Cabbage Donation Tracker

🌱 How & Where to Grow Cabbage:

• Start indoors 4-6 weeks before frost for spring.
• Direct seed July-August for fall – fall cabbage is sweeter and stores better!
• Space plants 12-24 inches apart depending on variety size.
• Sunlight: Full sun (6+ hours) but tolerates partial shade.
• Soil Type: Rich, well-drained soil with pH 6.0-6.5.
• Soil Amendment: Heavy feeder – add lots of compost and aged manure

Cabbage loves cool weather – it’s one of the most cold-hardy vegetables you can grow!

🌡️ Temperature Guidance:

Thrives 60-65°F. Withstands 20°F. Avoid extended <45°F on seedlings.

• Optimal growing: 60-70°F days for best head formation.
• Cold tolerance: Mature plants survive down to 20°F.
• Prolonged exposure below 45°F can trigger bolting in young plants.
• Heat above 80°F causes loose heads and bitter flavor.

Michigan’s cool springs and falls are perfect – summer heat is the real challenge!

💧 How to Care for:

• Consistent Moisture: Essential for steady growth and sweet flavor.
• Watering: 1-1.5 inches weekly – even moisture prevents splitting.
• Mulch: 2-3 inches to maintain moisture and cool soil.
• Fertilizer: Side-dress 3 weeks after transplanting.
• Support: Hill soil around stems as plants grow.

📏 Harvest Signs:

Firm, solid heads. 1-3 pounds typical. Before splitting.

• Squeeze test – heads should feel rock solid!
• Size varies by variety – know your type’s mature size.
• Harvest promptly when firm to prevent splitting.
• If heads start splitting, harvest immediately.

Pro tip: Twist plants 1/4 turn to break some roots and slow growth if you need to delay harvest!

🧺 Harvesting:

Cut at base with sharp knife. Leave wrapper leaves for storage.

• Always cut in morning when heads are crisp.
• Cut low on stem for potential second crop.
• Leave outer leaves on storage cabbage for protection.
• Handle carefully – bruising reduces storage life.
• Small heads often form if you leave stem after harvest!

✂️ Pruning:

Remove damaged leaves. Optional: harvest outer leaves. Root pruning to delay harvest.

• Remove yellowing or damaged lower leaves for airflow.
• Harvest outer leaves before head formation for early greens.
• Root pruning: Insert spade 6 inches from plant to slow growth.
• Twist plant 1/4 turn to break roots and prevent splitting.
• Leave stem after harvest for small secondary heads.

🪲 Michigan Pests:

Cabbage worms (Bt spray), aphids, cabbage maggots.

• Cabbage worms – green caterpillars, use Bt or row covers.
• Cabbage loopers – similar damage, same treatment.
• Aphids – gray-green clusters, blast with water.
• Cabbage root maggots – use paper collars at planting.
• Flea beetles – tiny holes in leaves, row covers help.

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Companions:

Onions, garlic, marigolds, dill. Avoid tomatoes, strawberries.

• Onions and garlic repel many cabbage pests.
• Dill attracts beneficial wasps that prey on cabbage worms.
• Marigolds deter aphids and other pests.
• Beets and chard make good space-saving companions.
• Avoid tomatoes and other nightshades – compete for nutrients.

🥬 Varieties:

Early: ‘Earliana’. Storage: ‘Late Flat Dutch’, ‘Savoy Chieftain’.

• ‘Earliana’: 60 days, compact heads for spring.
• ‘Late Flat Dutch’: 100 days, huge heads, stores 6 months.
• ‘Savoy Chieftain’: 85 days, crinkled leaves, cold hardy.
• ‘Red Express’: 63 days, early red variety.
• ‘Storage’: 95 days, bred for long storage.

🫙 Preservation:

Sauerkraut (3 tbsp salt/5 lbs). Freeze blanched. Root cellar 6 months.

• Sauerkraut: Traditional fermentation – 3 tbsp salt per 5 lbs cabbage.
• Root cellar: Whole heads with roots, 32-40°F, 90% humidity.
• Freezing: Blanch wedges 3 minutes, not ideal texture.
• Refrigerator: 2-3 months in crisper drawer.
• Kimchi: Korean fermented cabbage with spices.
• Dehydrating: Makes cabbage chips or powder.

🧑🏽‍🍳 Recipes:

Golumpki, braised red cabbage, coleslaw, cabbage-sausage skillet.

• Stuffed cabbage rolls (golumpki) – Polish comfort food.
• Sweet and sour braised red cabbage.
• Classic creamy coleslaw or vinegar-based slaw.
• Unstuffed cabbage roll soup – easier than rolls!
• Roasted cabbage steaks with garlic butter.

✋🏼 Michigan Tips:

• Fall crops superior to spring in Michigan.
• Start fall crops in flats during July heat.
• Row covers essential for pest control.
• Choose split-resistant varieties for spring.
• Michigan’s humidity perfect for cabbage growth.
• Storage varieties can last until March in root cellar.

🧠 Fun Facts:

• 91% water but packed with vitamin C.
• Can produce multiple heads.
• One cup of cabbage has only 22 calories.
• Captain Cook prevented scurvy with sauerkraut on voyages.
• World’s largest cabbage weighed 138.25 pounds!
• Cabbage has been cultivated for over 4,000 years.
• Romans believed cabbage prevented drunkenness.
• Michigan grows over 200 acres of cabbage commercially!