Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Want More Cabbage Heads From One Plant?

What if I could tell you how to get more cabbage heads from this plant after you picked this head; what would you say?

That is just what I'm going to do. I've had this (that which is in the photo) happen all on its own instead of forming one nice big head but I'm here to tell you how you can get a lovely head of cabbage and then have mutiple little ones form after you've cut the first cabbage on all your plants.
We have a short growing season in our area and so for this to happen I have to start my cabbage plants inside under grow lights. Then the cabbage has a jump start when transplanted out into the garden. For those of you lucky ones with a long growing season, you can simply plants seeds.

When your first head forms and is ready to pick, you cut it from the rest of the plant as close to the bottom of the cabbage as possible, therefore leaving as much plant behind as possible.

Then you make a slit with a knife horizontially and vertically across the white core that is left on the garden plant. This will make an X. From this X several small cabbages will form. The book I learned this trick from said four but my plants insist on forming more than four. Don't ask me why because I really haven't a clue.

 Some of my baby cabbages are at this stage a bit larger than brussel sprouts. My plan is to use them in a nice savory beef stew and throw some others into a salads with greens from the gardenfor a bit of crunch.

I prefer the purple cabbage which has a bit more Vitamin C than its green cousin but either green or purple, this method will work.

Getting more vegetables out of my limited garden space is a big priority. So next year try this and  

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