Cabbage
Introduction
Growing cabbage is one of the great traditions on allotments. Cabbage is a hardy, nutritious, impressive, and sometimes beautiful vegetable.
It is possible to grow cabbage on an allotment that are almost beast like in size and full of health and vigour. Growing cabbage has many health benefits as it has wonderful nutritional properties, being high in vitamins B, C, and E. Cabbage is claimed to help reduce stress, boost metabolism, and contribute to overall health and well being.
Planting
- Planting depth: 1.5 cm
- Planting spacing: 45 cm between plants and rows
Harvesting
- March to December
- Eat fresh. Select different varieties to extend harvest season.
(inside)
(outside)
(fresh)
(stored)
= jar, 
= freeze, 
= store
Varieties
Cabbage can be grown all year round and there are many different types, colours, and shapes. Varieties of cabbage range from white flesh to red and purple types, and from loose leaf to pointed and large ball head varieties. Perhaps the most important distinction is the time of year different cabbage varieties are harvested.
The large range of cabbage types can be confusing. My preference is to concentrate on growing winter cabbages, as summer cabbages occupy space that can be used for faster growing salad crops, and slow growing spring cabbage seems a long time to wait.
Spring Cabbage
Typically spring cabbages are of the loose leaf type and they are also referred to as spring greens. An easy method for germination is to use seed trays with plastic dividers for individual seeds. When the seedlings are large enough to handle they can be planted out into their final growing position. Care is needed to ensure that they do not mature too early in autumn, or alternatively are too small to survive the onset of winter. One way of mitigating the risk is to sow seedlings in batches two weeks apart.
Summer Cabbage
These are typically pointed or ball head cabbage varieties (which are excellent for coleslaw). They are best started early under cover in February ready for planting out in March or April. As these varieties need to develop their fleshy leaves through the summer months, it is essential to provide them with sufficient water.
Winter Cabbage
The famous savoy cabbages with their wrinkled or curly leaves are ideal for winter harvesting. Winter cabbage is quite slow to grow, so I prefer to start the seeds in a seed tray in April or May and transplant to their final growing position when they have matured to show two full adult leaves. Transplanting the seedlings provides the opportunity to give them the correct spacing and protection. Winter cabbage is extremely hardy. The plants can be left in their growing position overwinter and harvested when you want to eat them.
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Growing
The growing method is very similar for all types of cabbage, the only difference being the time of year to sow the seed and harvest time. Birds and butterflies love cabbage so a net, and ideally butterfly netting, may be essential to secure a good harvest.
The basic preparation for planting cabbages is very similar whatever cabbage variety is being grown.
Cabbages grow less well in acid soil, preferring a neutral soil with ph 7.0 or around. If a soil testing kit shows you have acidic soil, you may consider adding lime in late winter before preparing the cabbage patch. I have not tested my soil and my cabbages still grow well. You may choose to see how your first crop of cabbages grows, and then investigate further with a soil testing kit if you are disappointed with the results.
Before planting, improve the growing bed. Cabbages like a rich, well dug soil. Like most things that grow big, cabbages are hungry, so the more well rotted manure or compost that can be added to the soil the better. The reward is a bigger harvest.
Start cabbages in a seed bed or seed tray with a plan to transplant. Cabbage roots do not like being disturbed, so care is needed to ensure the minimum disturbance to the root ball. Also, it is important to ensure that newly relocated seedlings are watered regularly to establish themselves.
When transplanting cabbages this is an ideal time to place ‘collars’ around their base to deter root fly. I do not do this. Instead, I prefer to plant my cabbages through biodegradable weed guard. This helps to minimise weeding. Cabbage is relatively slow growing providing ample opportunity for weeds to grow. Weed guard also provides some defence against cabbage root fly.
Allow plenty of space between cabbages to encourage strong growth. Give cabbage plants a good dousing of water regularly as plants can bolt in hot weather. Also, healthy plants grow bigger leaves and heads, and they are more resistant to pests. Watering once a week in dry spells is a minimum.
Rotate the location of your cabbages each year. This is best practice for all vegetable growing anyway, but is particularly important at the allotment where it is likely cabbages have been grown for years, with the associated build up of potential pests and diseases.