Growing Cabbage
Basic Cabbage Information
Cabbage is a cultivar of Brassica oleracea which was a wild cabbage and was native to the Mediterranean area. The cultivar group this plant is in is the Capitata Group. Cabbage was eaten by the Greeks and Romans. Both the Savoy and Red Cabbage are thought to have orginated in Germany.
There are different cultivars of cabbage which have different growth characteristics from those that form a solid oval shaped head to those are much more looser. Head Cabbage is known for its short stem and very large terminal bud. Savoy cabbage is noted for its dense head of crinkled leaves.
Cabbages are very adaptable to many different climate conditions and is one of the easiest of the cole crops to grow. Cabbages can be grown as either a spring and/or a fall crop depending upon where you live. Cabbage is considered a cool season crop and more resistant to bolting than some other members of the cole crops. Depending upon the cultivar, a cabbage will mature between 60 to 120 days. They are actually a biennial but are grown as an annual.
Growing Cabbage Requirements
Cabbages like good fertile soils with plenty of organic matter. For early season crops of cabbage in general a more coarser soil is prefer such as a sandy loam because it will warm up quicker and also drain better help preventing waterlogging and diseases. Later season cabbages are more adaptable to different soil conditions and the greater water holding capacity of these soils can be advantage during drier conditions. They prefer a soil pH between 5.8 to 7.5 with the prefer range being 5.8 to 6.5. They may be grown in full sun or part shade. Since they are a leafy vegetable, they have a high nitrogen requirement and can be fertilized every few weeks with high nitrogen fertilizer as a side dressing which will promote good growth. The amount of times to sidedress with nitrogen is higher with sandy soils or areas of high rainfall as the nitrogen will leach out of the soil. During the growing season if weeds become a problem do a shallow cultivation but avoid cultivating too close to the cabbage as this plant has a shallow root system.
Planting Cabbage
It is a good idea to use a preplanting fertilizer when preparing the bed for the cabbages. At the same time add 1 to 2" of organic matter to the soil and mix it in well. The organic matter will help the soil maintain water and nutrients. Cabbages can be grown as transplants or directly from seed and then thinned out. If starting indoors, you should plant them 4 to 6 weeks before you will transplant them. The seeds need a temperature between 45 to 85 to germinate. The seeds can be used up to five years after being harvested. If purchasing cabbage plants in spring avoid large plants or those with stems the size of a pencil because they may flower without forming a head. When growing transplants choose non-hybrid (open-pollinated) varieties which mature over several weeks to be able to harvest for several weeks from a single planting. Make sure to plant the transplants early enough so they avoid the summer heat. You can depending upon your climate make several successful sowing over the growing season. When the plants reach 6 to 8 inches, you can sow more plants. One way to extend the cabbage growing season is to plant different cultivars with different maturing rates. In other cases, a spring and fall planting may be done. In the United States you usually plant cabbages as transplants in the spring and direct seed in the fall. You set out the transplants about 4 to 6 weeks before the last average day of frost. For fall planting of cabbage you directly sow in midsummer in the north and in the fall in the south. Plant seeds 1” deep,Loamy to sandy soil is best for direct seeding of cabbage in the fall.. The soil should be kept moist during the seeding time and try protect the seedlings from wind as it can kill the young plants. One the plants reach the 3 leaf stage, they should be thinned. The cultivars vary in spacing requirements from 15 to 30 inches depending if they are small or large varieties. The distance between rows should be between 18 to 32 inches depending on the size of the cultivar.
Cabbage due to its shallow root system require quite a bit of water but also prefer a well drained soil. When watering do it in the morning to prevent the leaves from being wet at night. Water the cabbage to a 6 inch in the soil as shallower watering prevents the cabbage roots from developing deeper in the soil. Due to the fact that leaf formation is directly correlated with water uptake, the most critical time to keep consistent watering is between the time of head formation and harvesting. Consistent moisture helps prevent splitting or bursting of the cabbage head. The head splitting occurs once the heads become solid due to the water pressure inside the cabbage from water uptake. A heavy rainfall can cause this problem. Plants such as cabbage which have a spread of 12” or more require 1 1/2” of water per week. If rainfall is below 1 1/2” for a week you should water the cabbage. If a cabbage begins to crack spin it ¼ of the way around to break some of the roots which will decrease water uptake. Otherwise use a shovel to root prune the growing cabbage. If you do this it will damage the plant so harvest soon after doing it.
Cabbage plants will "bolt" which means the formation of premature seedstalks when they are exposed for a long period to temperatures of 35 to 45 degrees F. If the plants are set out out to soon or if an unusual cold spell happens this can occur and happens when the plant's stems are pencil sized. Mature cabbages can handle temperatures as low as 18 to 20 °F.
Cabbage Insect Pests
If you notice white or brown moths around the cabbage, they lay eggs which become the pest cabbage worms. The cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) which its caterpillar stage is very destructive. The parents of this pest are medium-sized grayish brown moth which is characteristic by a figure 8 on the front wings and have a wingspan of 1¼ to 1½ inches (3.2 to 3.8 cm). They are night creatures which hover above the plant and lay their eggs. These moths lay a greenish-white eggs on outer leaves of the cabbage The caterpillars which hatch have dark heads and almost clear bodies which eventually turn a light green with white lengthwise stripes and are about 1½ inches (3.8 cm) long. The young eat the undersides of leaves. When they mature, they attack rest of cabbage. The cabbage webworm (Hellula rogatalis) is the caterpillar of a moth which is characterised mottled brownish-yellow front wings mottled and darker brown and pale gray rear wings. Their wingspread is about ½ inch. Their natural defense mechanism is to do short, erratic flights and quickly land among the leaves or on the soil where their color blends with that of the soil. They lay grayish-white eggs near the buds of young host plants while in older cabbage plants their eggs are laid on the underside of leaves..Adult webworms larvae are about ½ inch long and colored a dull grayish yellow with five brownish-purple lengthwise stripes. Their heads are black and have a V-shaped mark. The newly hatched larvae feed on the plant buds. Within a short period they forma silk like web which helps to protect them. Th Cabbage webworms can kill the young bud or disfigure the head. The feeding on the leaves of older cabbage plants does little harm.To prevent damage from various cabbage caterpillars and flea beetles cover the young plants with a floating row cover. Also hand pick and kill these pests. Treat infestations with Bt which is Bacillus thuringiensis. If there is one of this pest per 10 plants an insecticide may have to be used.
There are at least 5 species of aphids which can severely impact cabbages. They are the turnip aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach); green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer); poplar petiole gall aphid or cabbage root aphid, Pemphigus populitransversus Riley; cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus); and cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover. Cabbage plants can infected with pinhead sized whitish-green plant lice at any stage of the vegetables life cycle but it is more common in cool, dry weather. Aphids impact cabbage many ways including direct damage by eating the plant or sucking out the plant's leaf sap and indirect by spreading diseases which can infect the cabbage. Affected leaves of the cabbage will curl and crinkle. In severe infestations, if the plants arew not killed will appear dwarfed with slow grow and small light heads. For cultural control, one of the best methods is to grow health plants by making sure they are fertilized and watered properly. Other cultural practices which can prevent the aphids from getting on the cabbage plants is by planting in aluminum foil-covered beds and filling yellow pans with water to capture the plant lice. Hosing off the aphids with soapy water followed by clean water can help prevent damage to the cabbage. Also, do not plant near an alternative host for aphids or other insect pests. Destroy or remove the crop residue to prevent the aphids from overwintering there. Finally, try to plant any additionally plantings of cabbage in a different part of the garden to prevent the aphid population from growing. Aphids have many natural enemies including predators, parasitoids and pathogens. The encouraging of these enemies either through cultural practices or through directly adding them can effectively control a moderate aphid infestation. Some of the predatory insects of aphids include lady beetles, lacewings, and parasitic flies. If the infestation is severely, some type of pesticide may have to be used. Once the heads have begun to form if the aphids are on 10% or greater of the plants, it will become necessary to spray an insecticide 2 or 3 times at 5 day intervals with a high spray volume containing a spread-sticker because aphids have a waxy like surface which prevents the pesticide from sticking to them. Most of the older pesticides were nonselective and will often kill the good bugs too. Some of the newer ones are much more selective in what they control.
Another major pest of growing cabbage is the harlequin bug.
Cabbage Disease Problems
Pythium Damping-Off is caused by soil-borne fungus Pythium species.The seeds infected with it decay in the soil while seedlings and young transplants rot at the soil line and die. Prevention includes using raised beds and a well drained soil.. Use a commercial potting soil, not in garden soil to start the seeds. If disease has caused problems in the past metalaxyl or similiar chemicals can be used before or at the time of seeding for outdoor seeding only.
Black leg and black rot, are seed-borne diseases and are best controlled by purchasing certified disease-free seeds and plants. If seed source is not known, or infested seedlots must be used, treat seed with hot water at 122 °F for 25 minutes. Blackleg which is caused by a fungus (Phoma lingam) can be detected by the presence of black cankers on the stems and leaves. This disease often causes the taproot to rots away. Black rot which is caused by a bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris pathovar campestris) is characterized by large, V-shaped, yellow-to-brown areas in the leaves which start at the leaf edge. Then the veins turn black which is often followed by soft rot. Both of these diseases are spread by seeds, transplants, and insects. The bacteria survives the winter on plant debris and on weeds such as wild mustard and Shepherd’s purse. If possible buy hot-water seeds or western chemically treated seeds which kills the disease organisms. Avoid transplants that are wilted, have an unhealthy shade of green, or have black spots on the stems or leaves. Moist conditions favor development of these diseases so select areas with good drainage and air circulation. Do not plant for 2 to 3 years if that area has been infested with these diseases. Also avoid touching the plants when they are wet as this helps spread these diseases.
Downy Mildew is caused by the fungus (Peronospora parasitica). This fungus infects both seedlings and mature vegetable plants. It is characterise by a gray mold on the lower leaf surface and upper leaf surface of infected plants first turns yellow and then may turn brown or necrotic which eventually kills the leaves. Development of the disease is favored by moist conditions. As in the case of most disease problems start with choosing tolerant or resistant varieties. Use crop rotation with crops other than cabbage or other cole crops or greens. Avoid wetting the leaves and use wide plant spacing to allowing drying of leaves. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering. If a major outbreak of it happens chlorothalonil will give good control while maneb or fixed copper will give fair control. Apply the fungicides every seven to 10 days and make sure the lower leaf surface is covered. Do not use copper when temperatures are above 85 °F. Stop using the sprays at least 7 days before ready to harvest.
Alternaria Leaf Spot is caused by the fungus, Alternaria species. It favors warm and moist conditions and is most likely to occur at temperatures between 60 to 90 °F. Seedlings symptoms are small dark spots on the stem which may cause damping-off or stunting. The lower leaves of the cabbage on older plants brown circular spots will be the first sign of the problem with the leaves quickly turning yellow and dropping off the growing cabbage. The methods for controlling or preventing this fungus from becoming a problem are the same as with downy mildew. The same chemicals are used and applied in the same way as with downy mildew.
Wirestem is caused by a fungus (Rhizoctonia solani). Growing cabbage becomes constricted, stunted, brittle and may rot at the soil line. Wire Stem is more of a problem in fall cabbage crops because the soil is warm. The best way to prevent it is with certified disease-free transplants.
Club root can be prevent by liming the soil to a pH of 7.2. This disease is characteristed by swellings and distorted roots on stunted, wilted plants and is caused by a fungus. If infected destroy the entire plant and avoid growing cabbage and other cole crops in the area for at least four years.
Purple blotch (Alternaria porri) can be prevented by keeping the leafs dry. Try to ensure good air circulation around the plants. Destroy any infected parts when plants are dry.
Yellow or fusarium wilt is a disease caused by the fungus, (Fusarium oxysporum forma specialis conglutinans) that makes the leaves of cabbage plants to wilt and die. It is not as much of a problem today due to the development of resistant and tolerant cabbage cultivars. It first enters the plants through the rootlets or damage roots and the signs of it on the plant usually are not seen until the soil warms up. It first appears as yellowing and browning of the lower leaves and the plants are stunted and often twisted or stunted to one side which happens rapidlt at temperatures between 80 to 85°F. The best method to control it is growing yellows-resistant (YR) or yellows-tolerant varieties.
Some of the viruses that affect cabbage crops including Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) and Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV). The plants may be stunted and have distorted leaves with pepper like black spots developing on the heads of plants. There are no chemical treatments for these virial diseases. Aphids are a common vector for transmiting these diseases so they need to be controlled The best way is to maintain healthy plants so the diseases effects are minimized.
Watery Soft Rot is another common disease problem in cabbage.
If you have diseased plants in the garden, remove the leaves, stems and tops; and burn or dispose of them and do not compost them as this can spread the disease. Also practice good cultural methods by avoiding crowding, overwatering, planting in poorly drained soil and not controlling insect pests.
Harvesting Cabbage
Cabbages generally need somewhere between 60 to 90 days of weather with temperatures between 25F and 80F to reach a stage where they can be harvested . For most people 12 cabbages is more then enough to feed their family.
You should harvest the early season cabbage when the heads are firm but not too large depending on the cultivar. If the heads are soft, the cabbage is immature. Harvesting helps prevents cracking. You can cut the spring cabbage head off and leave the stem in the ground which will allow for the development of cabbage sprouts which are 2 to 4 inch cabbage heads. They should be harvested when firm. The midseason cabbage cultivars will have medium to large heads and will and may be grown for either spring or fall harvest You should keep track of the upcoming weather as high temperatures will cause these two cabbage to bolt and go to seeds. The late harvest cabbage will form large round or flat head and is harvested in the fall. These cabbages can stay in the field a few weeks longer after reaching full size without bolting. Red cabbage also keep well in the field. To harvest use a sharp knife and cut along the base. Leave the stem in the ground because tiny heads may form. Once harvested move out of direct sunlight as sun blistering can occur causing the cabbage to lose weight.
Cabbage Cultivars and Varieties Guide has information on the many types of cabbages that can be grown. That page has information on color, shape, size, harvest dates and other factors for the different types of cabbage.
Growing Cabbage Information Links
Growing Vegetables Information Links
Minced Cabbage Croquettes Recipe
"Sarmale” forcemeat rolls in cabbage leaves recipe
Wallachian Cabbage with Meat recipe
Sources Used
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