Growing cabbage

comp13 · June 2014

Hello again everyone,

I was wondering if anyone can give me any help with growing cabbage. Me and my other half eat a lot of cabbage but have been unsuccessful two years running now in growing any. The first few plants just grew for a bit then got eaten by slugs, we sorted out the slug problem now and the next plant got very big and went to seed (I have lots of cabbage seeds by the way if anyone wants some). The next few grew but no heads and they look like they have stopped growing. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Regards

Vivienne

Dovefromabove · February 2014

Not a cabbage grower but I'll push this back onto the front page so someone will see it

comp13 · February 2014

Thanks

Busy Bee2 · February 2014

I am just trying brassicas (cabbage/broccoli/cauliflowers) this year. Germinated them in the propagator and pricked them out into pots. All okay so far, but obviously that's meaningless at this stage. One thing I have noticed about cabbage though is that the growing season is really wide open, depending on what variety you choose. Given the fact that seeds aren't that expensive in the general scheme of things, why not see if you can do better with a different variety at a different time? Do a bit of trial and error maybe?

fidgetbones · February 2014

What variety do you have? Some will form ball heads and others pointed or loose.

Briggsy · February 2014

Vivienne,

You may find the time of year you are sowing/growing is against you.

I get my seedlings going in August, the plants are then big enough to overwinter & will romp away in the spring at a time when slugs are few and far between (hopefully). By the time the slug population gets going you will have harvested most of them.

I found spring sown cabbages just become slug hotels!

Using this method, you also will not have the problem of them running to seed as this will not happen so early in the year.

Hope this helps.

iGrow · February 2014

What is your soil like? Brassicas like alkaline soil and this is why lime is often applied. They also do not like the wind so ensure the soil is not too well dug before planting (having raised the plants and potted on first) and consider ea rthing up to stop wind rock. I tend to grow a number of varieties as far too often one or more fails but I manage to harvest enough for my needs.

PottingPeat · February 2014

I grew durham early last year, started some off in greenhouse,then when seedlings were nice size ,planted out along with some seeds, and had a good crop. Tried a second lot but these were all eaten by butterflies, they are quite voracious when they get scent of cabbages. So sticking to early crop this year before the butterflies get going.

No expert · February 2014

A Little bit of netting will keep the butterflies off. Remember that cabbage is named after the time of year it is harvested. Spring cabbage is sown in the autumn and eaten in Spring. If you sow out of season then the results will be poor.

comp13 · February 2014

Thanks everyone I am sure I have been sowing out of season and I didn't really research best variety I just grabbed one that I liked the look of the picture on the packet. I will take the advice about not sowing in the spring which is what I did both times in the past. Thanks a lot

dannyboy10 · February 2014

I grow alot of cabbages and what I suggest to you to get the best crop.

First

seaweed.

Second.

ground sheet of plastic with holes in to plant the cabbages.

Third

Cabbage collars

Fourth

Netting over the cabbages.

This may seem a lot of work but it is worth it.

The ground sheet I use is black in colour and I have no problems with slugs but always use slug pellets.

Not sure but I think the slugs do not like the black plastic ground sheet.

Growing cabbage

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