Is there any better feeling than sharing the bounties of a garden with friends and loved ones? We're taking cues from none other than Martha Stewart in this regard. The home gardener and cook recently shared a photo of her lush, green crop of cabbages, and revealed that they were prepped meticulously for guests.
'Garden Club of America garden tour at my farm this morning; what a great group of serious and knowledgeable gardeners. Highlights / the cabbages, the scones, and the roses,' she states in the caption.
Want to grow cabbages as impressive as Stewart's? Read on for some expert gardening tips. First and foremost, for anyone apprehensive about starting to plant and care for cabbages, experts say that these cruciferous vegetables are great garden staples for beginners.
'Cabbages are easy-to-grow vegetables and their range of types means you can get a crop throughout the year,' says Drew Swainston, Gardens content editor at Homes & Gardens. 'With spring, summer, fall, and winter cabbages coming in different colors and with leaf shapes, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest year-round.'
There are over 400 varieties grown throughout the world, which means there is truly a cabbage to suit anyone's tastes; however, we can't go wrong with a classic white, purple or green.
Once a variety has been selected, the next step is to determine where the cabbages will be grown. Climate and soil conditions are crucial to a cabbage's growth, according to Swainston.
'Grow cabbages in a sunny location and fertile well-draining soil,' he suggests. 'Ensure to rotate the planting site to avoid the build-up of potentially devastating diseases like clubroot in the soil.'
Finally, though Stewart's cabbages are photo-ready, Swainston says that typically, they should be covered as to avoid anything that might harm them.
'Cabbage plants want to be covered with fine netting to keep out pests that can be seriously damaging - which Martha must do given her pristine cabbages but prefers to take the netting off for a photo opportunity,' Swainston explains. 'The netting should be fine and placed over hoops to raise it off the plants and avoid butterflies and moths laying eggs onto leaves through the netting.'
Below, find some cabbage plants available to shop and get started in cultivating a Martha Stewart-worthy garden.
