Growing Cabbage

Cabbage, in one form or another, has been around since 4,000 B.C, with evidence of cultivation within the Shensi province of China. It is often enjoyed fresh during a slaw salad, cooked during a great dish like bully beef and cabbage or fermented into sauerkraut or kimchi. However you wish to eat it, cabbage comes in several forms and may be planted late summer or spring (depending on where you live). In our video on Growing Organic Cabbage, Tricia shows just how easy it’s to grow cabbage.

Types of Cabbage

Savoy – crinkled leaves that form heads, most very frost-tolerant cabbage variety Green – produces tight heads, the traditional type found at the grocery. we provide the Golden Acre variety which produces smaller heads (about 5-7″) and is ideal for little gardens. Red- beautiful red leaves for a decent head. Good in coleslaw, cooked in soups or maybe pickled. Express Red is an early variety that produces 3-4 pound uniform heads. Chinese Cabbage – Bok Choy or Pak choi – doesn’t form heads, they need thick stems with green leaves with a light mustard flavor that’s utilized in soups, noodle dishes or stir-fries. we feature two varieties, the quality Pak Choi or the favored Baby Pak Choi Shanghai which is prepared for harvest in just 35 to 45 days. Napa – Large football-shaped heads with savoyed heads with a light, sweet taste. Eaten raw or cooked and maybe a favorite in pickling dishes like Kimchi. The Napa Bilko may be a good selection for home gardens and maybe a slow-bolting variety.

When to Plant Cabbage

Cabbage is often started either within the spring or within the summer. within the spring start your plants indoors about 8-10 weeks before the last frost and transplant call at the garden when the plants have 5-6 true leaves or about 4-6 weeks. If starting within the summer, sow seeds 10-12 weeks before the primary fall frost. Plants can either be directly sown or started in trays and transplanted into the garden. If growing during a hot area, use some shade cloth to stay them a touch cooler.

Pests that Love Cabbage

You will get to look out for leaf-eating caterpillars on your cabbage plants. Caterpillars like cabbage loopers, armyworms or velvety green cabbage worms are frequently found on cabbage plants. to stop an attack by these guys, use a floating row cover like an Agribon-19 laid on the plants after you transplant them out into the garden. If you are doing fine them (usually on the undersides of the leaves) they will be picked off otherwise you can spray or dust with a biological pesticide that contains Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). The Safer Caterpillar Killer concentrate or the Safer Garden Dust are products to use if you’re queasy about handpicking caterpillars. Slugs and snails also are very keen on cabbage also. you’ll use some Sluggo Plus sprinkled around each plant to require care of those pests.

Harvesting Cabbage

If you’re growing heading cabbage, provides it a squeeze and see if it’s firm. If it feels loose, leave it longer to develop. But don’t wait an excessive amount of longer otherwise you might get a cracked head. If you see the heads cracking, cut it directly. Cabbage is often stored within the refrigerator for several weeks or for several months during a cellar. If you’re growing the non-heading Pak Choi, the outer leaves are often harvested as required otherwise you can cut the entire plant at the bottom when it’s reached a mature size. Grow some cabbage as a spring or fall crop and grow organic, for life!

Growing Cabbage

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