Growing Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage surprizes tastebuds with lettuce-like flavor.
Chinese cabbage can be grown as an early winter and mid-winter vegetable. If planted too late in the fall or spring, the heads often "bolt" or send up a flower stalk before they head up. You can grow Chinese cabbage from seed or from transplants. Seeds are sold locally and by mail order.
Chinese cabbage is an oriental vegetable that can be grown in Georgia gardens and used in salads and sandwiches instead of lettuce. It's also known as celery cabbage because some varieties are tall the slender. Its a close cousin of regular cabbage.
Most varieties produce oblong, firm, crisp heads. The leaves of Chinese cabbage are slightly wrinkled and are a lighter, brighter green than leaves of regular cabbage. The wide, white midribs of the leaves are crisp and have a nice flavor. The leaves closely resemble lettuce in color and texture. The mild flavor of Chinese cabbage is more like that of lettuce than that of cabbage.
Seeds can be bought through mailorder.
Chinese cabbage can be grown as an early winter and mid-winter vegetable. If planted too late in the fall or spring, the heads often "bolt" or send up a flower stalk before they head up. You can grow Chinese cabbage from seed or from transplants. Seeds are sold locally and by mail order.
Fall crop planting…
Plant seeds directly in late August through October for a late fall and early winter crop. Treat Chinese cabbage like lettuce or regular cabbage, spacing heads one foot apart for larger heads and 10 inches apart for smaller heads. Fertilization, weed control and pest control are the same as for cabbage or lettuce.
Spring crop planting…
For a spring crop, start seed in January in an protected area or indoors where they will get plenty of light. When plants are three to four inches tall, set them out. The heads are ready to pick when they are firm. For home use, plant double rows so heads are 2 to 3 pounds. If spaced wider, they can reach 10 to 12 pounds. Wrap harvested heads in plastic and they'll last several weeks in the refrigerator.
Varieties recommended for home gardens are:
Burpee Hybrid, Early Hybrid G, Springtime, Summertime, Wintertime, Early Autumn and Early Autumn and Early Top 16. The name may imply the season in which the variety matures, but all can be grown in either the fall or spring.
Great for salads or slaw…
Chinese cabbage can be used as lettuce, but it's also good in slaw. It's good shredded and cooked, too. Begin cooking the white midrib, then add leaf blades after the midribs have cooked a little. You might want to make relish sticks from raw midribs. Chinese cabbage is low in calories and good source of vitamin C.
For more information on growing Chinese cabbage; contact your local County Extension Office.
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||
 |
|
||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|||||||||||