This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
peas planted!
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Thursday, August 06, 2009
harvesting my first cabbage
More photos I took with my foggy lens. I mostly grew cabbage because they are such beautiful plants. This is Super Red 80 from seed from Johnny's.
I'm also growing Alcosa, a blue green savoy type, also from Johnny's seed.
I love your blog, and because your an in a different hemisphere from me (I'm in Melbourne, Australia) it is inspiring to look at all your lovely summer veggies!
Lovely! My red cabbages haven't done well this year (yet). I've enjoyed growing the Early Jersey Wakefields, though. Small plants with a nice green football-shaped head. They have been delicious, and fit well in the bed without being gigantic plants. I agree, cabbages are absolutely gorgeous plants.
Usually I use row cover to keep the cabbage worms away. But this year I I have just been watching for them and squishing them. They don't seem so bad this year (compared to the slugs and snails anyway). Maybe they don't like the rain?
SO, when is cabbage read to harvest? I think its pretty much up to you.
I figured a 6 inch diameter head looked good. The bigger you let them get the more you risk the head splitting or getting bugs. And, often people harvest them very small, as baby cabbage. Since I don't have very many cabbage, I wanted a good sized head.
Then again, it my first cabbage too. I was just very excited to pick it.
Oh, another reason for picking the cabbage now was because the neighboring butternut squash are growing out of control and covering the area. I'm really looking forward to butternut squash! I have 6 or 8 sizing up.
I love your blog, and because your an in a different hemisphere from me (I'm in Melbourne, Australia) it is inspiring to look at all your lovely summer veggies!
ReplyDeletehttp://funkbunnysgarden.blogspot.com/
It's beautiful. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteLovely! My red cabbages haven't done well this year (yet). I've enjoyed growing the Early Jersey Wakefields, though. Small plants with a nice green football-shaped head. They have been delicious, and fit well in the bed without being gigantic plants. I agree, cabbages are absolutely gorgeous plants.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful! I'd like to grow cabbage next year...I always forget how much I like to eat it!
ReplyDeleteI'm learning something from you fellow gardener. Keep us updated
ReplyDeleteHow did you keep the cabbage worms away? row covers?
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your first cabbage ever! How exciting! It looks perfect.
ReplyDeletesilly question, but how do you know when the cabbage is ready to be harvested? I have some growing but never grew it before!
ReplyDeleteUsually I use row cover to keep the cabbage worms away. But this year I I have just been watching for them and squishing them. They don't seem so bad this year (compared to the slugs and snails anyway). Maybe they don't like the rain?
ReplyDeleteSO, when is cabbage read to harvest? I think its pretty much up to you.
ReplyDeleteI figured a 6 inch diameter head looked good. The bigger you let them get the more you risk the head splitting or getting bugs. And, often people harvest them very small, as baby cabbage. Since I don't have very many cabbage, I wanted a good sized head.
Then again, it my first cabbage too. I was just very excited to pick it.
Oh, another reason for picking the cabbage now was because the neighboring butternut squash are growing out of control and covering the area. I'm really looking forward to butternut squash! I have 6 or 8 sizing up.
ReplyDeletethanks kathy!! congrats on the squash too!
ReplyDeleteWow... great cabbage. Well done!
ReplyDelete