Cabbage school project

Hollylasue · March 8, 2017

So my little girl comes home all happy with her Bonnie cabbage plant to grow for the cabbage project. The problem is I have never successfully grown cabbage.I try every year and nothing.Last year I had a baseball sized head full of cabbage worms. She is so excited and I don't want to let her down but it's just not easy for me.So what are some tips on cabbage, in ground or container, fertilizer anything that might help is at least get a decent head.

KarenO · March 8, 2017

In ground, lots of fertilizer and water. Protecting one plant from critters should be easy. cover from the get go with a little tent made from row cover or tulle over a frame made from a tomato cage or sticks staked down all around to prevent the cabbage butterflies from laying eggs on the plant.
best of luck. Cabbage is a weird plant to give to children and its not super easy to grow due to pests mostly but sure worth a try

Maybe have some green beans or sunflowers as backups so she has some success
KarenO

Hollylasue · March 8, 2017

Well she does her own little garden every year.Never cabbage and I thought it was a little odd too but it is cool that they do something.It is a nationwide Bonnie Plants 3 3rd grade cabbage program.At the end of the season her teacher will pick one best of show plant which will be entered into the nationwide prize drawing.

KarenO · March 8, 2017

Anything that gets kids in the garden and interested in growing things is great by me.

I hope she grows a beauty of a cabbage.
KarenO

Deborah · March 8, 2017

I just love the idea of school gardens. I wonder what caring genius first thought of it?

b54red · March 11, 2017

One of the neighbor kids brought his little Bonnie plant to me for help. We just set it out in the garden and it is really growing nice right now but I don't know if it will have time to head up before it gets too hot.

If you keep a cabbage dusted with Dipel dust it will keep the worms under control with little effort but it does need to be reapplied after heavy rains. I feed all my similar type plants with Urban Farms Vegetable fertilizer every week. Cabbage is a heavy feeder so frequent feedings and plenty of water are necessary for them to get to a good size. The only other pest that really bothers me with cabbage is sometimes slugs will crawl up inside the cabbage. They don't really stop them from growing but they are very yucky when you find them.

Bill

Gardeneer · March 14, 2017

Bill, you and I are not in cabbage country, me thinks. Maybe fall planting ?.
I don't want to waste my time growing cabbage that sells for 20 cents a pond. Plus can't put up with cabbage worms (the white butterfly larva ?)
I rather grow some Brussel Sprouts. That might be a fall planting. That is just me.

Hollylasue · March 14, 2017

Oh man I feel sorry for his classmates with you helping him. Mine is doing OK .I will have to find some dipel dust. We are expecting a hard freeze tonight so I covered it. I didn't know if that would kill it. Thanks for the help.

clkeiper · March 14, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollylasue

Oh man I feel sorry for his classmates with you helping him. Mine is doing OK .I will have to find some dipel dust. We are expecting a hard freeze tonight so I covered it. I didn't know if that would kill it. Thanks for the help.

yep, cover it. a frost is one thing but a hard freeze would most likely kill it especially if it wasn't hardened off... speaking of which, I need to go cover mine in the high tunnel... in the teens tonight. sigh.

ilex · March 15, 2017

The key to growing cabbage here is ... growing them in cool weather. No bugs, better flavour and they can take a bit of frost.

Red ones grow slowly but bugs mostly ignore them.

March 8, 2017	#1
Hollylasue Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: GroveOak Al Posts: 91	Cabbage school project So my little girl comes home all happy with her Bonnie cabbage plant to grow for the cabbage project. The problem is I have never successfully grown cabbage.I try every year and nothing.Last year I had a baseball sized head full of cabbage worms. She is so excited and I don't want to let her down but it's just not easy for me.So what are some tips on cabbage, in ground or container, fertilizer anything that might help is at least get a decent head.

March 8, 2017	#5
Deborah Riding The Crazy Train Again Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: San Marcos, California Posts: 2,562	I just love the idea of school gardens. I wonder what caring genius first thought of it? __________________ "The righteous one cares for the needs of his animal". Proverbs 12:10

March 14, 2017	#7
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	Bill, you and I are not in cabbage country, me thinks. Maybe fall planting ?. I don't want to waste my time growing cabbage that sells for 20 cents a pond. Plus can't put up with cabbage worms (the white butterfly larva ?) I rather grow some Brussel Sprouts. That might be a fall planting. That is just me. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

March 8, 2017	#2
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	In ground, lots of fertilizer and water. Protecting one plant from critters should be easy. cover from the get go with a little tent made from row cover or tulle over a frame made from a tomato cage or sticks staked down all around to prevent the cabbage butterflies from laying eggs on the plant. best of luck. Cabbage is a weird plant to give to children and its not super easy to grow due to pests mostly but sure worth a try Maybe have some green beans or sunflowers as backups so she has some success KarenO

March 11, 2017	#6
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	One of the neighbor kids brought his little Bonnie plant to me for help. We just set it out in the garden and it is really growing nice right now but I don't know if it will have time to head up before it gets too hot. If you keep a cabbage dusted with Dipel dust it will keep the worms under control with little effort but it does need to be reapplied after heavy rains. I feed all my similar type plants with Urban Farms Vegetable fertilizer every week. Cabbage is a heavy feeder so frequent feedings and plenty of water are necessary for them to get to a good size. The only other pest that really bothers me with cabbage is sometimes slugs will crawl up inside the cabbage. They don't really stop them from growing but they are very yucky when you find them. Bill

March 15, 2017	#10
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	The key to growing cabbage here is ... growing them in cool weather. No bugs, better flavour and they can take a bit of frost. Red ones grow slowly but bugs mostly ignore them.