Do you like a big, firm cabbage with excellent flavor? Try
growing Late Flat Dutch cabbage. This vegetable will feed a large family. Late
Flat Dutch cabbage plants are easy to grow, provided you have a way to keep the
snails
and slugs
away from the leaves. Keep reading to learn how to plant Late Flat Dutch
cabbage, a vegetable that keeps for a long time and delivers quality and
quantity.
About Late Flat Dutch Cabbage Plants
Cabbage
is such a versatile vegetable. It is equally good in salads, stews, or sautéed.
Late Flat Dutch cabbage seeds germinate easily and the resulting heads store
for weeks. This open
pollinated heirloom variety requires 100 days from seed to head and can be
planted for an early summer or late fall harvest.
This large cabbage variety has bluish green leaves and
flattened heads with a creamy light green interior. The heads are monsters that
can achieve up to 15 pounds (7 kg.) but taste a bit sweeter if harvested when
smaller.
The earliest recording of this cabbage type was in 1840 in
the Netherlands. However, it was German settlers that brought Late Flat Dutch
cabbage seeds with them to America where it became a popular variety. The
plants are hardy to USDA zones 3 through 9, but young plants can suffer if they
experience freezes.
When to Plant Late Flat Dutch Cabbage
This is a cool season crop, and will also suffer if they
experience hot summer temperatures, although they usually rally when the cool
season appears. For an early crop, sow seeds indoors eight to twelve weeks
before the last expected frost.
Harden off and install young plants four weeks before that
date in order to ensure mature heads before summer heat. If you wish a fall
crop, you can either direct
sow or start
indoors. If temperatures are extreme, use shade cloth to protect late
season seedlings.
How to Plant Late Flat Dutch Cabbage
Soil
pH should be around 6.5 to 7.5 for growing these cabbages. Sow seeds
indoors in spring in trays 2 inches (5 cm.) apart. When ready to transplant,
harden seedlings off and plant 18 inches (46 cm.) apart, burying the stems
halfway up.
The preferred growing temperatures for cabbage are 55 to 75 degrees F. (13-24 C.) but the heads will increase gradually even in warmer conditions.
Watch for cabbage
loopers and other pests. Use companion plants like herbs
and onions
to help prevent insect invaders. Mulch around plants and water evenly to
prevent splitting. Harvest
at any stage of growth and enjoy.
Do you like a big, firm cabbage with excellent flavor? Try
growing Late Flat Dutch cabbage. This vegetable will feed a large family. Late
Flat Dutch cabbage plants are easy to grow, provided you have a way to keep the
snails
and slugs
away from the leaves. Keep reading to learn how to plant Late Flat Dutch
cabbage, a vegetable that keeps for a long time and delivers quality and
quantity.
About Late Flat Dutch Cabbage Plants
Cabbage
is such a versatile vegetable. It is equally good in salads, stews, or sautéed.
Late Flat Dutch cabbage seeds germinate easily and the resulting heads store
for weeks. This open
pollinated heirloom variety requires 100 days from seed to head and can be
planted for an early summer or late fall harvest.
This large cabbage variety has bluish green leaves and
flattened heads with a creamy light green interior. The heads are monsters that
can achieve up to 15 pounds (7 kg.) but taste a bit sweeter if harvested when
smaller.
The earliest recording of this cabbage type was in 1840 in
the Netherlands. However, it was German settlers that brought Late Flat Dutch
cabbage seeds with them to America where it became a popular variety. The
plants are hardy to USDA zones 3 through 9, but young plants can suffer if they
experience freezes.
When to Plant Late Flat Dutch Cabbage
This is a cool season crop, and will also suffer if they
experience hot summer temperatures, although they usually rally when the cool
season appears. For an early crop, sow seeds indoors eight to twelve weeks
before the last expected frost.
Harden off and install young plants four weeks before that
date in order to ensure mature heads before summer heat. If you wish a fall
crop, you can either direct
sow or start
indoors. If temperatures are extreme, use shade cloth to protect late
season seedlings.
How to Plant Late Flat Dutch Cabbage
Soil
pH should be around 6.5 to 7.5 for growing these cabbages. Sow seeds
indoors in spring in trays 2 inches (5 cm.) apart. When ready to transplant,
harden seedlings off and plant 18 inches (46 cm.) apart, burying the stems
halfway up.
The preferred growing temperatures for cabbage are 55 to 75 degrees F. (13-24 C.) but the heads will increase gradually even in warmer conditions.
Watch for cabbage
loopers and other pests. Use companion plants like herbs
and onions
to help prevent insect invaders. Mulch around plants and water evenly to
prevent splitting. Harvest
at any stage of growth and enjoy.