Rich in vitamins, winter cabbage is used in the vegetable garden and then in invigorating recipes. Planted at the end of summer, the harvests will take place until March-April. With smooth or curly leaves, green or red, the choice of shapes and colors of this leafy vegetable is wide. Here’s how to plant them in the vegetable garden and when.
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Whether they are dumb, Milanofrom Brussels, rave or turnipthem cabbage are grown all year round, varying the species. In winter, the vegetables are rarer in the vegetable garden. Winter cabbages can accompany leeks and salads of season. When to plant winter cabbage and how?
What are the species of winter cabbage?
In the large cabbage family, several are grown throughout the winter season and harvested until December or January depending on the species, such as:
- savoy cabbage: ‘d’Aubervilliers’, ‘Roi de l’hiver’, ‘de Pontoise’ or ‘Gros des Vertus’;
- them red cabbages : ‘Kalibos’ or ‘Blackhead’;
- them head cabbage : ‘of Brunswick’ or ‘Filderkraut’;
- Brussels sprouts: ‘Dolores’ or ‘Sanda’;
- them kohlrabi : ‘Violet de Vienne’ or ‘Blanc de Vienne’;
- turnip cabbage also called rutabagas.
When to plant winter cabbage?
In order to stagger the harvests, you can plant winter cabbage from June to early October, depending on the region and the climate. Prefer a rich and fresh soil as well as a light exposure, partial shade and partial sun.
How to plant winter cabbage?
Before planting the cabbages, you must work the soil to a depth of 20 cm to make it loose. Also bring some compost to feed the soil because cabbages are gourmet vegetables and will draw a lot of resources from the ground during their development. In a plot of the vegetable garden, trace the rows using a chalk line to delimit their location.
Here are the key steps for successful planting:
- dip well the cups of cabbage in a basin of water in order to soak the roots;
- with a planter or a shovel, make holes 10 cm deep;
- space them at least 60 cm apart in all directions;
- with a dibber, plant the cabbage up to the base of the leaves called the collar ;
- fill in the holes then tamp down slightly;
- dig a small basin around each foot;
- water copiously.
Good to know: in the vegetable garden, combine cabbages with salads such as lettuces or the chewed upbeets, beans or even the mint or the sage which have the advantage of repelling the white cabbageworms. These butterflies give way to devastating and voracious caterpillars that eat the leaves and leave only the veins.
How to care for cabbage in winter?
Do not hesitate to bring them a little water if the autumn looks dry and avoid watering for frost periods. Cabbages need regular water to optimize their growth. Weed the rows regularly to prevent weeds from invading the rows.
Using a hoe, break the crust superficial so that rainwater penetrates the root system. For varieties that could fear periods of severe frost, place a mulching of dead leaves recovered. In windy areas, you can kick the feet cabbages to strengthen the anchorage of the cabbages and prevent them from lying on the ground.
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