COLUMBIA, Mo. – March is the ideal month to plant two of the hardiest and most nutritious vegetables a home gardener can grow easily: cabbage and kale, said University of Missouri Extension horticulturist David Trinklein.

Both are attractive in the garden, with colors ranging from pale green through dark blue to deep reddish purple. Flavors range from mild to strong, and both lend themselves to dishes both raw and cooked.

The most common cabbages, Capitata or head-shaped, are generally classified into three groups based on leaf and color type: green-leaved, which has smooth green leaves; red, with smooth reddish-purple leaves; and Savoy, with crinkled leaves.

Within these three groups, choices break down to the shape of the head (round, conical, globe or flat round) and harvest time (early, midseason or late). Flatheaded cabbages are best for stuffing. Large, late cabbages are most flavorful and best for sauerkraut.

Chinese cabbages, also called Chinese celery, generally have elongated heads with broad, white-stalked, overlapping, savoyed or crinkled leaves. They have a mild to slightly piquant flavor and a wonderful crunch as opposed to Chinese mustards, which have a bolder flavor. Best used raw in salads, they also are excellent in stir fries. Unlike most cabbages, they tolerate hot weather and grow throughout the season.

Kale can grow in northern climates, often well into winter. In summer, as temperatures rise, the flavor of spring-planted kale becomes intense, almost bitter, Trinklein said. Kale tastes sweeter and tastier after exposure to a light frost.

Kale varies in color from pale yellowish to deep green through deep steely blue to purplish red and almost black. It is usually classified according to leaf form and texture. Scotch types have curled and wrinkled leaves. Siberian (or Russian) types are almost flat with finely divided edges. Heirloom “Lacinato” is in a class of its own. Blue-green leaves are associated with greater cold tolerance. Japanese kale is used mainly for decorative purposes.

Cabbages and kales prefer cool weather and can withstand light frosts. They grow best in full sun in rich, moist, slightly alkaline soil that is well-drained. To avoid soilborne diseases, do not plant any members of the cabbage family – such as broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts or mustard – in the same place for four years.

Most gardeners grow cabbage and kale from started plants rather than from seed. Choose healthy-looking plants. Look under the leaves and along the stem for any insects, especially aphids, or insect damage. If you see small white moths with single black dots on their wings, these are likely cabbage butterflies that lay their eggs on the plants. Do not buy these plants. Also, avoid rootbound plants or plants with roots hanging out the bottom of the pot or cell pack.

Keep plants slightly moist. This is especially important for plants started in the summer for fall and winter harvest. Side dress with nitrogen fertilizer when the plants are half grown, or use foliar feed every three weeks. Mulch with 1-2 inches of organic matter, keeping the mulch an inch away from the stem of the plant. Mulching helps keep the soil moist, feeds the plants and controls weeds. Irrigation is especially important to help the young plants withstand the intense heat and sun of summer and to supply developing heads with enough water to develop quickly.

Among the most common pests are aphids and cabbage loopers, which are the larva of small, white moths that lay eggs on host plants. Cover the plants with screening or floating row cover to prevent this. Control aphids by spraying with frequent hard blasts of water; you can also try spraying with insecticidal soap or hot pepper spray.

Harvest cabbage any time after the heads form. Cut the heads when they are solid (firm to pressure) but before they crack or split. Springy heads are not mature. For spring-planted cabbages, cut the head only; do not pull up the whole plant. Cut as close to the lower surface of the head as possible; leave the loose outer leaves intact. Buds will grow in the axils of these leaves, forming “cabbage sprouts.” Pick them when they are firm and 2 to 4 inches across.

Store late fall or winter cabbage for several months in humid conditions as close to freezing as possible. Store only disease-free heads. Pull out the cabbages and hang, roots and all, in a moist cellar, or cut heads, remove loose outer leaves and spread them one layer deep on shelves or pallets in a moist root cellar.

Harvest kale when leaves are large enough for intended use. Pick outer leaves as you need them; the plant will keep producing new inner leaves. Tender young leaves are best for salad, older leaves for cooking. Frost improves the flavor of kale. Mature plants survive to 10 F or below. Mark the site so you can find the fresh greens under the snow.

Dark green leafy cabbage is high in vitamin C, iron and folate. Cabbage also has beta-carotene, potassium and phytochemicals such as glucosinolates that have been shown to reduce cancer, especially lung cancer. The pale center leaves are much less nutritious. Avoid overcooking, which depletes the nutritional content. Raw red, green or Savoy cabbage has about 20 calories a cup; when cooked, it has 30 calories per cup. Chinese cabbage is only 11 calories a cup raw and 15 cooked; it has more vitamin C than the other cabbages.

Whether raw or cooked, kale is a low-calorie, high-nutrition leafy green. A cup of raw kale has 60 calories; cooked it is 48 calories. Even cooked, where it can lose one-third or more of its nutritive value, a cup of kale provides the minimum daily requirement of vitamins A and C and 13% of the calcium requirement. Kale is a good source of glucosinolates, vitamin E and manganese. It is used in soups or steamed and served with butter or vinegar. Unfortunately, kale is often used in salad bars as decoration covering the ice rather than as a selection on its own.

Adapted from an article published by the National Garden Bureau.

Photo

http://muext.us/RedCabbagePhoto
Red cabbage. Photo courtesy National Garden Bureau.