 |  |
As spring is starting to sneak and peek around here I am getting ready for planting season. This will be the 3rd year that I have planted cabbage from seed and I am always amazed at just how well this crop does even when planted outside as tiny as the plants you see in the picture. I have found that sometimes I even have to put flag markers up when I plant these little ones outdoors in the ground because they are so small, you can hardly see them, but they keep on chugging towards becoming thick round heads of cabbage.
Cabbage is a pretty hardy plant and it does well enough in the cold that dipping temperatures don't phase it too much. As long as I am able to keep the cabbage worms from turning my heads of beautiful cabbage into Swiss cheese remnants, I have enjoyed a bounty every single year that I have planted these from seed. This year I am opting for some floating row covers to keep those nasty little cabbage worms that I have to hand pick off, far far away.
This is a cost saving venture as well. Usually a head of cabbage runs around $2 at my local store. However, I am able to plant 20-30 heads for the cost of a packet of seeds and some dirt (seeds $2 and my tried and true dirt mix $8 for enough to plant all my seedling crops for the entire growing season- not just the cabbage). That breaks down into a huge savings in my book. Also, when harvesting cabbages, if wrapped in newspaper and kept in a cool dark location (basement anyone?) they can last for months upon months in cold storage and still be just as good. A great way to make your own saurkraut as well!
If you've missed my previous posts on my 4-1-1 potting soil mix I use, the mix is 4 parts soil, 1 part vermiculite and 1 part pearlite. You can purchase all of these items at your local Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot. The pearlite and vermiculite that I purchase are always more than enough for several hundred seeds that I start for the year and there is usually some left over to start next growing season as well.
Cabbage is a pretty hardy plant and it does well enough in the cold that dipping temperatures don't phase it too much. As long as I am able to keep the cabbage worms from turning my heads of beautiful cabbage into Swiss cheese remnants, I have enjoyed a bounty every single year that I have planted these from seed. This year I am opting for some floating row covers to keep those nasty little cabbage worms that I have to hand pick off, far far away.
This is a cost saving venture as well. Usually a head of cabbage runs around $2 at my local store. However, I am able to plant 20-30 heads for the cost of a packet of seeds and some dirt (seeds $2 and my tried and true dirt mix $8 for enough to plant all my seedling crops for the entire growing season- not just the cabbage). That breaks down into a huge savings in my book. Also, when harvesting cabbages, if wrapped in newspaper and kept in a cool dark location (basement anyone?) they can last for months upon months in cold storage and still be just as good. A great way to make your own saurkraut as well!
If you've missed my previous posts on my 4-1-1 potting soil mix I use, the mix is 4 parts soil, 1 part vermiculite and 1 part pearlite. You can purchase all of these items at your local Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot. The pearlite and vermiculite that I purchase are always more than enough for several hundred seeds that I start for the year and there is usually some left over to start next growing season as well.
 |  |
When I run out of seed cells for planting I just opt for styrofoam cups from my local dollar store. Be sure to poke holes in the bottom though so you can have adequate drainage. I also write on the cups with a sharpie noting the date that I planted them.
It's really that simple, get on out there and get planting!
It's really that simple, get on out there and get planting!
