When & how does it work best?

Prepare and fertilize the soil well

White cabbage, like almost all cabbage vegetables with the exception of kohlrabi and kale, is quite demanding. The vegetables, also known in southern Germany as white cabbage or cabbage, thrive best on chalky, loamy and moist soils. Cultivation fields on the edge of moist meadows are very suitable - white cabbage loves it as moist as possible. For this reason, the vegetables should be watered regularly.

Before the young plants are brought into the bed, the soil should be freshly fertilized with rich manure; it also makes sense to dig the earth as deep as possible. White cabbage is deep-rooted and therefore also needs loose soil in the deep. Furthermore, depending on the quality of the soil, it can make sense to enrich the earth with lime. Acidification of the soil should be prevented by introducing wood ash. White cabbage is rather difficult to cultivate in elevated gardens, as the soil here is usually too dry.

Note crop rotation

Like all types of cabbage, white cabbage is very demanding on the soil. Cabbage should never follow cabbage, as this on the one hand heavily leaches the soil and on the other hand attracts pests. Afterwards, no cabbage should be grown on the site for at least a year, and bulbs, leafy vegetables, radishes and radishes are also not recommended. For planting white cabbage, beds that have previously carried cucumbers or beans are ideal. White cabbage following carrots, peas, parsley or tomatoes also promises a good harvest. Furthermore, white cabbage is very suitable for a mixed culture with strawberries, spinach or potatoes.

When to plant which varieties?

In the case of white cabbage, a distinction is made between early varieties and summer and autumn cabbage. The plants are placed on the bed at very different times of the year.

1. Spring cabbage

Young plants of the early white cabbage - the “Cape Horn” variety is very popular - can be put outside from mid-April. They are usually placed at a distance of 40 x 50 cm - white cabbage needs as much space as possible in the bed. If the plants are set too closely, pests will find their way more easily. The first harvest can be carried out within about eight weeks.

2. Summer cabbage

Summer cabbage is planted in the ground at the end of June / beginning of July and can then be harvested at the beginning of autumn.

3. Autumn cabbage

The so-called autumn cabbage comes into the bed as a young plant from October and can also overwinter there. Frost does not harm the white cabbage, but the plants should be covered with fir branches from the beginning / middle of November. The harvest takes place in the following spring.

Tips & Tricks

In order to achieve a better harvest result, occasionally water the cabbage plants with water that comes with it guano(€ 9.82 at Amazon *) (pigeon droppings are the most nutritious).