Growing cabbage and broccoli
09.02.2024 - 11:16
/ backyardgardener.com
/ Frederick Leeth
The cabbage family includes the following vegetables that grow best in cool weather: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kale, collards, and a delicious, yet little-known vegetable, called kohlrabi. Most of these vegetables are sold as transplants in the spring and again in late summer for planting in the fall garden. They are not difficult to grow if you give them plenty of space, ample moisture, and keep them well fed at all times.
The cabbage family vegetables are often called “heavy feeders” because they need a continuous supply of nitrogen and other nutrients. Before setting out transplants, mix a 2-inch deep layer of organic matter into the soil to help it retain moisture and nutrients. Also work a Vegetable Food containing timed-release fertilizer for the continuous feeding that vegetables need. Expect transplants to grow slowly at first. About a month after transplanting, they will suddenly gain size.
Two months after planting, give the longest lived cabbage family vegetables—cabbage and brussels sprouts—a booster feeding by lightly scratching fertilizer into the soil around the plants or by scattering it beneath the mulch. With other cabbage family crops, be watchful for unusual yellowing of older leaves. This is a sign that the plant can use a second helping of fertilizer.
Remember, unlike many other plants, vegetables are not forgiving about lack of water. If you want to maximize harvest and flavor, it is essential to give the plants a regular drink of water during drought. Spacing is also very important. Crowded cabbage and broccoli will produce smaller heads than those properly spaced. Mulch plants to help preserve soil moisture.
The website greengrove.cc is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can
send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.