Cabbage

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Years grown at UBC Farm/LFSOG:

Growing conditions

Cabbages grow best in well-drained, fertile soil that contains a lot of organic matter with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Try to keep the soil warm (10-30˚C or 50-85˚F) until germination and keep the cabbage plants around 15˚C/60˚F. Before planting cabbages, mix 1 cup of organic fertilizer under each plant. After 4-6 weeks, transplant the cabbage plants into the garden 60-100 cm (24 to 36 inches) apart and provide consistent watering. Side-dressing the plant with fertilizer will also help it grow faster. Allow cabbages to receive full sun exposure; otherwise its yield will be reduced.

Each type is grown slightly different [3].

Early: Similar to broccoli, they can be packed close, about 18 inch centers. Direct-seeded early types take about 3 months to mature. These can be set out as transplants in mid-March. From April to the end of June, they can be direct seeded [3]. To avoid head splitting of early varieties due to over maturity, rapid growth after heavy rain/excess watering, or irrigation after a dry spell, the plant should be twisted or cultivated deeply next to the plants to break roots and slow growth. It is best to purchase early hybrids that promise to hold in the field without bursting [3]. Generally, the early varieties tend to be the most cumbersome to grow because it requires the best soil and the most protection from root eating insects [3].
Mid-season: These are best spaced on 24 inch centers [3].
Late: Usually grown on 24 inch centers, and for big heads or a few “giant” varieties, 30 inches might be more appropriate. This is also grown like broccoli. For this type to grow up to its maximum size, space them 30-36 inches apart in rows 4-5 feet apart. It usually take 120 days or more to mature and it is usually sown in June and harvested at the end of September [3].
Over wintering: These can be sown in early September [3]. This facilitates the seedlings to grow to their hardiest size – 6-8 inches in diameter, before winter’s chill and low light levels inhibits their growth [3]. In spring, side-dress them heavily with fertilizer to make it go through a growth spurt phase such that good heads will be formed in April or May [3].

Diseases

Purple Blotch [1]

To prevent purple blotch, avoid wetting foliage if possible. Water the plants earlier in the day so the plants above the ground dry as quickly as possible. Allow for air circulation by removing weeds around plants and garden area and give the plants optimum space to grow. When plants are not wet, remove and destroy affected plant parts.

Club root [1]

If the soil is infested with clubroot, add lime to raise soil pH to 7.2. Relocate the plant to a new location, if that’s not possible, remove the infested soil and replace with fresh soil. If necessary, remove and discard or destroy entire infested plant and its surrounding soil and soil clinging to the roots.

Pests

Flea beetles, cabbage root maggot, and cabbage worms are indications of early pest damage [1]. These pests can be prevented by controlling weeds and utilizing floating row covers at the time of planting [1]. Before the temperatures get too hot in midsummer, the row covers needs to be removed [1]. Cutworms can be prevented by controlling weeds and utilizing cardboard collars around each plant [1]. Remove aphids from plants by blasting it with a hard stream of water; aphids are indicated by the presence of gray-brown or bloated parasitized aphids and alligator like larvae of lady beetles and lacewings [1]. Lastly, crop rotation can be used to minimize pest build up [2].

Harvesting

Cabbages are ready to be harvested when it feels firm, and the interior is fairly dense [1]. It is harvested by cutting near the base with a few outer leaves left for protection [2]. The early type tends to burst quickly after heading up and the late type head up when lower light levels and chilly conditions prevent growth, and they’ll usually hold through the winter but these tend to have tough, dry leaves [3].

Seasonality

Cabbage grows best during the cool season [1].

The best time to plant the seeds are summarized as follows [1]:

Summer Cabbage: Indoors/outdoors, start Mar-mid June. Harvest in 2-3 months.
Fall Cabbage: Indoors/outdoors, mid May-early June. Harvest in 3-4 months.
Winter Cabbage: Indoors/outdoors, May-early June. Harvest all winter in mild winter areas.
Overwinter Cabbage: Indoors, mid-July; to transplant in mid August. Harvest the following spring.

Note: fall and winter varieties tend to stand in the garden longer without splitting.

Early varieties: Grows on tight spacings, these grows fast and tend to be smaller in size. They lack cold tolerance compared to the late varieties. This type of variety is available in American supermarkets from November through July. which are grown in the South. These tend not to store well and won’t hold long in the autumn.

Examples of early open pollinated varieties are Jersey Wakefield and Golden Acre. These are small, green, round headed cabbages, with pale yellow white centers.

Mid-season varieties: A slightly slower maturing early type but tend to be larger in size [3].

Late varieties: Usually grown for making kraut or for storage [3].

Over wintering varieties: A gambler’s crop [3]. Unpredictable variations in fall weather can make big difference in their growth rate – thus, it is a gamble to yield decent cabbages [3]. If they are too small when winter comes, they will freeze out; if too big, they’ll bolt in spring without heading [3]. Ultimately, overwintering cabbages are most suitable to make small heads such that final spacing may be 18 by 18 inches [3].

Nutritional Information

Cabbages are 90% water and it is an excellent source of minerals, vitamin A and C and the B vitamins [2].

The following nutrition facts is based on raw cabbage.

Nutrition Facts/Valeur Nutritive
Serving Size: 100 g (raw)
Amount Per Serving	%Daily Value*
Calories 24
Total Fat 0g	0%
Saturated Fat 0g	0%
Trans Fat 0g	0%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 18mg	0%
Total Carbohydrate 6g	2%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Sugars 4g
Protein
Vitamine A	15%
Vitamine C	50%
Calcium	4%
Iron	4%
* % Daily value based on a 2000 calorie diet

Note: Nutritional information derived from data provided by Health Canada.

Recipes

Cabbage is available in all sorts of varieties such as napa cabbage, savoy cabbage, red cabbage, Early Jersey Wakefield, bok choy, etc. Cabbage is often used as a pickled dish, but it tastes great as a cooked dish, too. Below are some recommended recipes:

Source

Red Cabbage and Beetroot Salad

Add vibrant color to your main dish with this salad - a combination of beet root and red cabbage dressed in red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil and garlic.

Source

Kimchi

Instead of eating sauerkraut, try kimchi - Korea's national side dish. This fermented napa cabbage smothered in hot red pepper flakes dish is rich with vitamins, high in fibre, low in fat, and loaded with lactic acid bacteria, the same bacteria found in yogurt that aids in digestion. Kimchi can be eaten alone or be used as an ingredient for other recipes, such as pancakes, fried rice, noodles, stew, etc.

Hot Slaw

Hot slaw isn't just the spicy version of coleslaw, it's coleslaw served warm with crisp bits of bacon minus the mayonnaise.

Additional usage inventory

Select the colourful variety of cabbages to grow as a means of brightening up the garden [2].

Red cabbage can be used as a natural blue dye for Easter eggs [4]. This can be made by bringing the eggs to a boil in water with a small amount of vinegar and red cabbage. Allow the eggs to simmer for at least 15 minutes in the dye concoction.

Red cabbage can also be used as a pH indicator of everyday products to determine if it is acidic, neutral or basic based on its change in color [5].

Cabbage juice can be a home remedy for ulcers [6].

Academic connections

None apart from its educational value as a crop that can be observed growing throughout the year.

References

[1] West Coast Seeds. (2010). How to grow cabbage. Retrieved March 20, 2010, from http://www.westcoastseeds.com/how-to-grow/Vegetable-Seeds/Cabbage/

[2] Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. (2007). Cabbage. Retrieved from March 20, 2010 from http://www.al.gov.bc.ca/aboutind/products/plant/cabbage.htm

[3] Solomon, S. (5th Ed.). (2000). Growing vegetables west of the cascades: the complete guide to natural gardening. Seattle, WA: Sasquatch Books.

[4] Sleeth, N. (2009). Go green, save green: a simple guide to saving time, money, and god’s green earth. Nashville, TN: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

[5] Toedt, J., Koza, D., Cleef-Toedt, & K.V. (2005). Chemical composition of everyday products. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.

[6] Grotto, D. (2007). 101 foods that could save your life. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

Additional notes

Its Latin name is Brassica oleracea var. capitata; it belongs to the Brassicaceae Family. The English name derives from the French/Norman caboche (“head”) and its dense core is called the ‘babchka’ [1]. This vegetable is also related to turnip, broccoli, kale and collards [1].

Currently, China and India are the largest producers of cabbage [1]. In BC, cabbage is grown commercially in the Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island and in many locations in the interior [2]. BC grows green, red, and savoy cabbages. The green cabbage is the primary type sold at the markets because it makes up 80% of the cabbage grown [2].

Avoid cooking cabbages in aluminum pans to keep the smell down [1].

Select cabbages without discoloured veins and look for stems that are healthy-looking, closely trimmed, and are not dry or split [6]. Cut cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag with holes in it, but use as soon as possible to retain its freshness [1].

Cabbages grows well with the following plants: basil, beets, bush beans, chamomile, celery, chard, dill, garlic, grapes, hyssop, larkspur, lettuce, marigold, mint, nasturtium, onion, rosemary, rue, sage, southern wood, spinach, thyme, and tomato [1].

In Russia, cabbage is considered to be its national food. Russians eat about seven times as much cabbage as we do on average [1].

In 1865, William Collingwood, from County Durham, England, grew the world’s largest cabbage which weighed 123 pounds [1].