A vegetable with dense leaves is cabbage.It can be eaten raw or boiled to make sauerkraut.If the conditions are right, you may be able to get a spring and fall harvest.The vegetable will grow best in the fall because it cannot tolerate heat.
Step 1: Pick the right time.
Six to eight weeks before the last frost is when cabbages seed should be started.You can harvest them in the fall.Check the local frost forecast for your area to determine the best time to plant the seeds.The cabbage will be grown inside for between four and six weeks and then transplanted outside a couple weeks before the last frost.
Step 2: The seeds can be planted.
Prepare seeds by filling them with soil.With your finger, make a hole in the center of each seed starter cell.Place cabbage seeds in each hole and cover it with soil.Potting soil is good for cabbage seeds because it is fertile and easy to drain.
Step 3: Water the seeds.
Adding water to the soil will make it moist.As the seeds grow and begin to dry out, keep the soil moist and add more water.
Step 4: The temperature needs to be maintained.
The cabbage seeds will grow if the temperature is between 65 and 75 F.The temperature will be maintained in this range if they are stored inside or in a garden shed.When the seeds come up, move them to a place that gets a lot of sunlight.
Step 5: When leaves form, keep the seedlings inside.
The cabbage will shoot up through the soil as the seeds grow.The cabbage seedlings should be kept inside until they're three to four inches tall and have at least four or five leaves.The plants will take between four and six weeks to grow.
Step 6: The last frost will be determined.
The best time to transplant cabbage is two to three weeks prior to the last frost.To determine this date, check the long-range weather forecast for your area.If you know when the last expected frost is, schedule a transplant date a couple weeks in advance.The average first frost date of the year is in the fall.
Step 7: Pick the correct location.
One of the things cabbages need to thrive is sunlight.It's important to find an outdoor location that gets at least six hours of full sun each day.Don't plant cabbages in the same garden beds as cauliflower, strawberries, broccoli, and tomatoes.In gardens close to cucumbers and beans, cabbages will thrive.
Step 8: Prepare the seedbed.
If you mix the soil in your seedbed with equal parts aged compost or manure, cabbage will love it.The bed needs to be water so the soil is moist.The ideal pH for cabbage is between 6.5 and 7.5.Most department, garden, and hardware stores have test strips for the pH of your soil.Adding more compost or manure will make the soil more acidic.Adding limestone to the bed will increase the pH.
Step 9: The cabbage seedlings can be replanted.
The seedlings should be planted at the same depth they were in the pots.You can put them in rows that are about 24 inches apart.Pick a cloudy day for cabbage transplants.The plants will be protected from shock.
Step 10: The soil should be covered with mulch.
A layer of mulch is added to the top of the soil.This will help regulate the temperature of the soil and keep it moist as the plants grow.The ideal mulch for cabbage is ground leaves, bark, or compost.
Step 11: The soil needs to be moist.
Each week, cabbage plants need about 1.5 inches of water.If you don't get enough rain, water the soil to keep it moist as the cabbages grow.Continue watering until the plants are mature.At that time, stop watering them.
Step 12: Three weeks after transplant,fertilize.
Fertilizing the soil when the cabbages start to grow new leaves is recommended.The cabbages will need nitrogen-richfertilizer three weeks after transplant.Liquid fertilizers, blood meal, and cottonseed meal are good for cabbage patches.
Step 13: Paying attention to growing time is important.
It can take anywhere from 80 to 180 days for a cabbage to mature, depending on the variety.The cabbages will need between 60 and 105 days to mature.
Step 14: A squeeze test is done.
When the cabbages start to mature, you can do squeeze tests on the heads to see if they're ready for harvest.Depending on the variety, the base of the head should be between 4 and 10 inches.The squeeze test requires you to squeeze the head of cabbage.A solid and firm head is ready for harvest, but a loose and soft head needs more time to mature.
Step 15: Take the heads.
When the cabbages are ready, remove the heads from the stems with a sharp knife.If the leaves are healthy, add them to the compost pile.Place the heads in the shade or the fridge until you're ready to use or store them.Leave the cabbage stems in the ground when you harvest them.There are many cabbages that can be grown again in a few weeks.
Step 16: Store extra heads.
You can either eat your cabbages immediately or store them for later.Dirt and insects can be removed by cleaning the cabbage heads.To dry them out, put them on a towel.You can keep cabbage in the fridge for up to two weeks by wrapping it in plastic wrap.It can be stored in a root cellar for up to three months.The leaves can be dried or frozen.It will be turned into sauerkraut.