Cabbage

Plant of The Month Info Card

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) is a classic staple winter veggie that provides your homestead with a hearty base crop to build many dishes.

Cabbage is a great supporting veggie BUT it can also be the star of the show! Learning to grow, cook and preserve cabbage will go a long way to supporting your ability to become more self-sufficient. Cabbage is low-calorie but packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients.

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What parts of the Cabbage are edible?

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PLANT

Autumn – Winter. Some varieties all year round.

SOIL

Rich well-drained soil. Prefer pH 7.5

LOCATION

Full sun position

CARE

Consistent watering.

FERTILISE

Feed with compost and with liquid seaweed fertiliser.

PESTS

Slaters, slugs, snails, green caterpillars.

HARVEST

When heads are firm. Cut with a sharp knife.

REPRODUCE

Seeds can be saved in the second year of growth. See below.

Why Grow Cabbage?

Cabbage is a great crop to grow to feed the family and they look beautiful and ornamental in the garden.

Here are some of the many reasons to grow Cabbage:

Easy to grow
Low maintenance
Produce a lot of food
Can be used raw or cooked.
Rich in vitamin C, K, B12
High in anti-oxidants
High in fibre
Nutrient-dense
Can be used as a food colouring
Promote cardiovascular health

Popular Cabbage Varieties

‘Mini’ – Small green cabbage great for urban gardens. Slow blot. 18 weeks to harvest. 1.3kg size.

‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ – Tight cone-shaped green cabbage. Space-saving for urban gardens. Harvest small or allow to 2-3kg size.

‘Brunswick‘ – German heirloom green cabbage. Late season crop. Large 3kg Cabbage.

‘Red Drumhead‘ -Heirloom red cabbage with beautiful purple leaves. Large 3kg+ size. Caterpillar resistant so good for warmer months.

‘Red Express’ – Compact small red cabbage. Quick to grow and will produce an early harvest.

‘Savoy‘ – Green cabbage with distinctive curly texture. Mild flavour. Rich in vitamins.

When to Plant Cabbage

Cabbage is mainly grown in the colder seasons of Autumn and winter but some varieties can be grown in the warmer months to allow for a full year of cabbage harvests. Plant seeds at the start of Autumn.

How to Grow Cabbage

Choose a sunny location.
Prepare compost-rich soil ( pH 7.5 preferred)
Direct sow or plant your seeds in seed trays.
Plant seeds or seedlings 40cm apart
Protect young seedlings from slugs and snails but adding a ring of crushed eggshells
Add mulch to keep retain moisture

Care/ Maintenance

Cabbage are heavy feeders and can benefit from a liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks
Regular watering

Pests / Disease

Slugs and snails may eat young seedlings. Use natural pest management. Green caterpillars from the white butterflies are usually the main culprits. Especially during warmer months of the year. In some cases, exclusion nets over your cabbage plants or entire patch may be the best option.

How/ When to Harvest

When the cabbages form a tight ball and look about the right size to harvest (check the variety to how big you can expect them to grow) Use a sharp knife to slice the cabbage stem at the base. Remove some of the old outer leaves and rinse well checking for bugs and poop.

Reproducing

Cabbage plants are biannual meaning they will produce seeds in their second season. This means saving seeds from cabbage can be quite time consuming and will take up space in your patch. Cabbages grown in warm months will also attract a lot of white butterflies to your veggie patch. Most of the time it is easier and more effective to purchase cabbage seeds. If you would like to try to save your own – leave a few cabbages without harvesting them for a year to produce flowers and then seeds. Once the seed pods start to dry on the plant, pick and dry further inside. Separate out the seeds from the seed pods and store them.