Where to grow cabbage plants?
The best results will be achieved from plants grown in full sun and sheltered from cold winds. Cabbages prefer firm soil, so do leave several months between digging and planting. Well-drained, slightly alkaline, fertile soil is required.
When to plant cabbage plants?
With some clever planning and the right cabbage varieties, you could have cabbage all year round!
- Spring cabbage - September/October
- Summer cabbage - May/June
- Winter cabbages - late June/July
How to grow cabbage plants?
Cabbage plants do like a lot of water, so try to keep the soil moist. As the cabbage heads begin to mature the plants will appreciate a liquid feed.
As with most brassicas, birds can be a problem with cabbage plants so you may need to provide plant protection. Please do take care with any netting to ensure that birds do not become trapped. Your plants will also need to be monitored closely for caterpillars, and infestations may need to be addressed with garden pest control.
Hoe regularly between the cabbage plants so that they do not have to compete with weeds for nutrients and moisture.
When to harvest cabbage plants
Harvesting depends on the variety, many of which can be stored for several months. However, one tip is to cut a 1cm-deep cross into the stump of spring and summer cabbages to reap the reward of a second crop of much smaller cabbages.
How to eat cabbage plants
There are many ways to cook cabbage to make it a really enjoyable addition to a meal. Slow cook it in a casserole dish with other ingredients for a hearty autumn and winter dish; sauté with butter and seasoning as a base to a summer chicken recipe; pickle and keep in a jar for a long lasting condiment; or mix raw cabbage into coleslaw for use at BBQs and more.
Cabbage nutritional information
Different varieties will have different measures of nutrients, but generally, cabbages are high in vitamin C and K, and contain plenty of fibre and calcium.
The cabbage has been used in herbalism throughout history, from its consumption by Ancient Egyptians before meals in order to reduce the intoxicating effects of wine, to the use of its leaves during World War II to treat trench foot.
You may also be interested in Suttons cabbage seeds.
Buy Cabbage plants online from Suttons
