Cabbages

[tomtom87]

My cabbages have lots of leaves and look really healthy but there is not really any cabbage to speak of yet.

Having never grown them before, I am not really sure what to expect. Will the leaves simply start growing more densely in the centre of the plant, this forming the cabbage (like my little gems are doing)?

We only have a very small patch so they are very tightly packed (IE only about 20cm between them). Could this be effecting their growth?

[Flummery]

Could be the latter. Lots of people (well, some of us!) plant cabbages fairly closely and and take out alternate ones for loose greens and let the others heart up. However, it depends a bit on the variety, some heart more densely than others. It also depends on how long they've been growing. Maybe they're just teenagers!

[tomtom87]

I reckon they have been in for about 7 weeks and they were seedlings when they went in, not seeds. They are 'greyhounds' so they are a sort of semi-loose leaf ('pointed' I think they call it). I guess I am just being impatient!

I'll give them until the end of June before I think about thinning them out if they are not satisfactory.

[pigletwillie]

Ideally you want about 18" (45cm) between plants to get hearts of any siaze or censequence although I do plant tight to produce "baby veg". They will pile on leaves and then quite quickly heart up into a point. They do take a few weeks to mature so dont be over anxious.

[tomtom87]

Thanks Piglet, I'll have to stay patient.