CropNeeds attention
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea L.v capi.
Temperature
15°C to 24°C
Rainfall
328mm to 826mm per season
Conditions
What it needs
Soil
Rich, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. A hungry crop.
Water
Steady water throughout. Letting it dry out and then watering heavily splits the heads, which makes them unsellable.
What you will need
Tick what you already have; Grow carries the rest into the cost working.
Grow holds no supplier listings and no local prices, so it cannot tell you where to buy these or what they cost near you. Ask at your nearest agrodealer or extension office, then put those figures into the planner.
Through the season
Stages
- 01
Nursery
28 days- Sow in a clean bed
- Harden off before transplanting
- 02
Land preparation
7 days- Plough
- Work in manure
- 03
Transplanting
3 days- Transplant in the evening
- Water in
- 04
Vegetative growth
30 days- Weed
- Top-dress nitrogen
- Scout for caterpillars
- 05
Head formation
30 days- Keep water even
- Watch for aphids in the heart
- 06
Harvest
14 days- Cut when heads are firm
- Get them to market quickly
Watch for
Common problems
Diamondback moth
- What you will see
- Small green caterpillars and windowed holes in the leaves.
- What to do
- Scout twice a week, intercrop with a strong-smelling crop, and ask an extension officer — this pest develops resistance to sprays quickly.
Black rot
- What you will see
- Yellow V-shaped patches from the leaf edge with blackened veins.
- What to do
- Use clean seed, rotate away from brassicas for at least two seasons, and do not work in the plot when the leaves are wet.
Aphids
- What you will see
- Grey clusters packed into the growing heart.
- What to do
- Remove badly infested plants and encourage ladybirds. A head with aphids inside cannot be sold.
Follow the label for doses, and ask an extension officer or vet before using a chemical you have not used before.