Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

There are spring, summer, autumn and winter varieties, so you can cut cabbage most of the year. It likes firm, rich ground. Protect it from caterpillars, pigeons and root fly. Don't grow it where any of the cabbage family grew in the last two years.

Looking after it

Water: Give cabbages normal watering. Water young plants regularly. Once they are settled, soak them well about every 10 days in dry spells. Water more once the heads start to form. A layer of compost over the soil keeps it moist. Feeding: Cabbages need rich soil and plenty of food. Dig in compost the autumn before you plant. On poor soil, give a nitrogen-rich fertiliser once the plants have settled in and before the hearts form.

Harvest and keeping

Once the head is firm, cut it just above the ground with a sharp knife. On spring and summer cabbages, cut a shallow cross into the stump. It often grows a second, smaller head. A cut head keeps at least a week in the fridge. Winter cabbages keep for months somewhere cool, dry and frost-free. Or leave them standing in the ground until you need them.

What can go wrong

Caterpillars. From early summer to autumn, you see holes in the leaves and green caterpillars. Cover the plants with fine insect mesh from the day you plant them. Rub off any clusters of yellow eggs under the leaves.
Cabbage root fly. Young plants wilt and die while white maggots eat the roots. Cover new plants with fine insect mesh pinned to the ground. Grow the crop in a different spot each year.
Club root. Plants stay small and wilt on warm days, with swollen, knotted roots. It can't be cured and stays in the soil for years, so add lime to acid soil and move the crop each year. Raise plants in pots so they go out with strong roots, or grow resistant varieties.

Growing facts: RHS, UC ANR and seed-company sowing guides. Cabbage care and keeping: RHS. How many to grow: University of Missouri and Kansas State extension. pH: Washington State University extension.