KICK OFF YOUR CABBAGE CULTIVATION
Kick off your cabbage cultivation
We recently were asked: “What is the difference between cabbage and ornamental cabbage?”
Great question. The quick answer: Not much.
Ornamental cabbages, also called flowering cabbages, have been bred for their showy appearances. Hybridizing has focused on the ornamental value of the plant while ignoring taste and flavour.
The great attraction of ornamental cabbage, apart from its fabulous colour late in the season, is that it peaks after several heavy frosts - about the middle of November in our Zone 5 garden.
If you have grown cabbage, you can easily grow ornamental cabbage. If you have never grown cabbage, we are here to help. And this advice applies to any member of the cabbage family, or the brassicas. These include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, turnip, bok choi, kohlrabi and kale.
Now is the time to get started.
First, soil prep: Your ultimate success in the veggie garden will depend on proper soil preparation.
Much of the nutrition in your garden soil was used up last year; replenish it with finished compost.
Buy quality compost at your favourite garden retailer and look for composted cattle or sheep manure that is certified by the Compost Quality Alliance.
Spread it three- to five-centimetres thick and let the earthworms work it into the soil for you. Within about six weeks, they will have pulled it down and converted it into earthworm castings.
Buy quality compost at your favourite garden retailer and look for composted cattle or sheep manure that is certified by the Compost Quality Alliance.
Next, plant: Now is the time to put transplants in your garden. Still, keep watch for frost warnings and wait until the threat has passed. We use a cold frame for protection while hardening off young seedlings but if you purchase yours from a retailer, you can plant them directly into the soil now that it has warmed up. Choose a location in full sun.
Allow 45 cm between plants. If your goal is to produce smaller heads of cabbage, reduce the spacing between plants. If you are gardening in limited space, look for compact growing varieties.
Cabbage requires warm, rich, welldrained soil. The plants have a shallow root system which makes them sensitive to weeds and uneven watering. Water plants deeply (2.5 cm) once a week. Remove weeds by hand to avoid damaging roots. Water deeply after weeding to help roots recover from any disturbance.
We recommend shredded cedar bark mulch around each plant to reduce both the growth of weeds and premature splitting of the cabbage head. As well, it retains moisture in the soil.
Protect your crop with a veggie
tunnel: a loosely-spun polyester cover suspended by U-shaped supports which allows sun and moisture in, but keeps out insects such as the cabbage moth and flea beetles. It also helps insulate against early spring and late fall frosts. A few edible cabbages we recommend:
Late Flat Dutch is a later-maturing variety with large heads which can weigh up to 12 pounds. Excellent for winter storage.
Gregorian Hybrid is a dependable, early producer with tightly wrapped, average sized heads (average 18 cm).
Golden Acreis a compact, heirloom variety that matures early and tolerates closer spacing, which makes it perfect for gardeners with smaller spaces.
Ornamental cabbages to consider:
Kamome has leaves that are fringed with ruffles. Kamome cabbage is available in a mix of stunning colours: red, white and pink.
Red Peacock is a hybrid with serrated purple leaves and a red centre. Plant them close together to encourage longer leaves. Great for cutting. One of the few ornamental cabbages that we’ll eat.
Mustard: It seems odd that a plant known worldwide for its seed, the mustard plant, is related to the gardenvariety cabbage. What might really surprise you is that Canada is the No. 1 producer and exporter of mustard in the world. Chances are, your Dijon mustard, produced in the heart of France, is made from mustard seed from the Prairies.
Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author, broadcaster, tree advocate and holds the Order of Canada. His son Ben is a fourth-generation urban gardener and graduate of University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com, @markcullengardening, on Facebook and bi-weekly on Global TV’s Morning Show.