White cabbage provides many he althy nutrients and vital substances. Information on origin, cultivation, harvest and storage can be found here.
White cabbage (Brassica oleracea convar. capitata var. alba) is deep in the anchored in human history. Researchers are arguing about the first evidence of he althy cabbage. What is certain is that the plant was already being processed into kimchi, a South Korean savory form of sauerkraut, in the 7th century. The first German evidence of white cabbage is an illustration by Leonhart Fuchs from the 16th century. Shortly afterwards, seafarers recognized the value of the herb and took it with them as provisions on long journeys. In the form of sauerkraut, white cabbage is not only easy to preserve, but also largely retains its vitamin C content, which protected seafarers from scurvy. During the two world wars, the term "Krauts" developed in English usage as an ethnophaulism for the Germans.
White cabbage, like most other types of cabbage, descends from wild cabbage, which still grows in its original form on the coasts of France, Ireland and England. If you like using white cabbage in the kitchen and have a garden of your own, you can easily grow this tasty and he althy herb yourself.
Synonyms: white cabbage, head cabbage, white cabbage (CH)
How to grow successfully in your garden
White cabbage will be divided into different categories. There are early, medium and late ripening varieties. In addition, a distinction is made between varieties for the fresh market and for industrial processing.
White cabbage is quite adaptable in terms of location. It thrives best in a sunny to semi-shady place, likes loose to slightly loamy soil and, as a representative of the heavy feeders, prefers nutrient-rich soil. Poor garden soil can be improved with compost before planting out. Here, compost not only increases the nutrient content, but also the ability of the soil to store water. For fertilization, we recommend a nutrient-rich organic fertilizer with a long-term effect, such as our Plantura organic tomato fertiliser, which provides white cabbage with all the nutrients it needs for three months.
Importantthe right choice of variety. Early varieties are particularly suitable for fresh consumption, while late varieties can often be stored for weeks. Hobby gardeners with a cool basement can count themselves lucky. Because the cabbage heads can be hung upside down with their stalks and roots. If the temperature and humidity are right, cabbage heads from good storage varieties can be stored until the beginning of February.
The early bird catches the worm also applies to successful white cabbage cultivation: If you want to harvest the white cabbage early (usually at the beginning of July), you have to sow it in February, either on your own bright window sill or directly outdoors a glass dome (e.g. an upside-down mason jar). The plants grown on the windowsill can be planted in the prepared soil at the beginning of April. In severe frosts, however, the young plants should be protected. Medium and late varieties can be planted out in May. In areas with a very favorable climate, cabbage can also be sown at the end of July and August.
It is best to hibernate under a protective film until spring, when you can harvest the young vegetables and use them in salads or as a side dish. However, the plants have not yet developed a proper head at this point. However, a clever trick can help: start by sowing quite densely with a distance of 25-35 cm between the plants, in spring every second plant should then simply be harvested as leafy vegetables. The remaining plants then have enough space to develop a real head of cabbage.
In a traditional dismantling, the distance is also chosen depending on the growth potential of the variety. More compact varieties are content with a distance between the plants of 40cm, later and very vigorous varieties can need up to 80cm. The row spacing is 60 to 100cm.
During the growth phase you should occasionally loosen the soil around the plant with a hoe. White cabbage is one of the so-called chopping plants, which do very well if the soil is regularly loosened. If it is dry, it should be watered regularly. Growth can be supported every three to four weeks with a nitrogen and potassium-rich fertilizer. However, overfeeding quickly leads to reduced disease resistance and a sulfurous taste.
You can find more interesting facts about cultivation here:Growing white cabbage: sowing, care and harvest time.
White Cabbage Varieties
You can find a comprehensive overview of varieties here: White cabbage: choosing the right varieties for cultivation.
- Bacalan Gross: early variety from Spain with large and oval cabbage heads; wavy leaf edges, particularly good in aroma.
- Domarna: popular variety for industrial cultivation; heavy round heads. The variety is particularly resistant to diseases and is mostly used for the production of sauerkraut.
- Equatoria (F1): medium-early variety with semi-flat heads and a pleasantly mild aroma. Due to its size and texture, it is particularly suitable for cabbage wraps.
- Filderkraut: medium to late maturing variety with firm and pointed cabbage heads. Filderkraut is a traditional Swabian variety with fine and aromatic leaves, which is particularly suitable for salads and fine sauerkraut; can be stored well.
- Holsteiner Platter: very vigorous and large-headed variety with a flat, round head. Despite the late ripening, the variety does not store well and should be processed immediately after harvest; very good taste.
- Krautkaiser: late-ripening variety with uniform, flat-topped and very large cabbage heads; a good storage variety weighing up to 5kg.
- Lion (F1): late-ripening storage varieties with round and beautifully green heads; high disease resistance (esp. thrips tolerance); In a variety comparison by the LVG Erfurt, the Lion variety achieved the best result in the category "late white cabbage varieties for the fresh market".
- Marner Lagerweiß: late-ripening and tightly packed kale; very large heads with good taste; This traditional variety has also earned the nickname "permanent cabbage" due to its excellent storage properties.
- Matsumo: early variety with flat round heads; Due to the tender and tasty leaves, it is particularly suitable for raw vegetables such as coleslaw; can only be stored for a short time.
White cabbage can be harvested from July
Early varieties can be harvested as early as July if sowed in good time, later varieties can be harvested well into winter. Only the temperature should not fall below -4°C. An important rule is: the later the cabbage is harvested, the longer it can be stored.
After harvesting, no cabbage species should be grown in the same location for at least four years. This is absolutely necessary to prevent diseases.
Uses and Ingredients
White cabbage is rich in important substances. In addition to its high vitamin C content, this type of cabbage also offers plenty of minerals (iron, magnesium, potassium, etc.). In addition, white cabbage contains antibiotic substances that inhibit microorganisms, which explains, among other things, the good preservability.
Before processing, the stalk and outer leaves should be removed. These usually have a high nitrate content. White cabbage can not only be eaten raw in salads, but also as a tasty accompaniment to hearty dishes such as roasts, sausages or Kassler as sauerkraut. The cabbage is also very suitable as an ingredient for oven vegetables.
Spicing the dishes with a little caraway helps against flatulence, which many people fear. This has a digestive effect. You should also be cautious about fertilizing with nitrogen, as this is absolutely not helpful for good digestion and also causes a slight smell of sulfur when cooking.
Diseases and Pests
White cabbage also has to contend with the pests and diseases typical of cabbage species. These include: Cabbage White, Whitefly, and Clubroot.
