EC 876/Revised February 1998

Getting the soil readyCabbage grows best when the

soil is moist and fertile.To make soil fertile, use 3 to 4

cups of 16-16-16 fertilizer for anarea 10 feet wide.

Spread the fertilizer so its eventhroughout the soil.

Plow or spade the soil 6 to8 inches deep. Break the clods andrake the soil to smooth the surface.

around the roots as possible.

CABBAGERed cabbageRed HeadRed Danish (late)Ruby Ball

Chinese cabbageBluesChina ExpressNervaSpring A-1

Put the plant in the hole andquickly fill in the hole with soil.Pack the soil around the rootsfirmly, but not tightly.

Water the plants at once with astarter solution.To prevent your cabbage plants

from drying out, transplant them inthe evening or on a cloudy day.

Adapted for use in Oregon from aUniversity of Illinois Cooperativen a home garden, youprobably need only a fewcabbage plants. It usually is

easier to buy cabbage plants than tostart with seeds. By buying plants,you can get different kinds.

One package of seed is enough toplant 100 feet of rowabout 75 to100 plants.

Look for these kinds of seedsor plants:

Green cabbageStonehead (early)Golden Acre (early)Ballhead (late)RoundupKing ColeMarket Prize(early)Tastie (early)

Savoy cabbageChieftainSavoy King

I1PlantingCabbage grows even when there

still is frost, so you can set yourplants or seeds in the garden inearly April. You may purchaseplants at a garden store or you maygrow your own. See FS 225, Produc-ing Transplants at Home, available atyour county office of the OSUExtension Service.

If you start your own plants fromseed, plant the seeds about 12 inchdeep and about 1 inch apart in therow.

When the plants are about 3 to5 inches tall, you will want to plantthem in another part of the gardenwhere there is more space.

To transplant young cabbageplants, follow these directions: Dig holes that are 1 or 2 feet

apart and about 2 inches deep. Carefully take the plants from

the soil. Leave as much soilExtension publication.

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GrowingHoe the soil just under the

surface. Cabbage roots are veryclose to the surface and can beinjured easily. Dont hoe under thecabbage leaves.

Insect pestsCabbage has many pests. You

can avoid most of these pests if youplant early in the spring. Workdiazinon into the soil for rootmaggot control.

If you see that the cabbage leavesare eaten or damaged by worms,you may want to use one or more ofthe insecticides available in gardensupply stores. Be sure the insecti-

insects. You can leave the rowcovers on until harvest or untildaytime air temperatures exceed80F.

HarvestingCabbage is ready to pick when

the heads feel solid. If you will havemany heads ready at the same time,start using the heads early. Afteryou cut the heads, try letting one ortwo suckers grow from each stump.These will form miniature heads afew weeks later.

CleanupYou also can pull out and

discard cabbage plants as soon as

ServingRaw cabbage is a good source of

vitamin C and other vitamins. Somevitamins may be lost in cooking.

Cabbage is good served raw inslaw and salads. You may cookcabbage in a small amount ofboiling water until just tender. Youalso can make it into sauerkraut.

The outer leaves of cabbage arehigh in nutrients, so dont throwthem out unless they are wilted ortough.

StoringTo keep cabbage crisp and fresh,

store it moist in a plastic bag or in acovered container in the refrigera-

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1998 Oregon State Univcial purposes.

Produced and distributedcooperative program of OOregon State University Eto race, color, religion, sex, sVietnam-era veteran statusAmendments of 1972, andService is an Equal Opporsity. This publication may be photocopied or re

n furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 aegon State University, the U.S. Department of Agtension Service offers educational programs, actual orientation, national origin, age, marital status,

as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Ore

nity Employer.2ted in its entirety for noncommer-

June 30, 1914. Extension work is aulture, and Oregon counties.ies, and materialswithout regardbility, and disabled veteran or4, Title IX of the Education State University Extensioncide is labeled for cabbage, andfollow the directions on the label.

You also can use row covers overtransplants to exclude troublesome

the harvest is over. Early cabbagemight be followed by a late summercrop of lettuce, spinach, or radishes.

tor. It will keep 1 or 2 weeks.Cabbage is best fresh, but it can

be kept for several months if kept ia cool, moist place like a cellar orbasement.

Cabbage varietiesGetting the soil readyPlantingGrowingInsect pestsHarvestingCleanupServingStoring