Planting Cabbage

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Planting Cabbage

Cabbage is by far the most important memberof the genus Brassica that is grown as a vege-table. It has been known from earliest antiquityand was probably in general use as early as2000 to 2500 B.C. Several types were cultivatedat the time of Pliny. At the present time Cabbageis found wild on the sea coasts of western andsouthern Europe.

Cabbage thrives best in a relatively cool,moist climate. In the southern region it is grownlargely during the winter and early spring, whilein the northern states it is grown as either a latespring or fall crop.

Varieties

There are literally hundreds of varieties ofCabbage which vary in size, shape, maturity,color and resistance to various diseases. Someare used for boiling, coleslaw and salads whileothers, the larger-headed sorts, are grownbasically for sauerkraut and pickling. It is sug-gested that the home gardener check severalgood seed catalogues and then select the varietythat best meets his needs.

Good (yellows resistant) green and earlyvarieties are: 'Jersey Wakefield' (a conicalhead), 'Golden Acre', 'Stonehead', and 'Copen-hagen'. Green and late: Danish Ballhead typessuch as 'Penn State Ballhead', or 'WisconsinHollander'. Red types are 'Red Acre', or 'RedDanish' and Savoy types, and 'Chieftain'.

Soils and Fertilizers

Most garden soils will produce a good cropof Cabbage if the soil is properly prepared andfertilized. Generally early Cabbage is grown onthe lighter sandy-loam soils, while late Cabbageis grown on heavier soils that are more retentiveof moisture. Perhaps more important than soiltexture is its supply of moisture and its fertility.

Cabbage is a heavy feeder, especially ofnitrogen and potash. If animal manure isavailable, liberal applications prior to plowingor spading will be beneficial. See Soil Prepara-tion section of VEGETABLE GARDEN. In additionto manure, 30-40 lbs. of a 5-8-7 or similarratio of a commercial fertilizer should be appliedprior to planting, followed by several sidedressings of nitrate of soda, it lbs. per too ft.of row, during the first 5 weeks after the plantshave been set into the garden.

Growing Plants

For early Cabbage sow the seed in goodpotting soil in flats or other suitable containersa month or 6 weeks earlier than the plants areto be set out. Sow the seed in drills in. deep and2 in. apart. When the seedlings reach a size of2-3 in. high, transplant into flats or boxes at aspacing of I-11 in. Maintain a uniform soilmoisture and a temperature of 6o to 70° F. untila week or two before field planting when thetemperature should be reduced to° F. to 50-55°F. The method of raising plants for the late cropis exactly the same except that the flats or boxesare kept out-of-doors rather than under glassin the home or in hotbeds.

Planting

Cabbage plants that are well hardened can beset out in the garden even though the tempera-ture may drop down below freezing for severaldays. Spacing will depend largely on the variety.'Jersey Wakefield', 'Golden Acre', and 'Copen-hagen' may be set 15 in. in the row, while thelarger-headed Ballhead types should be given ahit more space, say 15-18 in. apart.

Cultivation

Cabbage roots are wide spread and relativelyshallow. Sufficient cultivation should be givento keep down the weeds and to maintain ashallow soil mulch when the plants are small.Hand hoeing or hand weeding may be necessaryafter the plants reach full size if weeds are aproblem.

Harvesting

The heads are usable anytime after they haveproperly formed. If left too long after maturitythe heads will split. In cutting use a large knifeand cut just above the large outer leaves.

Storage

Late Cabbage may be stored in outdoor pitsfor periods of 4-8 weeks. The plants are pulled,roots and all, and placed in the pit, heads down,and then covered with hay or straw and a layerof soil.

Insect Pests

Several greenish leaf-eating caterpillars attackCabbage and related plants. They include the cabbage worm and cabbage looper. To controluse Bacillus thuringensis regularly at 7- to o-day intervals. Begin in May when first butter-flies are seen after planting in the South, or useSevin for good results. After the edible part ofplant appears (heads) use Sevin, a 4% malathiondust 1 i oz. per 5o ft. of row or spray with 5o%methoxychlor wettable powder, 3 level table-spoons per gal. of water for zoo ft. of row.

Cabbage aphid may be a serious pest. Thesesoft-bodied, green or black insects may becontrolled with a 4°,<, malathion dust or anicotine dust.

Root maggots can be serious for all crops inthe Mustard Family. Control of the maggot isin applying + tot cupful to each plant whenset out in the garden of a diazinon suspensionin the transplant water, using 5 oz. 50% wettablepowder in suspension.

Black and red Harlequin bugs occur in thesouthern states. Adults and nymphs suck theplant sap and are very hard to kill. Hand pickor, if serious, use Carbaryl (Sevin) dust.

Diseases

Black rot caused by a bacterium that livesover in the seed produces a black ring in thestem and veins of the leaves. Blackleg is adisease caused by a fungus parasite that invadesthe seed and lives over in the soil. Its worstdamage is to young plants in the seed bed. Bothof these diseases may be kept under control bytreating the seed with hot water (Cabbage for25 min. other crucifers for 18 min. at 1220 F.),by using sterilized soil in the seed bed and bycrop rotation in the garden.

Cabbage yellows caused by a fungus whichshows up by the lifeless yellowish-green colorof the plants, 2-4 weeks after transplanting,followed by a stunted, malformed growth. Thisdisease is soil-borne and the only control lies incrop rotation and in using yellow-resistantvarieties.

Club root is produced by an invasion of aslime mold on the roots. The roots of affectedplants show a thickened, malformed appear-ance. This is a soil parasite which thrives in anacid soil. Soil pH should test 6.8-7 and trans-plants should come from soil that has beentreated with Vapam, 1 pint per 5o sq. ft., orapply Terrachlor 75% wettable powder, 5 lbs.per loo gal. of water, using pint of this perplant.

Cabbage and the other crucifers are subjectto other insects and diseases which generallyare of minor importance. In addition certainphysiological disorders are common, whiptailin Cauliflower and tip burns of Cabbage, in bothcases indicated by poor and malformed leaf

blades. They are caused by an acid soil and anunbalanced ratio of potash to phosphorus.Browning or brown rot is caused by a deficiencyof boron. This is most prominent in Cauliflower.The symptoms are a change in color of thefoliage, thickening and brittleness of the leavesand a browning of the "curd" in the case ofCauliflower. Control is in applying 8 oz. pert000 sq. ft. of borax mixed in the commercialfertilizer or as a foliar spray.

Two more or less distinctspecies are grown, Pe-tsai (Brassica pekinensis)and Pak-Choi (B. chinensis). The Pe-tsairesembles Cos Lettuce but produces a muchlarger head which is elongated and compact.The Pak-Choi type resembles Swiss Chard withlong, dark green leaves. This kind does not forma solid head.

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