Cabbage-Drumhead

Drumhead Cabbage is an annual cool-season crop, hardy to frost and light freezes. It is a traditional variety that has been cultivated for centuries. With a grey, blue and green leaf color and a large flat head with good wrapper leaves.

Difficulty: Moderate

Soil: Well draining soil extremely rich in organic matter

Sowing: Spring and Autumn

Germination: 7-14 days

Days to Maturity: 100-130 days

Position: Full Sun

Spacing: 50 x 60

Sow Depth: 4mm

Height: 30-45 cm

Growing notes:

Drumhead Cabbage requires diligent care. Cabbage is a heavy feeder; it quickly depletes the soil of nutrients and needs a steady supply of water and nutrients throughout its growth. Cabbage is very cold hardy and likes cool temperatures, however it  can be a magnet for some types of garden pests.

Prepare the soil in advance for outside planting by mixing in compost. Soil should also be well-draining, cabbage roots that stand in water cause the heads to split or rot. Start the seedlings indoors before the last frost and slowly harden them off for transplant later, if your area is particularly hot and dry, hold off on planting until late summer for a winter crop. Plant cabbage near beans and cucumbers, but not near broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, or tomatoes.

Once planted outside mulch thickly around the planted area to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Keep the soil moist by watering and add additional nutrients to the soil once the heads start to form. Harvest the cabbage when heads have reached the desired size and are firm by cutting each cabbage head at its base with a sharp knife and removing any yellow outer leaves. Mature heads left on the stem may split. To get two crops out, cut the cabbage head out of the plant, leaving the outer leaves and root in the soil. The plant will send up new smaller heads, pinch off those until only four or so smaller heads remain and harvest the smaller heads when they reach about tennis ball-size.

After harvesting all the cabbages, remove the entire stem and root system from the soil to prevent diseases and only compost the healthy plants and separated leaves. Rotating the cabbage crop every few years avoids the buildup of soilborne diseases.

Uses:

Cabbage is a culinary vegetable. Perfect for making Sauerkraut, drumhead cabbage has a nice peppery flavor that softens when cooked. It contains significant amounts of glutamine, an amino acid that has anti-inflammatory properties as well as vitamin C and is a low calorie food.

Origin:

Cabbage originated in the northern regions of Europe and spread worldwide from there.