diazinon,
Harvesting
Begin harvesting heads when they are firm and about the size of a softball. Cut just beneath the head, leaving some basal leaves to support new growth of small lateral heads. (See Brussels sprouts for directions for storing heads.)A light frost won’t hurt them, but don’t allow the heads to freeze before harvest.
containers
Deep roots and large heads make most cabbage impractical for containers.
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