Many common vegetables are cabbages or genus brassica. Head and leafed cabbage, of course, but also broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and kohlrabi are members of the cabbage family. They are some of the most popular and traditional garden vegetables grown.
Because they are often grown in North America, cabbages are well understood and can be cultivated in nearly every climate zone on the continent.
BEST SOIL FOR CABBAGE GROWING
Cabbages require nitrogen-rich soil that is somewhat firm, especially for tight-headed varieties. Most gardeners will include an amount of rotten manure with each transplanting and side dress or spot-water with compost (or tea) about midway through the year. This is especially important if two crops are attempted in the same space in one year – a common practice to maximize yields.
VARIETIES OF CABBAGE
There are many varieties of cabbage grown in North America. The most common are:
- Jersey Wakefield
- Pacifica
- Lennox
- Savoy Ace
- Huron
With broccoli and cauliflower varieties, the choices are also varied. The most common are:
Baccus, Goliath, and Liberty for broccoli.
Alert, Amazing, Cheddar, Self Blanche, and Violet Queen for cauliflowers.
WHEN TO PLANT CABBAGES
Exact planting times will depend on your climate zone as well as whether you are planting outdoors from seed or transplants. The variety may also play a role, though most cabbages have roughly the same tolerances and needs for germination.
Most gardeners looking to get two crops out of the year will start seeds indoors before the season begins and transplant seedlings to the garden row just before the last frost comes. Since cabbages are frost-tolerant, they can withstand light frosts even at this young age. After harvest just after mid-year, a new set of seedlings or seeds can be started in the same rows for another planting. This one will usually be harvested just before or after the first killing frost.
PROPER CARE FOR CABBAGE
Keeping the bed weed-free and not disturbing the roots of the cabbage are most important when caring for the plants. Watering should be at about one inch per week, a little more in dryer climates and less in more humid areas. Soaking should go relatively deep – about half a foot. Most cabbage growers use the flood method of watering rather than overhead sprays because of this requirement.
Cauliflowers need blanching (which is why the self-blanching varieties are more popular now). This requires that they be covered when the heads become visible. Otherwise, they will mature too quickly and turn a greenish yellow, losing flavor as they seed. Traditionally, this is done by tying the outer broad leaves over the head of the plant. Self-blanching varieties usually grow to cover themselves. Brown paper bags or other breathable covers (cloth tarps, etc.) can also be used. The object is to block the light.
Brussels sprouts should have their tips cut towards the end of the season when the sprouts begin to appear in earnest. This clipping encourages sprout growth and discourages more plant growth, maximizing yield.
WHEN AND HOW TO HARVEST CABBAGES
Harvest times depend on the time of year, of course. When ripe, harvest in mid-summer should be immediate to allow for another planting. In the fall, most cabbages can be left in the ground until after Thanksgiving, harvested when eaten to that point. Cauliflower is an exception to this rule.
Heads can be snapped off (usually by twisting) or cut with a gardener’s knife. Brussels sprouts and similar coles can be trimmed off the plant with shears or heavy scissors.
PESTS AND DISEASES COMMON TO CABBAGES
The main pest to cabbages is the cabbage caterpillar (aka cabbage worm or looper). This pest is the larvae of the cabbage white butterfly, a beautiful flier whose appearance may be worth a little crop loss to some gardeners. These worms will go after lighter-colored varieties in preference, but are a pest to all cabbage types.
Root maggot is another problem. These larvae of flies are deposited near the stems of seedlings and burrow down to attack the roots when they hatch. Seedlings will begin to wilt when this is the case.
Prevention of both problems can be done through natural means. To prevent root maggot, compost tea or a light sprinkling of tobacco juice around each plant will prevent the larvae from hatching. The caterpillar can be dealt with by encouraging birds or by planting sacrificial crops. Some larger spiders also enjoy the cabbage caterpillar.
COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT HOW TO GROW CABBAGE
CAN CABBAGE GROW IN POTS?
Growing cabbage in containers is easy, just be sure not to crowd them by trying to grow too many cabbages in a small space. The cabbages will still grow when crowded, but the heads will be significantly smaller. One five gallon container is big enough for one cabbage plant. If you want to grow multiple cabbage plants in the same container, select a container with enough surface area to house multiple plants without crowding.
CAN YOU GROW A CABBAGE FROM A CABBAGE?
You can grow a cabbage from another cabbage, in fact, all you need is the bottom part of the cabbage where the leaves were attached. In a shallow dish, place the cabbage bottom in the dish and add water about halfway up the greens. Then place the dish in a location in your home that gets lots of sun everyday. Replace the water every two or three days (or daily, if you can remember) and mist the leaves every once in a while. You will notice roots beginning to grow in three or four days and new leaves beginning to appear. You can now plant the cabbage into the ground in your garden to grow a new cabbage.
CAN YOU GROW CABBAGE IN WATER?
Though you can’t grow cabbages in water alone, you can use water and the lower portion of a cabbage head to get the cabbage bottom to develop roots, then you can plant the cabbage bottom into soil and grow a cabbage. You can also leave the cabbage bottom in water and it will continue to develop leaves that you can harvest and use in fresh salads or toss into stir-fries.
To do this all you need is the lower portion of a cabbage head and a shallow dish of water. Place the cabbage bottom in the shallow dish and fill with water about halfway up the greens. Change the water every two or three days and mist the greens occasionally. In just three or four days, you will start to see roots forming. Once the roots start to form, you can move the cabbage bottom into soil to grow another cabbage, or leave it in the water to grow and harvest more cabbage greens.
After soaking, remove the large, fibrous, outer leaves and cut the cabbage into pieces using a stainless steel knife. Using a stainless steel knife is important because the carbon on other types of metal knives can cause phytonutrients in the cabbage to react to the metal and can even turn black from contact. To cut the cabbage into smaller pieces, quarter the head and remove the core. Then, you can decide what size to cut your pieces into based on how you plan to use the cabbage in the meal you’re preparing.
HOW BIG DOES CABBAGE GROW?
At full maturity, cabbage plants grow to 12 to 14 inches high with a spread of 18 to 24 inches. When planting, space cabbages 12 to 24 inches apart in a row. Specific spacing may vary depending on variety so space them according to the instructions on the seed package whenever possible.
HOW DO YOU FERTILIZE CABBAGE ORGANICALLY?
The best organic fertilizer for cabbage plants is a soil that is rich in organic matter, particularly a well-aged or composted animal manure. Cabbage and other cruciferous plants specifically respond very well to poultry manure. When preparing the bed before planting your cabbage, mix in two to three inches of a good garden compost or composted manure, such as poultry manure.
Though amending the soil with lots of organic matter before planting is sufficient for supplying nutrients for many vegetable plants, cabbage is a heavy feeder, so additional feeding is necessary to help your plants develop full, lush heads. Apply a balanced, organic fertilizer every two to three weeks during the growing season, following the directions on the package.
You may also want to add some kelp meal to the soil prior to planting to help boost your soil’s micronutrient and mineral levels. Kelp meal is packed with micronutrients and is particularly good at supplying essential trace minerals to vegetable plants.
HOW DO YOU PREPARE SOIL FOR CABBAGE?
Cabbage is a heavy feeder, which depletes the soil of required nutrients rather quickly, so it’s very important to both practice crop rotation and prepare the soil by mixing in aged manure or compost prior to planting. The soil should be free of any clumps or compacted areas, well-draining, consistently moist, and rich in organic materials. For optimal growth and to discourage clubroot disease, the soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8.
HOW DO YOU REPOT CABBAGE?
To repot cabbage sprouts, make a one inch indentation in the center of the new cabbage container’s soil, which should be filled to within one and a half inches of the top of the pot with potting soil. Using a spoon, dip the seedling out of the starter tray, taking about an inch of soil with the seedling and roots and plant it at the same depth as your starter. Water your seedling just after repotting.
SHOULD YOU PRUNE CABBAGE?
There are some cases in which pruning cabbage is necessary. When the leaves of your cabbage plant are dragging on the ground, becoming deteriorated due to being stepped on, eaten, or mildewed, they should be trimmed or removed. Gardeners should also remove any unhealthy or limp cabbage leaves by tearing them away or removing them with pruners or scissors. Sometimes, perfectly healthy leaves may need to be pruned because they are encroaching on other plants prior to forming heads. If you need to remove healthy leaves, avoid tossing them out, as these can be used like any other spring greens and are healthy and tasty too.