5 Tips For Growing Cabbage in Raised Beds

Cabbage is a member of the Brassica household of vegetation, which incorporates kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. It has comparable rising necessities to different brassicas. This consists of the necessity for full solar, constant watering, and well-draining soil. These wants are straightforward to fulfill in a raised mattress! To not point out it’s so rewarding to start out cabbage from small seeds both indoors or immediately sown into your backyard. 

Cabbage won’t be probably the most glamorous crop, however it holds its personal within the kitchen. Selfmade sauerkraut is a good gateway into the world of fermenting. To not point out, there’s nothing that compares to a homegrown crisp cabbage coleslaw. It’s also straightforward to pickle together with different greens like carrots and radish. Get pleasure from these pickled veggies as a crunchy taco topper. 

Spacing

When planting cabbage in a raised mattress, contemplate the scale of the totally mature plant. Cabbage spacing is an important consideration. It will assist make the most of the raised mattress house to its fullest. Moreover, the small seedlings will be deceiving. Cabbage grows huge and low to the bottom, with some varieties reaching as much as 24 inches throughout! Usually talking, you’ll wish to house seedlings 12-18 inches aside. Check with your seed packet for info on the totally mature dimension, plant spacing tips, and transplant accordingly.  

Interplanting is one other nice format choice. Develop these brassicas across the fringe of a raised mattress with taller vegetation rising within the middle. Or interplant with lettuce to take up house between the cabbage whereas they’re small. Head lettuce might be harvested simply as your cabbages start to dimension up and fill the gaps. It will assist preserve the soil lined, which aids in retaining moisture. 

Though most cabbages develop to be fairly giant, there are smaller varieties that produce compact heads like ‘Caraflex’ that may assist maximize your house. Caraflex cabbage grows to 9 inches tall and 4 inches huge. Every petite cabbage weighs between one and a half to 2 kilos. Irrespective of the scale of your raised mattress, there’s a cabbage for you. 

Amend The Soil

These brassicas require well-drained soil that’s wealthy in natural matter. Cabbage is a heavy feeder, and an abundance of natural matter supplies the vitamins that these vegetation want. It additionally helps to retain moisture, and cabbages love persistently moist soil. That is straightforward to realize with a raised mattress. 

Fill your beds with a high-quality soil combine that comprises a wholesome dose of compost or different natural matter. Or make your individual soil combine utilizing equal components compost, perlite, and coco coir. Filling your raised mattress for the primary time? Think about using the hugelkultur methodology. When using the hugelkultur methodology remember to take into consideration the depth of the ultimate soil layer. Cabbage is comparatively shallow-rooted and wishes a soil depth of at the very least 12 to 18 inches. 

Select Companion Vegetation

Like most backyard vegetation, cabbage can profit tremendously from companion vegetation. Carrots and beets loosen the soil round your cabbage vegetation. These cold-season root crops develop throughout the identical season as cabbage. Since carrots and beets don’t take up a lot house above floor, they’re straightforward to plant between cabbage vegetation. 

Companion vegetation are additionally employed for his or her capacity to repel pests. Celery, onions, garlic, arugula, thyme, sage, marigolds, and nasturtium are all stated to repel frequent cabbage pests. Celery has been presupposed to repel cabbage moths. Onions and garlic repel cabbage moths, cabbage loopers, aphids, and even rabbits! Arugula is a entice crop for flea beetles. The scent of thyme and sage repel cabbage moths. Marigolds and nasturtiums repel cabbage moths and cabbage worms, entice pollinators to your backyard, and they’re edible as effectively. 

Timing

Cabbages favor full solar, however they don’t like the warmth. It’s greatest to start rising cabbages throughout the cooler seasons of spring and fall. In spring, begin your cabbage seeds indoors six to eight weeks earlier than your final frost date. Plan to transplant these seedlings open air two to 4 weeks earlier than your final frost date. This helps many gardeners scratch the itch of planting seedlings weeks earlier than warm-weather crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants will be transplanted.

In gentle climates, begin a second spherical of cabbage in fall and develop all through the winter. Instantly sow these seeds exterior 10-12 weeks earlier than your common first frost date. They are going to germinate shortly within the heat summer season soil and expertise a progress spurt as the times develop into shorter and nights develop into cooler in fall. Cabbage grown by means of the summer season will battle. These vegetation will bolt and produce a single flower stalk slightly than a big head.    

Location, Location, Location

As talked about above, it’s greatest to develop cabbages in a full-sun atmosphere. This equates to 6 to eight hours of daylight per day. That being stated, cabbage does profit from partial shade throughout the heading part, particularly in areas the place the climate will already be warming up in late spring and early summer season. On this state of affairs, select a planting website the place they are going to obtain afternoon shade.

For instance, I plant my brassicas on the east aspect of my home, the place they obtain morning solar and shade throughout the later a part of the day. Simply make certain they obtain at the very least six hours of daylight each day. Cabbage that’s grown in an excessive amount of shade is not going to type a decent head.