How To Plant Cabbages Well In Your Garden

Cabbage is a plant that's been grown for thousands of years. It was grown by the Greeks, Romans, American pioneers, and many other throughout the world. There are many ways to enjoy cabbage. You can have this versatile vegetable in strips, stews, as coleslaw, or turned in to sauerkraut as well as many other ways. Since cabbage has so much versatility and it stores well. This is a favorite of many gardeners tо grow. The cabbage you grow at home will be much better than the store bought varieties. There are many types of cabbage that you can grow at home.

To grow this vegetable you need to have even temperatures and moisture. You want to have condition where the plant has a chance for steady growth. A soil rich is organic materials is ideal and the plants will need a good steady amount of water as they grow. This will help the cabbage plants thrive and grow to their fullest potential. Cabbage likes a rich soil so be sure you soil has a good amount of fertilizer content. A 2-3" layer of compost or some manure is ideal for the beds. These plants do better if you just start them in the garden but you might want to buy small seedlings.

Cabbage will pull a lot of nutrients out of the soil as it grows so this is why you need a good amount of fertilizer. The spacing of the plants will all depend upon the types you are growing. In general the seeds should be in 8-10" so they won't come out when you water them. Smaller cabbages can be planted 14-16" apart while the larger ones will need about 24" of space so they have room to grow properly. The nursery or garden store you get your seedlings or seeds at can explain the proper spacing and soil depth for the cabbage plants you intent to plant.

Be sure to keep the soil moist. If it gets too hot you can put some mulch on the top to help to keep the soil cooler and retain more of the moisture. Be sure to water the plants on a regular basis each week as they need plenty of water to grow. They should have about 1-2" of water per week to keep growing for full healthy cabbages. Small amounts of fertilizer in the soil as they grow can help as they will consume most of the nutrient sin the original fertilizer you use. Some pest control may be required as pests can be attracted to cabbage. Your garden center can help you control the various pests that tend to feed on cabbage plants.

Harvest them when the leaves are closed. Don't harvest yellow cabbage as this indicated they have been in the field too long. Cut the heads at the base and leave a few leaves on the cabbage to protect it. Cabbage will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator and some varieties can last a couple of months.