Cabbage

Cabbage is a leafy vegetable that grows into a tight, round head of green, red or purple leaves. Its scientific name is Brassica oleracea, and it has been grown and eaten by people for thousands of years.

Scientific Classification & Quick Facts

Common name	Cabbage
Scientific name	Brassica oleracea
Kingdom	Plantae
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Order	Brassicales
Family	Brassicaceae
Genus	Brassica
Conservation status	Data Deficient
Type	Annual vegetable crop in the cole family
Habitat	Cool weather; moist, rich, heavy soil
Weight	Heads weigh 0.5 to 4 kg
Colours	White, green or purple heads
Edible parts	Layered leafy heads
Special feature	Late cabbages keep 5 to 6 months in cool storage

Cabbage and Its Family

Cabbage belongs to the mustard or cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Amazingly, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, collard greens and cauliflowers are all the same plant species, Brassica oleracea. Over many centuries, farmers chose plants with the traits they liked, such as big leaves, fat flower buds or tight heads, and slowly bred these very different-looking vegetables. Together they are often called cole crops.

Chinese or napa cabbage looks similar but belongs to a different species, Brassica rapa, which also includes turnips and bok choy.

What Cabbage Looks Like

A cabbage head is really a giant bud made of tightly wrapped leaves. Most heads weigh between about 0.5 and 4 kg (1 to 9 pounds), although giant show cabbages grown in Alaska have weighed over 50 kg!

There are three main types:

• Green cabbage, with smooth, pale to deep green leaves. It is the most common kind.
• Red or purple cabbage, colored by natural pigments called anthocyanins. Its color can change from purple to blue or pink depending on whether it is cooked with acidic or alkaline ingredients.
• Savoy cabbage, with crinkly, wrinkled leaves and a milder taste.

Cabbage is a healthy food. It is low in calories and a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber. People eat it raw in coleslaw and salads, cooked in soups and stews, or fermented as sauerkraut.

Where Cabbage Came From

Wild cabbage grows on rocky coasts of western and southern Europe. People were eating cabbage plants thousands of years ago, and the Ancient Greeks and Romans grew several kinds. The tight-headed cabbages we know today were developed in Europe and became a common food during the Middle Ages. Later, sailors carried sauerkraut on long voyages because it kept well and provided vitamin C, which helped prevent a disease called scurvy.

Growing Cabbage at Home

Photo by: Forest & Kim Starr

Soil

Cabbage grows best in rich, well-drained soil that holds moisture well. Dig in plenty of compost before planting. Cabbage is a hungry plant, so a side-dressing of compost or a nitrogen-rich fertilizer about three weeks after planting helps it grow. Pull weeds by hand or with a shallow hoe, because cabbage roots are near the surface. A layer of mulch keeps the soil cool and moist and smothers weeds.

Temperature

Cabbage is a cool-season crop. It grows best in temperatures of about 15 to 20 degrees C (60 to 70 degrees F) and can handle light frosts. Hot weather can make it bolt (send up a flower stalk) or form loose, bitter heads, so plant it to grow in spring or autumn.

Planting

Start seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost, then plant the seedlings outdoors slightly deeper than they grew in their pots. Space plants about 12 to 24 inches apart, in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Smaller, early varieties can be planted closer together, while large varieties need more room to form big heads. For a longer harvest, plant a few seedlings every two weeks instead of all at once.

Watering

Give cabbage steady, even moisture, about an inch of water a week. If the soil swings between very dry and very wet, the plant may suddenly grow fast and split its head. If a nearly ready head starts to crack, twist the plant a quarter turn or slice down beside it with a spade to cut some roots; this slows growth. Water the soil rather than the leaves, especially in cool or humid weather, to help prevent disease.

Feeding

If the leaves turn pale or yellow, the plant may need more nitrogen. Water it with compost tea or add a little fertilizer in mid-season.

Pests and Diseases

Many hungry creatures love cabbage. Watch out for:

• Cabbage worms and cabbage loopers: green caterpillars that chew holes in the leaves.
• Cabbage root maggots, which tunnel into roots, and cutworms, which cut through young stems.
• Harlequin bugs: black bugs with bright red or orange markings that suck sap and cause wilting and blotches.
• Aphids, flea beetles and slugs.

Covering young plants with light garden fabric (row cover) keeps many insects off. You can also pick off caterpillars and bugs by hand.

Diseases include black rot, which causes yellow V-shaped patches and blackened veins; blackleg, which makes dark sunken spots on stems and leaves; clubroot, which makes roots swollen and lumpy so the plant wilts; and fusarium yellows, which turns leaves yellow and stunts growth. Remove and throw away badly diseased plants. Clubroot is less of a problem in soil that is not acidic, so gardeners sometimes add lime to raise the soil pH to around 7.

To keep pests and diseases from building up, do not plant cabbage or its relatives in the same spot every year. Wait three or four years before growing cole crops there again.

Harvesting and Storing

Cabbage is ready when the head feels firm and solid when you squeeze it. Cut it off at the base with a sharp knife. If you leave the stalk and roots in the ground, the plant may grow several small bonus heads later on.

Fresh cabbage tastes best, but heads keep well. Store them in a cold, humid place, around 0 to 4 degrees C (32 to 40 degrees F), such as a refrigerator or a cool root cellar. Late-season varieties grown for storage can last for several months this way.

Cabbage FAQs

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