Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Cabbage in bloom
SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS
Ideal cabbage plants for seed are medium-sized ones with tightly
formed heads. Other selection criteria:
• heads that have not opened (e.g., after heavy rainfall in autumn)
• leaves that are not easily loosened from main stalk
• lack of bacterial or fungal disease
• short inner stalk (not necessarily noticeable from without; comes with experience)
• true-to-type head shape (flat, flat-round, round, flat-conical, pointy-conical)
• stability (good root development)
• flavor
• early ripeness (for storage varieties as well), quick head development
• ability to ripen at your location (site adaptation)
• for storage varieties: dense, tightly packed head
• especially for red cabbage: earliness
Progression of cabbage from head to seed bearer
. Starting in late winter, bolting cabbage stalks attempt to penetrate the
leaves of the head. To enable the stalks to do this, a carefully made cut may be necessary. Over the next several weeks, the
head opens up and the flowering stalks grow forth. With good pollination, each plant develops hundreds of seedpods. Har-
