There is nothing really hard in growing Savoy and Red cabbage. It is more to the fact that what type of cabbage you want to grow when there are so many more interesting varieties to challenge yourself with. Savoy cabbage is a wrinkled variety that resembles your fingers which have been soaked in water for too long.
Savoy and Red cabbage origins stem back to middle –England where it was one of the first hand headed or tightly grown cabbages in that part of Europe. On the other hand, the Red cabbage was introduced to the UK and its background is not well defined. It is said that the history of red cabbage variety was probably traveled from Asia Minor before gaining acceptance by the Western civilization. Here are some tips on how to grow Savoy and Red cabbage and at the same time, maximize your yields.
- Savoy and Red cabbages do not require copious amount of maintenance while they are growing. They are best grown when planted in the cooler months which are the mid-winter to early spring which removes any watering concerns and also pests problem.
- The main ingredients for abundance of Savoy and Red cabbage are mulch, sun and fertilizer. The fertilizer doesn\’t come from a packet. Both cabbages are very fond of manures and compost teas and worm wee. You can shovel a heap of well rotted cow manure around these increasing the application to grow. The snails and snow bugs will be kept at bay when you mulch with Lucerne hay. You can do this while they are progressing from seedlings and companion planting with marigolds will deter the caterpillars and cabbage moth.
- Red cabbage needs a heap of sun as well. At least 4 to 6 hours of winter sunshine will help them to grow to their most potential. If you growing them in the shade, this will stunt their growth and they will become leggy as they try to reach light.
- Water is the final consideration. While most winter climates offer enough rainfall for these to be successful and they are quite impervious to frosts, they may still need some extra water in more temperate zones. If you have garden in areas where the winters are drier, you should consider at least once per week of deep watering regime to encourage the cabbage growth.
Additional Reading:
http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2009/05/how_to_grow_savoy_and_red_cabbage.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickheath/9808168/
