3. Good Organic Gardening - May-June 2016 AvxHome.in

TIME TO PLANT | Cabbage
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
An age-old favourite for both hot meals and salads, cabbage
is a must, especially in the cooler months
Words Melissa King
Cabbages play a strong role in
the garden and kitchen through
the coming months. They stand
proud in the cool-season vegie
patch, providing colour and texture when
it’s needed most, and they’re an essential
ingredient in hearty dishes including
sausages with braised cabbage or favourites
such as coleslaw.
Cabbage ‘Red Drumhead’ is as decorative
in the garden as it is on the table, with rich
dark–purple heads that are jam-packed with
antioxidants and contrasting blue-green
outer leaves. ‘Red Express’ is another
striking form, with deep red heads that
weigh up to 1.8kg. Savoy cabbages have a
wonderful flavour and the French heirloom
‘Savoy Vertus’ is one of the best, cherished
for its sweet, mild flavour and attractive,
crinkled, blue-green foliage. It’s a great
choice for tasty coleslaw.
‘January King’ is another proven performer.
It’s a semi-Savoy type with attractive green,
Most cabbages are
grown as a cool-season
crop but if you choose
varieties carefully, you
can produce them
year-round.
pink and blue leaves and big, tasty heads
up to 6.5kg in weight. If space is limited, try
growing mini cabbages with compact heads.
Most cabbages are grown as a coolseason
crop but if you choose varieties
carefully, you can produce them year-round.
And, while they generally prefer cooler
climates, there are some types, such as
Sugarloaf cabbages, that are more tolerant of
warm temperatures.
Growing conditions: Cabbages enjoy
growing in full sun in a rich, well-drained
soil, so prepare beds first with plenty of
compost and organic matter. They prefer a
pH somewhere around 6–6.5, so add lime to
the soil if necessary. Give them a good dose
of liquid organic fertiliser every two weeks
throughout the growing season.
Sowing seed: Sow cabbage seeds 6–10mm
deep into trays of seed-raising mix and
transplant into the garden four to six weeks
later. Space plants 40cm apart, with 60–
70cm between rows.
Cabbage label
Common name: Cabbage
Botanical name: Brassica oleracea var.
capitata
Requires: Full sun; well-drained soil
Dislikes: Weed competition, lack of
water
Suitable for: Garden beds, containers
(mini forms)
Habit: Small bush
Needs: Friable soil, regular water
Propagation: Seed, seedling
Difficulty: Easy
Growing tip: Guard young seedlings from
invading cabbage white butterflies with a
protective net or try growing red cabbages,
which can be less prone to attack.
Harvest: Cabbages can take 12–14 weeks or
longer to mature. You’ll know it’s harvest time
when the heads feel firm and solid.
46 | Good Organic Gardening