Cabbage: The King Of The Autumn Garden

by: Liz Roberts

Fall is heralded by abundant garden bursting with classic vegetables. The king of this crop is the cabbage. This garden perennial is mostly associated with early spring harvests but can also be grown in cooler weather even up to Halloween . You can plant them at your convenience, for a healthy harvest of goodness.

Cabbages are one of the oldest vegetables on the planet. Around 2000 BCE ancient Chinese and Mongolian farmers planted it ,making it a dietary staple. Even workers on China’s Great Wall often had pickled cabbage during their work breaks. Cabbage also thrived in Europe as well, from the Mediterranean to Britain. The Celts were cooking with it using the leaves in dishes similar to modern day English and Irish recipes. Cabbage became a staple during the Hundred Years Wars as well, feeding massive armies. Catherine de Medici introduced the delicately flavored Savoy cabbage of her native Northern Italy into her husband’s Henri IV’s country, France. There it was made into haute cuisine where it still graces sophisticated dishes and appetizers. The word cabbage derived from the old French word for head, caboche. Later the French explorer, Jacques Cartier introduced it to North America on his third voyage over in 1542. During this time sea captains also embraced it because of its’ “medicinal qualities”. The vitamins in its’ leaves helped prevent sailors from getting scurvy.

Cabbage is the most beneficial member of the Cole family. It is high in beta carotene which help lessen cancer risks. It also contains histidines which reduce tumors. Surprisingly you can also use cabbage leaves on minor cuts and bruises as well as on bee stings. The leaves are antiseptic and can clean the infected area. For any scrapes and scratches , just apply the leaves, for any insect bites, iron leaves with a warm iron, coat with olive oil and apply. Cabbages often appear in heart healthy diets because they reduce “bad” cholesterol. They can soothe stomach ulcers as well. Not only that their leaves can be used to prevent or treat sore throats. Opera singers swear by a raw egg and cabbage concoction that helps soothe delicate vocal chords before a night of singing. Also cabbages are the perfect diet food, since they have only 16 calories per gram.

You have a wide variety of types to choose from for your garden. Cabbage come in different kinds and flavors. If you’re looking to grow pale green heads then try the Stonehead or the Cheers. The Stonehead only takes 35 days to become a mature head while the Cheers is tolerant to the scourge of black rot and thrips (minute sucking insects. that can ruin an entire crop). Another green variety is the Early Jersey Wakefield. It’s sturdy and the heads aren’t prone to splitting. If you want a large head, that’s perfect for sauerkraut then consider the King Cole. It produces abundant , firm an extremely uniform cabbages.

Catherine de Medici’s Savoy cabbage is another choice. Northern Italians enjoy the crisp, crinkly leaves in their savory anchovy sauces called bagna cauldas on in their pascoi – polenta and butter stuffed cabbage rolls. You can either plant the Savoy King or Savoy Queen Both have dark green exterior leaves however the Queen is the heavier (by about five pounds) of the two. All Savoys grow within a three month period.

Looking for a different treat? Then plant red cabbage. Fans grow the Red Meteor which thrives in all seasons. Another kind, the Ruby Ball also survives heat and cold but be warned. It is slow to burst into a head. Another red cabbage breed is the Red Acre which has a mild, sweet taste, perfect for sweet krauts and colorful slaws. Most of the red kind take two to three months to develop.

Before you plant your cabbage seeds or transplants do a soil check. Coles usually thrive the best in rich loams that have been properly aerated. The dirt should also be crumbly with plenty of organic content. If you don’t have the perfect conditions, then either buy a bag of soil or create a nutrient rich compost to spread over your garden.

Transplant early cabbage before or soon after summer’s heat. Hardened plants are tolerant of frosts and can provide you with multiple harvests during one planting season.

Cabbage is easily transplanted from either bare root or cell pack (flats) grown plants. Late cabbage must be started during the heat of mid summer but will develop its’ main head later on during fall’s cool weather. In summer, place your seed flats away from any direct sunlight. Transplant on dark days when it is overcast, cloudy or even rainy. This will minimize any shock from direct sunlight.

Space your plants 12 to 14 inches apart in a row, depending on the variety and the size of head desired. Remember that placing cabbages close to each other will produce smaller heads. Early varieties require 12 inches of spacing all round. These usually produce 1 to 3 pound heads while later season ones will produce the much heavier 4 to 8 pounders. Sow seeds ½ to ¼ inch deep. Keep seeds moist. Also thin or transplant the seedlings to get the desired spacing. Do not throw the extras out onto the compost heap. You can start another cabbage patch at another end of your garden.

Use starter fertilizer when transplanting and then side dress with a nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are half grown. Cultivate shallowly to keep down weeds. If you want good, leafy heads, then keep the soil constantly moist. Watering helps the young cabbages to withstand the intense heat and sunlight of late summer and early fall. Also developing heads need sufficient water.

With any Cole crop , be on the look out for cut worms, cabbage loopers and diamond back moths. You can spray the forming heads with BT (Bacillus thuringensis – a bacteria that is deadly to the pests but harmless to humans) or even a homemade spray consisting of red pepper flakes and water. Also be on the lookout for black leg and black rot. Black leg is a fungal disease that causes cankers on the stems and often rotted roots. Black rot is recognized by large V shaped yellow or brown areas on the leaves. The veins will often turn black as well followed by the final destructive phase of soft rot. Both diseases are spread by seed transplants , and/or insects. Your best bet is to buy seeds that have been hot water treated to kill organisms. Avoid crowding, overwatering along with planting in poorly harvested soil. Also avoid transplants that are either wilted or are an unhealthy shade of green. Another bad sign are black spots on the stems or leaves.

If you do have diseased cabbages, then quickly collect leaves stems and tops. Burn or dispose of immediately to prevent any further contamination. Do not put these diseased plants in your compost heap

When harvesting pick large unsplit heads. These have to be tight and heavy(4 to 5 pounds in weight). If you planted the green cabbage look for dark green outer leaves with smooth pale green inner leaves. Raw green cabbage lasts only for a few days but cooked it can least up to three weeks in your fridge.

Savoy heads should have crinkly blue green leaves. Luckily these do not have the malodorous smell of the green when they’re being cooked. These keep for only 4 days in the fridge. They are great in savory dishes or raw in slaws.

Red cabbage heads are denser and smaller than any of the others. Always cook red cabbage with vinegar to maintain the red coloring (otherwise it’ll turn a nasty blue-gray color). Also use stainless steel utensils when preparing it or your regular knives, forks and spoons will turn color.

Salvage any split heads form your garden right away. You can cook with these too as well.

Cabbage is definitely the king of the fall garden. It not only adds charm to the patch but also to the table. Once picked you can make your harvest into a slew of delicious soups, side dishes and savories. Cabbage reigns supreme both in the back yard and in the kitchen.

Cole Slaw

by: Liz Roberts

• 9 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
• 1 cup shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper to taste /any spice or herb of your choosing

Toss cabbage and carrots together as you would a salad. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, peepr and any spice you’d like (if you want to go with pepper flakes, you can for a spicy treat, or maybe celery seeds for a fresh taste). Chill and serve as a side dish.