Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
(fungus:
Botrytis cinerea
) often appears on outer leaves in storage. Remove affected leaves and cut out
deeper infections with a sharp knife. Disinfect resultant wounds with bone black or wood ash.
Toward the end of the winter, the first flower stalks begin to form in the leaf axils of the main stem.
The largest (and most viable) seeds come from the primary stalks. These stalks often have difficulty
penetrating the tightly packed leaves of the head. To help them find their way through, cut an X into
the leaves of the head in mid to late winter. In South Tyrol, Italy, this is traditionally performed on
Candlemas, 2 February, but in other regions it is often not done until the cabbage is planted out in
early spring. Take care to not injure the apical meristem, the growing tip of the stem, by adjusting the
depth of the cut to the size and shape of the cabbage head, usually 1-2.5 in. (2.5-6 cm). Often the cut
can be made just deep enough that the head, under pressure of its own tightly grown leaves, “bursts”
open on its own. Varieties that send out stalks less vigorously can be further helped by breaking open
the “quadrants” established by cutting the X. (Start shallow, remove deeper plant material thereafter as
necessary.)
At Wildegg Castle's display gardens in Switzerland, cabbage plants are dug up in midautumn and overwinter in a root cellar.
Overwintering entire plants in a dirt or gravel-floored root cellar
. Ideal for much of northern
North America and other regions with deep winter frosts yet relatively low humidity in the winter; in
central Europe, this applies to southern Alpine regions and dry valleys of the inner Alps. Dig up full
plants with stalk and roots. Bring into root cellar, stand up on the ground, and lean against the wall
(head should not be in contact with the ground); individual plants should not touch each other. Plants
can also be hung upside down, roots above head. Dirt or gravel-floored root cellars are more humid
than cement-floored cellars, which helps prevent plant roots and stalks from drying out. Air the room
out on days with an air temperature above freezing. Ideally, the outer leaves of the head will dry like
parchment paper.
Overwintering entire plants in a frost-proof room
. Ideal for regions with deep winter frosts and rel-
atively high humidity in the winter, such as we experience at Arche Noah. Our dirt-floored root cellar
is too humid for cabbage to overwinter without too many diseases, and the winter is too cold to over-
winter plants outdoors, even in a hoop house. The place that ultimately ended up working best was an
