Why have my cabbage's no heart?

[vicki lorraine]

Can anyone tell me why cabbages fail to heart up? They are looking very healthy but do not have a firm centre even though the variety should have. They have been in over winter and i should be looking forward to eating nice firm cabbages from April.

[Geordie]

2 possibilities - the cabbages have not been planted firmly enough, by that I mean the ground around the cabbage is loose or newly dug. The other, but a bit less likely is a lack of organic matter in the soil.

Next time you plant the cabbages, assuming they are young plants, literally tread down the soil around the plant.

[Snadger]

Can I just add to Geordie's comments that a light sprinkling of sulphate of ammonia around the roots as a quick acting Nitro feed at this time of year wil make them form more leaf and may even heart them up a bit!

[madderbat]

Ours have hearted up nicely, but they are now going pale - I'm using them for coleslaw (and very nice it is too), should we be eating them quicker or feeding them more? They were planted on manured soil.

[Flummery]

My husband's grandad, a keen allotmenteer, reckoned he used to let the children play on this cabbage plot before he planted (he had 6 kids!) to make sure it was firm enough!

[rustylady]

Spring (overwintered) cabbages don't usually have much of a heart. If you pick in April they will be classed as "spring greens" - lots of lovely fresh leaves but not much heart - leave them a bit longer and they will make a heart, but they won't ever be as firm as late summer or winter cabbages

[vicki lorraine]

Thanks everyone.
Sampled the first one today with dinner. It was fantastic so perhaps the fact that it has little or no heart doesnt really matter!
I think it may have been due to the fact it is a new plot and we had it ploughed before we began.
Will let the children run around on it first next time. I presume i should do this with all brassicas?

[vegman]

Spring (overwintered) cabbages don't usually have much of a heart. If you pick in April they will be classed as "spring greens" - lots of lovely fresh leaves but not much heart - leave them a bit longer and they will make a heart, but they won't ever be as firm as late summer or winter cabbages

I agree with rustylady. The cabbages will heart up later on but watch they dont break and run to seed if you leave them too long. 'Spring cabbages' planted in autumn at about 100mm centres can be then thinned out in early spring and eaten as leaves allowing the remaining cabbages to mature. Leaves or hearts its all great veg!