Monday, May 31, 2010

the miracle of cabbage


My cabbage has been growing and growing -- dominating more than its alotted square foot in my raised bed -- but it hasn't been looking like cabbage.  I was wondering if maybe I planted a non-heading variety.  And then I happened upon a post over at Modern Victory Garden that said her savoyed cabbage has large exterior whorl leaves that are just turning inward to become heads. 

And I thought two things: "I didn't plant the wrong type of cabbage" and "I have savoyed cabbage."  Well, one out of two isn't bad ... I planted the right cabbage but it isn't savoyed.  Apparently savoyed refers to the crinkled leaves found on winter cabbages.

I looked up my seeds online.  My parel cabbages have blue green wrapper leaves (check) that protect the white-leaved head core (not yet.)  My cabbages are growing slowly -- as I am pretty sure they are getting close to the 50 days advertised on the packet.  Maybe it is the cool weather.

Or maybe it is my spacing.  When I read that they produced 6 inch heads I thought: "I can put 4 in a square foot."  I knew nothing of wrapper leaves or how a cabbage grows.  I think in the future I will give my 6 inch cabbage a full foot to grow in.  Right now three are duking it out for growing rights -- and the nearby marigolds, beets, and spinach are trying not to be overwhelmed.

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