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Successful cultivation of Cabbage

Certainly, cabbage takes up the vegetable garden, but it also offers a lot. By choosing two or three varieties, and by staggering the planting, you can consume throughout the year.
Brassica oleracea

The species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae, covers various forms of cabbage: cabbages which includes cabbages and Savoy cabbage, cabbage Kale (green cabbage or kale as kale) or still sprouts whose inflorescences are eaten as cauliflower or broccoli.
Kale is also called winter cabbage; this is not trivial. Very cold hardy, can withstand temperatures down to -15 ° C. Another advantage, it grows easily and is not frequently the onslaught of slugs. Like broccoli, offer to the sun and a humus-rich, fresh and deep soil.

Cabbage likes more in a humid climate, with mild temperatures. Trickier, he asks the sun, but fears drought; he enjoys the water provided the soil is well drained. We distinguish varieties of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Sowing and transplanting
Broccoli seedlings


The seedlings are in the ground, nursery or protective cover.

For kale, follow in April and May in the nursery or on site. Planting of cabbage can start as early as February if you put them under cover; Mid-March to June and mid-August to September, have them in the nursery. While planting broccoli, depending on the variety, they are spread from April to June and are also in the nursery.

Transplanting is done when plants are between 3 and 5 sheets after praline in advance roots (transplanting broccoli can be done with the root ball). Maintain a distance of at least 50 cm between each foot and confine them with a dibble.

For growing cauliflower, read "Cauliflower, sowing, planting and harvesting."

maintenance

Cabbages and broccoli fear drought. Hoeing and weeding are therefore required and watering during drought. Mulching is of course recommended.

Kale demand for its less attention; keep his feet cool with a good mulch.
harvest

Harvesting of cabbage is about 4 to 9 months after planting, depending on the cultivar.

The leaves of kale are taken as needed throughout the winter. Collect them after the arrival of the first frost, they make up for in flavor.

Cabbages can be kept up. Cold region, it is possible to gauge the winter varieties.

As for the harvest of broccoli sprouts, she can start when the stems bearing inflorescences are 15 cm and before the flowers open.

Start by collecting the terminal bouquet and then continue with the side bouquets.
Harvesting cauliflower read "Cauliflower, sowing, planting and harvesting."

enemies
Cabbage white caterpillar

The enemies of cabbage are many: flea beetles, cabbage maggot, cutworm, diamondback, clubroot or slugs. There are several natural ways to get rid of it: see "Fighting against aphids" and "Cauliflower: sowing, planting and harvesting."

Pay particular attention to the attacks of slugs that will do short work of the young shoots.

Regarding diseases to fear, avoid too acidic soils that tend to favor clubroot. Damping-off in turn can outsmart by clear seeding an airy ground.
associated plants

Cabbages do not like the allium and the company of other cabbages. Instead, offer a neighborhood of carrots, spinach, runner beans and tomatoes and maybe some aromatics (lemon balm, dill ...) to repel parasites!

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