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Post by daylilydude on Apr 22, 2017 19:50:15 GMT -5
Do you grow cabbage or even like it enough to grow it.... here this year we are growing just 2 O-S Cross F-1 cabbage plants just to see how big we can get them by just growing them in milk crates... how about you?
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Post by september on Apr 23, 2017 10:45:16 GMT -5
I like cabbage, but have never grown it. I suppose because I don't have any way of storing extra heads fresh, and it takes a bit of room. I like sauerkraut, but no one else does, so that's not an option. My son is in the process of buying a new home with about half of the 5 acres being open land. If they don't mind, maybe I'll ask to a bit of sunny ground to grow some things I don't have much room for here, like cabbage and squash.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Apr 23, 2017 13:29:41 GMT -5
I don't have room to store a bunch of heads of cabbage, either. Plus cabbage is usually cheap, and it's especially cheap at the same time of year I'd have it ready from the garden. And it takes up a fair amount of space in the garden.
So, I use my limited garden space to grow other things, especially things I can't get from the grocery store, like fresh peas.
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Post by bestofour on Apr 23, 2017 14:41:36 GMT -5
I tried growing cabbage two years and couldn't stay ahead of the worms. The few heads I did get all came in at the same time and since I didn't think I'd like canned cabbage I ended up giving all but 1 away and it's just too much trouble to give away.
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Post by paquebot on May 17, 2017 21:07:44 GMT -5
If one has room to grow cabbage, one has room to store it. Dig a pit and store it underground. May not work in Florida but will in the northern half of the US. Between my gardening friend and I, we've probably got 60-70 plants. Everything from early babies to Filderkraut and Megaton.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by ladymarmalade on May 18, 2017 7:33:05 GMT -5
I love cabbage. My teenage son will eat coleslaw every day if I make it for him- cabbage is one of the few veggies he doesn't complain about. Though, I can't get him to come around on kraut. I grow Caraflex cabbage. It's an arrowhead variety, so it's much smaller than a standard cabbage. When I grow them in the spring, I'm usually harvesting them before the cabbage loopers have really taken off for the season yet. They also hold on the plant for a long time, so I don't need to harvest them all at once. It has a softer, more luscious texture than a standard green or red cabbage, and I think it has a little less of that sulfuric quality when cooking. My current seed stock is from Jung Seeds, but I've also bought it from Johnny's in the past.
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Post by september on May 19, 2017 8:34:36 GMT -5
ladymarmalade - I will have to look into Caraflex, thanks for the tip. Small heads would work better for just the two of us anyway. We love coleslaw too! paquebot - Do you have the pit lined with anything? boards? plastic? insulation panels? How do you keep worms and grubs from eating the stored cabbages? I remember my dad had a root cellar dug into the side of a hill, I don't remember if he had the sides lined with anything, but the top was sealed off with plywood with (I think) with rocks and dirt piled on it. The entrance was from the side, you had to step down and crawl in. That was sealed by plywood too. I don't remember if he had a vent on top. We don't have a steep enough hill here (in the right place) to do what he did.
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Post by september on May 19, 2017 8:46:11 GMT -5
I didn't even realize that there were mini cabbages! When I went to the Jung site, I also found this - www.jungseed.com/P/01514/Cabbage+Babies+Triplet+HybridThe info says these are softball size, but they look closer to normal small cabbage size in the photo. Does that just mean that you can start picking them at softball size, or is that the "final" size? I think I will order both the Caraflex and these, and see what I have left for room after my garden is in, and then start some for a fall crop if I can. Thanks ladymarmalade for getting me going on this!
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Post by ladymarmalade on May 19, 2017 9:22:15 GMT -5
I didn't even realize that there were mini cabbages! When I went to the Jung site, I also found this - www.jungseed.com/P/01514/Cabbage+Babies+Triplet+HybridThe info says these are softball size, but they look closer to normal small cabbage size in the photo. Does that just mean that you can start picking them at softball size, or is that the "final" size? I think I will order both the Caraflex and these, and see what I have left for room after my garden is in, and then start some for a fall crop if I can. Thanks ladymarmalade for getting me going on this! Oh! I haven't seen the mini heads before! If you get some this year yet, I would love to know how they do for you.
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Post by daylilydude on May 19, 2017 9:56:36 GMT -5
ladymarmalade , you just had to have me go look... now i'm also interested in the cabbage babies.
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Post by brownrexx on May 19, 2017 10:41:35 GMT -5
I grow Golden Acre cabbage every year. The heads are usually under 2 lbs so they are not huge and I use about 3 of them to make a batch of sauerkraut. We also really like coleslaw and sautéed cabbage as a hot veggie. Heads of cabbage store in my refrigerator for about a month. I have no trouble with cabbage moths because I cover my crop with floating row covers. I am a totally organic gardener so no sprays.
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Post by ladymarmalade on May 19, 2017 13:03:53 GMT -5
Brownrexx, that floating row cover is beautiful! Did you make the cages to support it?
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Post by brownrexx on May 19, 2017 13:10:16 GMT -5
Yes, it's just some left over fence wire that I bent over to make an arch. At first I used actual remay material but now I am using tulle fabric that I buy cheaply at the fabric store. It is very durable and allows more light through and I can see the cabbages as they are growing. The mesh of the tulle is small enough to exclude the cabbage moths. I also grow my cauliflower this way and if you are careful not to tear it on the wire the tulle will last for years.
I love it. Physical exclusion is the best way to eliminate pests in my opinion. No sprays, no beneficial insects harmed, it only needs to be applied once and best of all, NO WORMS in my cabbage!
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Post by paquebot on May 19, 2017 14:42:05 GMT -5
Jung's Triplet Babies are as advertised, They do only get a little bigger than a softball. Biggest of the 3 is the savoy type, smallest is the red. They can be spaced just a foot apart. Caraflex can be about 15".
For pit storage, straw is all that's needed to pack under and around the heads. No bugs of any kind in the winter.
For a flavor change in kraut to sweeten it, add carrots, kohlrabi, and rutabaga. A few fennel seeds will also make a big difference.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by ladymarmalade on May 19, 2017 15:53:53 GMT -5
Yes, it's just some left over fence wire that I bent over to make an arch. At first I used actual remay material but now I am using tulle fabric that I buy cheaply at the fabric store. It is very durable and allows more light through and I can see the cabbages as they are growing. The mesh of the tulle is small enough to exclude the cabbage moths. I also grow my cauliflower this way and if you are careful not to tear it on the wire the tulle will last for years.
I love it. Physical exclusion is the best way to eliminate pests in my opinion. No sprays, no beneficial insects harmed, it only needs to be applied once and best of all, NO WORMS in my cabbage!
Brilliant! I always have a bolt of tulle floating around! I think I have a project for next week!
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Post by ladymarmalade on May 19, 2017 15:56:11 GMT -5
Jung's Triplet Babies are as advertised, They do only get a little bigger than a softball. Biggest of the 3 is the savoy type, smallest is the red. They can be spaced just a foot apart. Caraflex can be about 15". For pit storage, straw is all that's needed to pack under and around the heads. No bugs of any kind in the winter. For a flavor change in kraut to sweeten it, add carrots, kohlrabi, and rutabaga. A few fennel seeds will also make a big difference. Martin The truth is more important than the facts. I love adding shredded carrot to my homemade kraut!
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Post by tomike on May 19, 2017 17:51:01 GMT -5
I don't have room to store a bunch of heads of cabbage, either. Plus cabbage is usually cheap, and it's especially cheap at the same time of year I'd have it ready from the garden. And it takes up a fair amount of space in the garden. So, I use my limited garden space to grow other things, especially things I can't get from the grocery store, like fresh peas. I could not agree more with you....... and not only that......home grown or store bought from a taste perspective is the same......
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Post by brownrexx on May 20, 2017 18:09:23 GMT -5
home grown or store bought from a taste perspective is the same..... Taste is not the reason that I grow my own. I agree that they taste the same but I know that they apply pesticides to keep the cabbage worms out of theirs and mine is organic with no added pesticide residue.
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Post by tomike on May 20, 2017 18:22:29 GMT -5
That is a very good point that you are bringing forward but in this day and age; organic growing is available at a premium for our heath and available to us from local growers.....
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Post by daylilydude on May 20, 2017 18:49:36 GMT -5
I just have the 2 just to see how big the OS Cross will get when grown in a milk crate and here is the pics as of today. I'm wondering why they look so different as far as color... same potting soil, same fertilizer, everything that has been done has been done to both but you can sure notice the different color... your thoughts?
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 21, 2017 11:38:53 GMT -5
That's interesting. It's hard to tell from the photo, but is the head in the bottom photo more pointy on top, too?
Since you're growing them under the same conditions, the first thing that comes to mind is that maybe your seed isn't pure. Because they are bee-pollinated, cabbages cross readily with each other, and also with other cruciferous veggies of the same species.
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Post by spike on May 21, 2017 13:14:39 GMT -5
I love the idea of baby cabbage! I usually plant Flat Dutch cabbage but this year I am trying Stonehead. I LOVE cabbage.
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Post by paquebot on May 21, 2017 14:21:13 GMT -5
OS Cross is a hybrid. I grew it for 4 or 5 years and got them up to 40# with little effort. At the time, the main source was Alaska State Fair as that was the only variety that could be used for their annual competition.
If one wants to enjoy raw cabbage all winter without storing heads, can it as slaw. There are some good recipes available on the Internet which are very good. I keep a jar on the kitchen table just to snack on.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by daylilydude on May 21, 2017 16:40:22 GMT -5
That's interesting. It's hard to tell from the photo, but is the head in the bottom photo more pointy on top, too? Since you're growing them under the same conditions, the first thing that comes to mind is that maybe your seed isn't pure. Because they are bee-pollinated, cabbages cross readily with each other, and also with other cruciferous veggies of the same species. It's not pointy Laura, just the way I took the pick. I didn't grow these from seed, I got them from the school as they received to many for the 3rd grade cabbage contest that Bonnies Plants has every year and didn't know what to do with the 3 extras, they had them sitting outside the back door and they looked poorly so I ask what they were gonna do with them, they told me take them if I wanted them so in the truck they went. One was too far gone to help it but I managed to keep 2 of them and here they are...lol!
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lisaann
Junior Member
Posts: 76
Joined: June 2016
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Post by lisaann on May 21, 2017 18:04:47 GMT -5
I'm wondering why they look so different as far as color... Do they look like that in REAL life or just in the pictures? I would guess different varieties. 2 seeds in one pack that got mixed up in the packaging process? Or you forgot to add green up to one milk crate? hahaha Waving!
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Post by paquebot on May 21, 2017 23:24:07 GMT -5
With a little help, one should be able to get OS Cross into the 30 to 50 pounds range. (Unofficial biggest was 138 pounds but world record is 125.) Interesting to see some Bonnie state third-grade winners at less than 10 pounds. A few years ago, a 10-year boy won Alaska's with 92 pounds.
Also, there are no packets involved in the school program as Bonnie does not sell seeds retail. They only supply plants.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on May 23, 2017 12:31:22 GMT -5
Looks like a variety mix up on Bonnie's end, then (assuming there is that much color difference in real life). It happens every now and then even to them. Unless you're planning on saving seeds, the important thing is that they both produce and taste good. If one turns out better than the other, I guess next year you can look for OS Cross seedlings that are the same color as the good one you get this year.
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Post by daylilydude on May 23, 2017 17:37:52 GMT -5
Laura_in_FL, shhhh... i'm already looking just to find these seeds and grow them myself.
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