Growing cabbage
Planting cabbages
I have not had success in growing cabbages and obtained the following valuable information from WikiHow, co-authored by Lauren Kurtz, a professional gardener, which I am using in my 2022 garden. (See Bed A CW months 2)
Choose multiple varieties of cabbage.
Cabbage maturities vary from 60 to 120 days.]
Cabbage varieties are grouped according to when they are harvested. Spring cabbages are ready the earliest, from mid to late spring.
Summer cabbages can be harvested in late summer and early fall.
Fall and winter cabbages are harvested later in the fall.
Savoy cabbage has a more extended harvesting period; the harvesting season for this variety starts in early fall and extends into winter and early spring of the following year.
Start seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost.
Sow seeds .25 inches (0.64 cm) deep and 2 inches (5.1 cm) apart.
Place them in a spot where they'll get plenty of sunlight, or set them under grow lamps with temperatures between 60 and 70 °F (16 and 21 °C).
Alternatively, buy transplant seedlings from a local grower or at a nursery or farmer's market.
Prepare the soil with aged manure or fertilizer and compost. \
Till the soil of your planting bed to a depth of about 2 inches (5.1 cm) and mix in a layer of compost. Top the layer of compost with a balanced fertilizer or manure.
Water the bed thoroughly after fertilizing it, and make sure it stays moist until you transplant your seedlings.
Move your seedlings outdoors after 3 to 4 weeks.
Start seeds indoors for a couple of weeks, then transfer them to the garden. Seedlings exposed to cold will become hardened so that frost won't kill them.
Harden the seedlings off gradually by setting them outside in a sheltered area for an increasing number of hours each day for about a week.
Once the seedlings are hardened, they should be set 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) apart, ensuring the main stem is buried in the soil.
Leave the seedlings out for 1-2 hours at a time to start, then gradually work your way up to 7 or 8 hours by the end of the week.
Thin the seedlings so that there is only one seedling per cell or pot you transplant. You can wait until the seeds have germinated, then pick the strongest seedling in each tray.
Seedlings should have at least 3 or 4 adult leaves before you transplant them.
Arrange your cabbage in rows with plenty of sun exposure. Cabbage needs at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. The more sunlight your cabbage gets, the larger and faster the heads grow. Set the seedlings in rows 12 to 24 inches (30 to 61 cm) apart.
·For fall or winter varieties, leave a minimum of 24 inches (61 cm) between each seedling, if not a little more.
Tip: The closer you plant your cabbages, the smaller the heads will be. If you want larger heads, set your seedlings further apart.
Place cabbage among complementary plants.
Plants such as beans, celery, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, and lettuce will improve your cabbages' health and help them thrive. Spinach, kale, and dill are other helpful plants near the cabbages.
Avoid planting cabbage near broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, or tomatoes. These crops compete for similar nutrients and will deplete your soil faster. Plant them on the other side of the garden, or at least 4 feet (1.2 m) away for best results.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has a table of companion plantings available at https://www.almanac.com/content/companion-planting-guide.
Tip: Dill protects your cabbage by attracting beneficial wasps that kill cabbage worms and other pests.
Caring for Growing Plants
Protect seedlings from pests with row covers and collars. Seedlings are vulnerable to cutworms. A collar made from a plastic cup and pushed 1 inch (2.5 cm) into the ground around the seedling will protect it.
Nets and row covers can be used to protect your cabbage from airborne pests.
Variation:
Another way to protect your cabbages from pests is to plant a sacrificial crop or trap crop nearby. For example, caterpillars that feed on cabbages prefer nasturtiums. If you plant nasturtiums near your cabbage patch, the caterpillars will feast on those instead of ruining your cabbage crop.
Keep the pH of your soil between 6.0 and 6.5.
If you need to lower your soil's pH, use organic mulches, elemental sulfur, or aluminium sulfate. If you need to raise your soil's pH, add hydrated lime or wood ash.
Use 2 inches (5.1 cm) of water and mulch each week. Cabbages need moist soil unless you've had frequent rain, water the soil around the cabbages at least once a week—mulch after watering to keep the moisture in the soil.
When watering and mulching, inspect your cabbage for signs of pests or disease. Spraying with a biological pesticide every other week can keep pest damage minimum.
Take care not to wet the foliage of your cabbages, especially in cooler weather. Wet leaves can make your cabbages more vulnerable to disease.
·You can prevent water and soil from splashing onto your cabbages by gently watering the soil near the cabbage base instead of spraying water directly onto the soil right at the base.
Fertilize the soil three weeks after planting.
A fish emulsion or other liquid fertilizer will enable optimum growth. Add the fertilizer soon after your cabbage begins to develop new leaves and then again when the plants start forming heads.
If the leaves of your cabbages are starting to yellow, this is a sign they need a boost of fertilizer.
Handpick pests and weeds from your cabbage. Go over your cabbages at least once a week and remove pests if necessary.
This can require a close inspection since many cabbage pests, such as cabbage worms are small and difficult to see.
Cabbages have shallow roots. Pull out weeds growing near your cabbages by hand, so you don't damage or disturb the root system of your plants.