Plant · P-185

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea

Cabbage is a cool-season crop that does its growing through fall, winter and spring rather than summer, forming a dense head of leaves that stores surprisingly well through cold weather. The leaves are a strong source of vitamin C right when little else is producing. It wants a fairly acidic, well-drained bed - ordinary alkaline clay sits above what any source recommends for it, so cabbage does best in a raised or amended bed rather than open ground. Feed the trimmings and outer leaves to sheep or goats without issue, but only in small amounts to cattle, since too much brassica forage can make them sick and can taint milk.