Notes:
Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil. Prefers a heavy soil and a cool moist climate. Succeeds in any reasonable soil. Succeeds in maritime gardens. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.3 to 8.3.
The cabbage is widely cultivated throughout the world for its edible leaves. There are three main types of cabbage: the common hearting cabbage has dark green leaves; Dutch cabbages form a much larger heart and the leaves, which have a milder flavor, are a pale green or even white; while the third type, red cabbages, have red leaves. There are many named varieties of each type and through careful choice of varieties it is possible to ensure a year round supply of fresh leaves. Several cultivars are hardy enough to stand the rigors of a Northwest winter, there are also some less-hardy varieties that can be harvested in early winter and stored for a few months in a cool place to provide leaves in areas with very severe winters. Some varieties have been selected for the ornamental value of their leaves, these tend to be of poor culinary quality. Cabbages are good companions for dill, chamomile, sage, wormwood, mint and other aromatic plants which help to reduce insect predations on the cabbages. Cabbages also grow well with potatoes and beets. They grow poorly with strawberries, tomatoes and climbing beans. Propagation: Seed - this can be sown from early spring to late summer in a seedbed outdoors, depending on the cultivar. The plants are moved to their final locations when about 3-6in tall. Do not let the seedlings get overcrowded or they will soon become leggy. If your seedlings do get leggy, it is possible to plant them deeper into the soil - the buried stems will soon form roots and the plant will be better supported.
For a summer crop, the seed is sown in early to late spring. Autumn maturing cultivars are sown in mid to late-spring and winter maturing cultivars in late spring. Winter to spring maturing cultivars are sown in mid to late summer, these are often sown in situ and thinned as required. Seed of fast-growing summer cabbages can also be sown in a greenhouse in January/February in order to provide an early crop. This is planted out in early to mid-spring as the weather allows and can be harvested in late spring and early summer.
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