First Cabbage and Turnips

[GoDawgs]

Yesterday we picked the first cabbage and pulled the first fall turnips.

This is 'Charleston Wakefield', a 70 day cabbage developed for the South. It's one of the pointy headed types. This one got cut a bit early (just 2 lbs) but I needed a cabbage for a recipe. It's been 74 days from transplant and the others are still wrapping leaves. They'll get 3-4 lbs.



These are the 'Purple Top' turnips, a 55 day turnip. They're a bit small at the 54 day mark (about 2" diameter) but pulling them was sort of a thinning move. And besides, Pickles likes 'em that size. She cut off the greens and they're in a bag in the reefer awaiting cooking.



Tomorrow and Wednesday mornings it's supposed to get down to 27 and 28. Pickles is covering the carrots to be on the safe side.

Pickles also bought herself a "Christmas present"... a grass/leaf bagger for the Deere mower. She said since my knee puts me out of commission for raking up mulching leaves and she's not a spring chicken anymore, she figured it would be a handy thing to have. So she got it, assembled and installed it and it works like a charm. All the leaves will be dumped right next to the garden because that's where they'll be used instead of piling them up behind the house next to the compost pile. Now why hasn't that been done before? Too obvious, I guess.

[greenthumbomaha]

What a pretty cabbage, GoDawgs!
I've grown it before, but something got to it before it was fully grown. It is a new variety in my seed library. Have you ever grown it as a spring plant, and is it about the same growth rate ? I would be very happy with a plant that size in 54 days!

- Lisa

[Worth1]

They look nice and a good sauerkraut cabbage too.
Worth

[Goodloe]

Nice looking veggies! I wish I had the time (and inclination) to plant a fall/winter garden, but Bama Football takes up a great deal of time.... Speaking of which, good luck to your UGA Dawgs this Saturday vs Bama in the SEC Championship Game. Roll Tide!
And continued progress with your knee recovery!!

[salix]

Bee yoo ti full turnips! They look perfect, no tunnels or munching evidence at all.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

What a pretty cabbage, GoDawgs!
I've grown it before, but something got to it before it was fully grown. It is a new variety in my seed library. Have you ever grown it as a spring plant, and is it about the same growth rate ? I would be very happy with a plant that size in 54 days!

- Lisa

This is one of the Wakefields from this spring.



Unfortunately I didn't record weight but I'm guessing about 4 lbs but then it had more time to grow. This batch was sown indoors on Jan 9 and transplanted out Feb 10. I was pushing the early planting on purpose just to see what I can get away with.
The first pick was May 2 although a note says they were ready to pick before that. The last two were pulled May 15th.

It's hard to say if fall or spring plantings grow faster. But fall or spring, it all depends on the weather. I imagine it would be faster in the spring but that might not apply to extra early plantings in that they'd get a somewhat slow start and then catch up as the weather warms.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by Goodloe

Nice looking veggies! I wish I had the time (and inclination) to plant a fall/winter garden, but Bama Football takes up a great deal of time.... Speaking of which, good luck to your UGA Dawgs this Saturday vs Bama in the SEC Championship Game. Roll Tide!
And continued progress with your knee recovery!!

Thanks, Goodloe! Those turnips are a quick crop. Slow but sure on the knee. Pickles and I will be having a serious discussion on the size of the spring garden. It will depend on how much she's willing to take on and how much I can handle by then.

Saturday's game should be a good one. Good luck to the Tide too. I just hope it doesn't go as long as last week's LSU/TX A&M game. Go Red Clay Hounds!

One thing for sure, Georgia needs to improve the quality of their schedule. They've started by adding Texas a few years from now.