I love Spring and the rebirth of everything around us. Especially after long dreary winters with lots of rain. Mind you, I am not complaining about the rain – much – but it’s so
invigorating to see the sun shining and the grass growing! Of course, with Spring comes the preparation and planting of our spring garden. It’s fantastic to get back out in the
sun and get my hands in the dirt. I’m sure many don’t share my affinity for growing things and the process, but it really gives me a sense of peace. Now, while I have things still
growing in my raised and container beds, our large garden has a presence of its own. We are a bit behind due to heavy rain this year, but are rapidly catching up and getting
seeds and seedlings in the ground. Yesterday, I planted my first cabbage seedlings. We grow a small-headed cabbage, what’s known as a 45-day cabbage (the variety we prefer
is Tiara). They are a smaller cabbage of 1-2 lbs. so you don’t have to eat cabbage for two weeks, but have a slightly sweeter flavor. They sell well at market and are relatively disease resistant.
Of course, the problem with cabbage is not necessarily disease – but pests. Cabbage are a member of the brassica family that include cabbage, kale, collards, and broccoli, among others. Brassica are particularly attractive to the cabbage moth. While the moths themselves aren’t detrimental to the crops, the eggs they lay on the underside of the leaves and resulting larvae can ruin a crop. The eggs hatch and, as all children do, start eating the closest thing at hand, in this case, the leaves of our cabbage. There are many sprays you can use to deter them, but we don’t like to treat with chemicals so we go the more labor intensive route. There is the option of checking the leaves and pulling off any with eggs on them, but we have come to prefer row covers. While this may sound intimidating, it’s actually just what it sounds like. We take our raised bed tops – basically frames of either pvc or conduit and place them over our cabbage rows. We then cover the frames with shade cloth and tuck them in to prohibit access to the moths. We’ve found this to be a great deterrent and results in relatively undamaged heads. I’m thrilled to see those little plants in the ground and can’t wait to put in the next planting. We try to have several staggered plantings to produce an ongoing supply of cabbage. We try to get our fix
in the spring and fall as most members of the brassica family prefer cooler temperatures. Here we grow again….