Growing kale organically in your garden is very easy. Anyone can grow this wonderful vegetable in their garden, even a beginner.
Only a few plants can meet the needs of this greenery. So, growing cabbage organically in your garden can be a great way to take advantage of this vegetable.
Kale (Brassica oleracea) is grown primarily for its edible green leaves. Depending on the variety, cabbage has green or purple leaves, and the central leaves do not form heads. Cabbage is believed to be close to wild cabbage, and it is also called ‘kale“.
Kale has many health benefits as it is rich in minerals and vitamins. It is rich in fibre, iron, calcium and vitamins A, C and K.
Kale is a great addition to a salad and can be used as a side dish. Raw cabbage contains 1% fat, 4% protein, 9% carbohydrates and 84% water.
Kale is amazing, and the best way to make it even better is to grow it yourself. If you have space in your garden, you should start growing cabbages.
How to grow cabbage
Growing cabbage in your garden is very easy. Here we take a closer look at growing organic cabbage in the vegetable garden from planting, care to harvest.
Choose the variety
Cabbage varieties are divided into several types depending on the type of their leaves. These types of leaves are tuberous, jumping, lance-shaped and flat.
And among these types, many other varieties are available. But some common and popular cabbage varieties are Red Russian, Veits, and Winterbor.
Choose the right variety for your vegetable garden based on availability and survival in your area. You can consult any local gardener for the best recommendation.
Buy seeds
After choosing the right variety, you need to buy seeds. You can buy seeds at any seed store near you.
You can also consider ordering seeds online as there are many seed suppliers available in online stores today.
Just be sure to buy good quality seeds. Because good quality seeds ensure a good harvest as well as quality.
The best time to grow cabbage
Kale is an extremely hardy plant, it even tolerates autumn frosts. It is actually a cool season green. Grows best in spring and fall.
You can plant plants fairly early in the spring if you can shelter the plants from strong cold winds.
However, cabbage can survive temperatures down to minus 15 degrees Celsius.
Soil preparation
Cabbage plants can be grown in almost any type of soil. But they grow best in loamy soil that drains well.
Cabbage plants need full sun for best growth. When preparing the soil for growing cabbage, it’s a good idea to add a sufficient amount of organic fertilizer.
So we plow the soil and add homemade compost or well-rotted manure. This will provide the plants with enough nutrients.
Plant cabbage seeds
Kale is grown from seed. You can plant seeds any time from early spring to early summer.
If you plan to grow kale in late summer, you can expect to harvest from fall until the ground freezes over in winter.
Level the ground and make several rows for planting cabbage seeds. Planting seeds in rows will greatly facilitate the process of care.
When planting, sow the seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Germination time can be strongly temperature dependent.
cabbage care
Once planted, cabbage plants will require extra care for best growth. Here we will go into more detail about the usual process of caring for cabbage plants.
Fertilizer: Cabbage plants do not need additional fertilizer if you have already prepared the soil by adding organic fertilizer.
Watering: Watering is essential for better germination. Water regularly after sowing the seeds. Also water your plants regularly as they grow. But do not overwater the plants.
Mulching: Mulching not only helps retain moisture in the soil, but also helps control weeds in the garden. So mulch the soil heavily after the first hard frost. Use organic materials for mulching, such as straw, compost, dry leaves, grass clippings, etc.
Cannabis control: Weeds consume most of the nutrients in the soil. It is therefore very important to control them. You can remove weeds when preparing the soil. And a manual check if you notice any additional weeds. You can also use a hoe to control weeds in your garden. A heavy mulch should kill most weeds in your garden.
Dilution: Cabbage plants do not grow well if overcrowded. Therefore, when growing cabbage, thinning is important. Cut seedlings 8-12 inches apart 2 weeks after germination.
Pests and diseases
Kale is less prone to disease. But they can be attacked by certain pests such as aphids, cabbage worms and flea beetles.
You can remove and destroy affected leaves or entire plants. And the use of organic insecticides will also be effective in controlling most pests in your garden.
Harvest
Depending on the variety, cabbage leaves will be ready to harvest when they reach the size of your hand.
Do not pick the top of the bud at harvest time as this will help maintain plant productivity. And it is best to harvest about a handful of leaves per harvest. The leaves will become sweeter in taste with a light frost.
Cabbage leaves are eaten in different ways. You can cook larger leaves like spinach leaves. And the tender little leaves can be eaten raw and used in salads.
These are common ways to grow kale organically in your garden. Kale is actually amazing and homemade kale has a much better flavor and aroma. Hope you enjoyed this guide. Good luck!
