Mar. 22 Column: Grow Cabbage Family Crops

For this week’s column, I wrote about how to grow cabbage family crops. This includes broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radishes and rutabagas, just for starters. Here is link to it in today’s edition of The Spokesman-Review: Netting helps keep pests away from cabbage family crops. (or you can read my column lower in this post)

My current favorite to grow is broccoli. I mean, you just can’t beat the flavor of freshly-harvested, homegrown broccoli. Add a squeeze of lemon and a bit of butter and oh yes! That is good stuff. For the past two years, I’ve grown ‘Early Dividend’ (pictured above left) and highly recommend it. This year, I’m trying a new-to-me cultivar called ‘Millennium’. While I hate to mess with success, I always feel compelled to try new things.

One of the frustrations with growing cabbage family crops is that they truly are bug magnets. Have you ever steamed broccoli and ended up with a worm or two in the saucepan or on your dinner plate? I mean, EWWW. 

Aphids think cabbage family crops are pretty tasty, too. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can easily prevent both of these insects from causing problems and you don’t even need to kill them. That makes me very happy.

You can read all about this in my column. For this week’s “Everyone Can Grow a Garden” video (below), I demonstrate the simple techniques for keeping cabbage worms and aphids off your crops. Have a look:

Garden column: Grow cabbage family crops

by Susan Mulvihill

Cabbage family crops are some of the tastiest veggies a gardener can grow. Often referred to as brassicas or cole crops, examples include arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radish, rutabaga and turnip.

All of these are considered cool-season crops, which means they should be planted in the spring once the soil is dry and crumbly. But there are a few exceptions on the timing of the plantings. The seeds of all of the crops listed above – except for broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower – can be direct-sown in the garden around Apr. 15.

Start broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower from seed indoors around Apr. 1. Wait until mid-May before transplanting those seedlings into the garden.

The most frustrating thing about growing members of the cabbage plant family is that they tend to be bug magnets. It’s common for aphids, cabbage worms and slugs to chow down on the vegetables you were planning to enjoy during future meals. Don’t let those critters keep you from growing them, however, because there are simple ways of dealing with them organically.

My favorite tool is floating row cover. This lightweight fabric lets in sunlight and moisture. When placed over these crops, it acts as a physical barrier to keep insects away. In this case, it prevents aphids and cabbage butterflies – the adult form of cabbage worms – from gaining access to the plants. Floating row cover is available at large garden centers and online.

An alternative to floating row cover is tulle, which is bridal veil netting. There are two things I like about it: the more open mesh allows for better air circulation – which cabbage family crops benefit from — and it’s easier to see through. That way, you can more easily check on the plants without having to uncover them. Fabric stores sell tulle by the yard or you can bulk-buy it online.

For each of these covers, I place them over hoops that span my raised beds and weight down the covers so they won’t blow off on a breezy day. The covers go on as soon as I’ve planted my seeds or seedlings and remain in place all season since cabbage family crops don’t need to be pollinated.

Slugs can be an annoying problem for many types of plants. They are nocturnal and happily munch on the plants’ leaves while no one is watching.

Organic slug baits, such as Sluggo, can be sprinkled onto the soil surface around your seedlings. Another option is to make a beer trap. Push an empty cat food or tuna can into the soil until the can’s lip is even with the soil surface. Fill the can about halfway with beer. Attracted by the smell of the yeast, slugs fall in and drown.

Another organic method involves the use of Corry’s Slug & Snail Copper Tape, which is easy to find at garden centers. The reason this product works is because the skin of slugs and snails reacts electrically to copper so it creates a barrier that slugs won’t cross. Make 4-inch-diameter hoops with the paper-backed tape and encircle the base of each of your seedlings with a hoop. To make sturdier hoops, cut 1 ½-inch lengths of 3-inch-diameter plastic drain pipe. Remove the paper backing from the copper tape and attach it to the outer perimeter of those plastic rings.

There is something so satisfying about enjoying homegrown cabbage family vegetables that the insects didn’t get to first.