Cricket Song Farm: Give Cabbage a second chance

Friday, February 28, 2014

Give Cabbage a second chance

I plant several varieties of cabbage, the smaller early cabbage, an early flat dutch, and my absolute favorite, late flat dutch. I harvest the late dutch for a good crop to make sauerkraut. Most of them grow to over 20-25 pounds per head! They keep well into the winter in a root cellar or wrapped in a plastic bag and put in the refrigerator.

In the early summer, harvest the head of the early cabbage, leaving several of the bottom large leaves on the root stock. Continue to water and tiny cabbages will form at each leaf node. These small cabbages are sweet and tender and can be used in many ways, even on sandwiches.

I harvest the Early Flat Dutch during the summer and the Late Flat Dutch in the fall.

They can withstand several late and early frosts.

EARLY SPRING GREENS:

For those of you who are fond of cabbage greens, in the spring you can have plenty of them by saving the cabbage root stocks from the prior season. Dig up the stocks and roots, leaving the roots intact as much as possible. Set them in a deep trench to keep them from freezing. Mulch heavily. If you live in areas with cold winters I would suggest holding them over in a root cellar, in a box of moist sand. In the early spring, plant the roots with a small portion of the stock above ground and soon you will have tasty, early, leafy greens. Cover with a plastic covered hoop or box to encourage early growth,

try using wall of waters,

or simply plant into a cold frame.

I also use black buckets (with the bottoms cut out) to collect heat during the day for better growth.

Covering at night with a plastic bag keeps the cabbage plants from freezing back.

grow early cabbage greens in a green house:

Mid way through the growing season, plant cabbage seeds of a 60-80 day cabbage. I like to use a purple cabbage. Harvest the head just before the frosts kills everything in the greenhouse. Leave the stock in place, but remove all leaves. Now place a bottomless bucket over the stock and then fill the bucket with straw or leaves packing them in tightly. If your winters are severe add additional mulch around the outside of the bucket and cover with an old blanket. In the spring, as soon as the green house warms sufficiently remove the bucket, leaving the mulch around the stock. Water and cover at night to prevent freezing. Little heads will form at the leaf nodules, or just harvest the leaves as they grow.