Brassica Oleraceae - Capitata group
Family: Brassicaceae

Cabbage is a very versatile vegetable and can be pickled, eaten raw or cooked, used in stir-fries and even added to a health-giving green smoothies. Cabbage stew is a delicious dish. Every vegetable from the brassica family is from one original type of plant. All the various differences from the giant flower on a cauliflower to the dense heading leaves of cabbage has been brought about by farmers careful selection and breeding techniques over millenia.

History

The cabbage has been cultivated for about two thousand years throughout the East and the West of the Northern Hemisphere. Cabbage was mentioned in early literature before broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and kohl rabi - all members of the same species of plant. Humans have simply over many generations saved the seed of the plants with attributes thy liked best, and in the case of cabbage, it is the head of juicy leaves that was the focus of selection criteria. The cabbage was developed after the kale plant but well before cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts. Salted and fermented cabbage, called sauerkraut, was the vitamin C preserving technology which allowed Captain James Cook to overcome scurvy on long voyages and in turn 'discover' Australia.

Varieties

There are many exciting varieties of cabbage that come in three main colours - green, red and purple. Some good local choices are:-

• Red Dutch - which has been grown in Australia for over 100 years.
• Sugarloaf - mentioned in literature as far back as 1655, so it's gotta be good.
• Wong Bok - is a Chinese cabbage with a milder flavour than the above and has lovely crumpled leaves.

Health and Nutrition

Cabbage is an excellent source of Vitamin C, is a great antioxidant and is a recommended dietary component to assist in the prevention of cancer (along with the other members of the Brassica family including broccoli and cauliflower). Eating cabbage helps the body remove toxic chemicals. It has also been used as an anti-inflammatory.

Cultivation

Cabbages can be broadcast (if you have enough seed to spare) like Radish or any of the other greens and then thinned to give you good tender young leaves for your salads while leaving the strongest and most vigorous to grow and give you the best genetics in your next crop and seed collection round.

When to sow

To get a cabbage for spring eating plant in autumn and eat from a loose-ish crop. Most cabbages will be sown in spring and take varying times to mature and leave the home gardener with an early (summer), middle (autumn) and late (winter) harvest. The correct cultivars must be chosen for the planting times.

Spacing

10cm and then thin to 30-50 cm apart (use thinnings in the kitchen). The outer leaves need good sunlight in order to capture the energy needed to grow the dense head.

Soil depth

Plant seed fairly deep, around 5cm

Time to harvest

Around 10 weeks for Chinese and 20-30 weeks for 'Winter' European varieties.

Requirements

Likes a good dressing of manures or similar nitrogen supply and a well drained soil but remember to keep well watered as all those leaves get thirsty. Needs a fairly good dose of sunshine.

Pests and Diseases

Cabbage whitefly, cabbage moth, aphids and clubroot.