I took a calculated risk last week when I left my cabbages in the garden and visited my daughter in South Carolina. I figured the cabbages would maintain better in the soil under the row cover than in the refrigerator. It looked like night time temperatures would be above freezing, so I would not have to worry about freeze damage. Of course, one of those pesky Canadian cold fronts descended so temperatures were lower than the 5-day forecast predicted, but the cabbages seemed to do well
These are two heads of Soloist cabbages that I have been nursing, hoping they would head up enough to give me enough to make kimchee. These heads were tied up so the interior has blanched but they have not formed a tight head. That is OK, these will be perfect and the good news is no slugs or earwigs in these. Each head weighs about a pound and a half (.7 kg) and with a smaller head will give me the 2 pounds I need for a small batch of kimchee.
These weird looking objects are two more Solist cabbages that I did not tie up to blanch. The leaves laid flat so the inside leaves are green and not the nice yellow color of the first two cabbages. The proximity to the ground also made it easier for something to munch on the leaves. These heads are about a half pound (.25 kg) each. So one of these and a full head will give me the 2 pounds (.9 kg) I need for a batch of kimchee or kraut. Maybe I will make one of each.
I also salvaged two out of three Joi-choi plants left in the bed. These two have had their leaves munched on but the third was down to stubs. With this harvest, I have nothing left in the garden (except for maybe a couple of small carrots). I still need to clean up some beds but those might wait for Spring, depending on the weather. With the seed catalogs arriving, it's time to think of Spring.
That is all from my garden this week. To see what other gardeners around the world are doing, visit Our Happy Acres, our host for Harvest Monday
The difference between the tied and untied cabbage is really striking! I bet they will make some great kimchee. I've never tried tying my Napa cabbages and maybe that would help up my odds for success. I do have a lot of problems with slugs and sow bugs and I don't know if tying would hurt or help them.
ReplyDeleteI found they don't form relatively tight heads unless I tie them up, and makes more room in the beds. Tying didn't help earlier crop, they were infested with slugs and earwigs and went in the compost - too gross to try to clean up.
DeleteWe have a head of Chinese cabbage in the fridge, but from the farm, not my garden. It's so delicious, I'm hoping to be able to fit a few heads in the garden next year. My impression, however, is that these are space hogs - how far apart did you plant yours?
ReplyDeleteThe cabbage is Soloist which is a compact Napa (supposedly 1 serving, but at 1.5 lb?? each). I plant them one per square. Tying up helps once they gain some size.
DeleteI'm surprised the tied up heads didn't become bug motels! I have huge problems with earwigs in my napa cabbages, they would be so comfy in a spot like that. Your joi choi looks like some of my greens that the birds have been noshing on.
ReplyDeleteThe first cabbages, which had tighter heads, got tossed because of the bugs. These are fine, so maybe the cold weather? I think the choi damage might have been a caterpillar. A big, ugly one fell out of the bag on the way to the car, and it wasn't a looper.
DeleteI grew cabbage successfully for the first time this year and even after soaking them for hours and hours, I still found some worms dried up by the time I ate it weeks later. I think I might try a looser variety next year ... ugh, bugs!
ReplyDeleteJust extra protein.
Delete