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How to Grow Cabbage (Ruby King)
Sowing Time
- A red cabbage
- Sow undercover in February for a mid to late summer harvest
- Can be sown directly outdoors in March or April
Soil Preparation
- Avoid soil that has become waterlogged or has dried out completely
- Cabbages prefer fertile soil
- Cabbages can grow in heavy clay soils
- Dig over soil in the previous season, adding well rotted organic matter
- Dig to a depth of 1 ft, removing any stones and perennial weed roots
Sowing Instructions
- Seeds can be sown undercover in beds, seed modules or seed trays
- Seeds should be sown thinly, cover lightly with soil
- Transplant Seedlings once they are large enough to handle, approx 15cm tall
- Space plants 30cm apart
- Keep young plants well watered until established and only water during dry spells
Harvesting
- Cabbage should mature within a few months
- Water well the week before harvest
- Harvest Summer cabbages from June to October
- You can remove outer leaves as you need them
- Or harvest the entire cabbage by cutting the head at ground level
- Leave roots in the soil as they can sometime re-grow
Storage
- Will keep in the fridge for short term storage
- Longer term: Store in a cool dark area for 3 to 4 months
Pests and Diseases
- Important to protect against birds, especially pigeons
- Bird protection in the form of netting is best
- Slugs are a major problem - barriers such as eggshells, coarse sand, ash, copper can control problem
- Caterpillars also a problem, set up netting early to keep butterflies off your crops
- The fungal disease clubroot is a serious ailment of cabbage
- Effects on cabbage: Yellow wilting leaves and stuns growth
- Other pests and diseases include: black rot, cabbage root fly, and frost
- Important to rotate crops every year
