a close-up
four in a row
cabbage 1
cabbage 2
cabbage 3
cabbage 4
Earlier posts:
Wed, Mar 10, 2010 ~ Playing with cabbage.
Tues, April 06, 2010 ~ Cabbage after a month
Frid , April 23, 2010 ~ Our cabbages at stage 4
1. Cabbages in four pots are growing with stems getting thicker and stronger. I suppose strong stem is the prerequisite for the formation of cabbage head. So far grasshoppers have been shying away. But other veggies, pakchoy and sawi, just a metre away had been savaged to the bones. Grasshoppers are having great days this week. It is a sign for me to put a rest at leafy vegetable gardening. Let grasshoppers, after realising there is no more food around, pack and move somewhere else. A month would be enough I guess.
2. Surprisingly other veggies, where marigolds are close by, as companions are doing just fine. It probably proves a point that have mentioned by many about marigold's ability to shove pests away. From past experience, marigolds too will be feasted by pests, when they are old, as flowers are about to dry up. Nature has a system in store for any living organism, that body defense will weaken upon old age......
3. Now back to cabbages. They are now at the early stage of precupping, judging by the number of leaves. There is an average of 13 leaves in each. The innermost heart leaves are very much in upright position. I put down the stages of cabbage growth:-
1. Cabbages in four pots are growing with stems getting thicker and stronger. I suppose strong stem is the prerequisite for the formation of cabbage head. So far grasshoppers have been shying away. But other veggies, pakchoy and sawi, just a metre away had been savaged to the bones. Grasshoppers are having great days this week. It is a sign for me to put a rest at leafy vegetable gardening. Let grasshoppers, after realising there is no more food around, pack and move somewhere else. A month would be enough I guess.
2. Surprisingly other veggies, where marigolds are close by, as companions are doing just fine. It probably proves a point that have mentioned by many about marigold's ability to shove pests away. From past experience, marigolds too will be feasted by pests, when they are old, as flowers are about to dry up. Nature has a system in store for any living organism, that body defense will weaken upon old age......
3. Now back to cabbages. They are now at the early stage of precupping, judging by the number of leaves. There is an average of 13 leaves in each. The innermost heart leaves are very much in upright position. I put down the stages of cabbage growth:-
Cabbage growth stages
Stage 1: Cotyledon (seed leaves). No true leaves present.
Stage 2: Seedling, up to 5 true leaves
Stage 3: 6-8 true leaves
Stage 4: 9-12 true leaves. Base of stem is still visible from above.
Stage 5: Precupping (approximately 13 - 19 leaves).By the end of this stage, the base of the stem and the bases of all leaves are concealed when the plant is viewed from above. The innermost heart leaves are growing in an upright fashion and are visible without moving any of the leaves.Stage 6: Cupping (approximately 20 - 26 leaves)
Stage 7: Early Head Formation 2.5 - 4" diameter head
Stage 8: Head Fill 3 - 8" diameter head
Stage 9: Mature 6 -12" diameter head
Huh.., The waiting is much longer than I thought.
bangchik and kakdah
putrajaya malaysia
Nice and healthy!
ReplyDeleteAs a gardener, I find I must be patient! Your cabbages look great to me.
ReplyDeleteCabbage leaves really are beautiful, aren't they- green and graceful. Hope they continue to thrive as the heads form!
ReplyDeleteThe closest thing to a cabbage I am growing this year are Brussels sprouts. Rather neat that they look almost identical at this stage
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of the four cabbages. It must be interesting to watch the different phases. I'm still watching my broccoli - that seems to be taking it's sweet time as well!
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your post, I'm realizing that I forgot to start marigolds this year! I've been planting them here and there in the vegetable garden. We'll see what happens.
Michelle
ReplyDeletepamsenglishgarden
JGH
reg
Wendy
AaronVFT
How I wish to see vegetables growing healthily from the beginning to the end. We can never achieve that.., simply because plants/vegetables has to die, fulfilling an agreement between lives and the creator (i think).
Tomato is a plant that grow with zest early on, but after a couple of harvests, the plant slides into old age, with leaves noticeably yellowing and drying... the fruits ripening is a happy note, but the leaves yellowing is the opposite.
Most leafy vegetables are taken early before we can see them aging; spinach, pak choy etc. Fruiting plants like eggplants, lady's fingers and chili allow us to see them aging while harvesting along the way.
Cabbage is somewhat new to me. I wouldn't know what to expect as the plant progresses, shifting from one stage to another until the head matures at stage 9. Will the aging process strongly visible before harvest?..
Thanks to all of you for the encouraging comments. It helps to ease the anxiety, as both of us waits for the outcome. It helps the adventure into home gardening as well as cabbage is not the popular plant in residential area. Over in Malaysia, cabbage is grown in the cooler highlands.
Putrajaya is hot, and the best simulation of cooler environment is to place containers in a slightly shady area near the house. I leave to nature to deal with the rest...
There will be more updates of course on cabbage growing. I hope it is going to be a happy one.
Cheers, Have a great day.
~bangchik
Putrajaya Malaysia.
Growing cabages in Putrajaya? you r amazing Bangcik n Kakdah! Love your blog..make up for the laziness I feel abt my own garden rite now.Hopefully by reading yours will spur me to start again...
ReplyDelete~p3chandan
ReplyDeleteKnowing that cabbage is not a lowland veggie, that is more a challenge to see it through. Hopefully the adventure bear fruits (or rather cabbage heads...)... Happy gardening P3.
Bangchik
wowww... this is lovely.. I dont know why I feel like my cabbage growing so slow.. -_-
ReplyDelete~Cath J
ReplyDeleteIt is not an easy task for the tiny plants to grow bigger, taller, greener, growing roots, absorbing water, sucking nutrients and bask in the sun to cook food. Dont worry, cabbage seems to enjoy themselves even in my garden... haha.
~bangchik
Who knew cabbages could be so pretty? I hope they stay healthy to form heads for you.
ReplyDeletedo they grow and curl up tight like the ones you buy?
ReplyDelete~Corner Gardener Sue
ReplyDeleteThey look pretty with their thick and stiff leaves.
~Ann
They are supposed to curl up at later stage. Its a wait and see game now...
BANGCHIK