Topic: how do I know when it's time to cut the cabbage?

[bestofour]

[Dianna]

That is beautiful, Sheri.

How large is the inside part? I would think that if it was about the size of a canteloupe that it would be ready to cut. We haven't grown any though, so wouldn't know for sure...

Someone else that has experience will be along shortly to help you...

[bestofour]

first time for me too and I did it on a lark.  A man came to the school and gave all the 3rd graders cabbage plants a while back and gave me a few too.  I planted them in the same area and that's the only one the worms didn't get.  He said it was a new type that should get to 5 feet across.  I don't think that's going to happen.

[landofoz]

That is strange, Sherri.  The neighbor behind me said that a guy came to her daughter's school and gave all the third graders cabbage plants and said that whoever has the largest one at the start of the year will get some prize.  Maybe it's a national program??

[bestofour]

I have a friend in Illinois whose 3rd grader got a cauliflower plant.  The man who brought ours is from Bonnie Plants.  I guess it's nation wide.  Cool.

[bestofour]

at a farmers market yesterday there was a man with big cabbages.  They had holes too and he said it's not cabbage worms but slugs that were eating mine and insectisidal soap works some but not that great.   His had holes but he said the inner cabbage heads were in tact.

[sunsoaker]

The prison work camp next to my office, who maintains our grounds, planted collards in our foundation beds this year. They also planted a couple of heads of cabbage. Our stuff is majorly eaten up. They harvested the collards once, but left the plants to grow. They also harvested the cabbage, but now those are putting out new heads... several per plant. Is that normal? Is this second growing of heads going to be as edible as the first? If so, I will prob snag at least one before they harvest again. Each plant has 3 to 4 heads on them now. They'll prob be smaller than the original.

[Tonya]

I usually wait until mine are the size of a cantaloupe like Dianna said. Not sure if that is the way you are supposed to do it, but it's how I do....

As for more heads.... Mine generally die back once I cut them... Never heard of growing more than one head per plant. I'll be interested to see how that is done.

[Ariel]

I planted some as well this year I agree with the comment above mine. That usually seems like a good size when u get them from the farm