If the wrapper leaves are yellowing or blotchy, the cabbage has stood too long in the field and won’t last as long in storage. Cabbage Maggots are white fly larvae about 1/3” (1cm) long, that feed on stems around the base of the plant. Cookies assist the website in remembering information about your visit, such as your unique browser session and settings. No matter what growing methods we use, regular irrigation is always required. Plant spacing affects head size. It’s this versatility—and long storage life—that makes cabbage popular among home gardeners. If we notice that cabbage heads start to split, we must harvest them without delay. To protect against cutworms, place a protective collar around young plants. The use of varieties and hybrids resistant to local diseases is essential. When heads become firm; size will vary with variety, fertility, and spacing. Cabbage whites are the adult form of the most notorious cabbage pest, the Imported Cabbage Worm. It is important to keep the soil moist but not soggy. They also report that they can add fertilizer to the young seedlings about two weeks or three weeks after transplant. Lactic acid fermentation preserves the vitamin C and produces a crunchy, delicious home-made probiotic that’s great for digestion. Cabbage needs nutrient-rich soil in order to grow and maximize production and yields. Expiration dates are set within the cookies themselves, and some may expire after a few minutes while others may expire after many years. Floating Row Covers are one solution. What cookies are used when I use the wikifarmer.com service? Alliums and herbs release aromatic compounds that mask the scent of cabbages, making it harder for pests to find them. Security – wikifarmer.com uses cookies to support or enable security features we use to detect any malicious activity. REC, Organic, sustainable, ecological gardening. People have been growing cabbage as a staple for thousands of years. Small, dark blotches appear on the leaves. In most cases, drip irrigation and fertigation are applied (fertilization through   fertilizers that are injected in the irrigation system). Persistent cookies remain in your browser’s subfolders until they expire or you delete your cookies. Shake and mix thoroughly, then spray plants, making sure you cover the undersides of leaves. A couple of spade-width cuts should sever enough feeder roots to minimize the risk of splitting with heavy rain. Greensand is a good, long-lasting potassium source for organic gardens. I love planting I’itoi onions around all my cabbage plants. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to our website or other websites. The closer the plants are located to each other, the smaller the head they produce. We use these cookies to track our sites and plugins performances across the globe. As long as you’re growing cabbage in a healthy soil, you’re unlikely to see many cabbage diseases. Fusarium and club root are fungal diseases that build up in soils. You may seek advice from a licensed agronomist after conducting a soil analysis. Mulching helps even out soil moisture levels, and reduces stresses on the plants. Experienced farmers state that they often transplant cabbage on a cloudy day, in order to avoid plant’s sudden exposure to intense sunlight. Cabbage to be cooked can be stored in a refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Cabbage Loopers are another common pest you’re likely to see when growing cabbage. Like fall vegetables in general and cruciferous vegetables in particular, cabbage needs regular water—1-1 ½” (2-4cm) per week—to sustain the steady growth that cool-season vegetables need. Small-headed varieties are fast maturing and can be succession planted throughout the season. Choose a spot that gets full sun and plant the seedlings 1/2 inch deep. When it reaches a size of 12 cm (5 inches) we may squeeze it to test its firmness. Harvesting must be done when cabbage reaches its full size. These machines lift the whole plant from the soil using a share. The most common cabbage pests and diseases are listed below. REC, Western Maryland Or sow a few seeds in your cold frame or garden every month to have cabbage plants to the end of the growing season. Weeding – Cultivate shallowly (2 inches or less) to control weeds. All the content you add will be soon reviewed by our agronomists. You can submit a new article, edit an existing article or just enjoy free access to hundreds of contemporary farming guides. It is crucial that the granules don’t come in touch with the young plants, because there is a risk of burning them. Wikifarmer is the greatest User Generated Online Farming Library.