Hello, Mid-Ohio Valley gardeners! April has brought a noticeable shift in the weather. After a warm and dry March, this second week of April is cooler, but don’t worry — it’s actually great news for your garden. These chilly days are perfect for pruning fruit trees and planting hardy, cool-season vegetables like cabbage.
Celebrating Arbor Day with a Green Thumb
Before diving into vegetables, let’s remember that April 11 marks Arbor Day in West Virginia — a time to celebrate and care for trees. This tradition began in the 1870s, thanks to journalist Julius Sterling Morton, who advocated for planting trees as a way to protect our environment. Morton’s idea caught on, and by 1972, President Richard Nixon declared April 28 as National Arbor Day. Whether it’s planting a tree or starting your vegetable garden, April is a great time to invest in nature.
Tips for Beginners Starting a Vegetable Garden
If you’re just getting into gardening and eager to grow your own food this year, here are a few helpful tips:
- Use Raised Beds or Containers: Especially if you have clay-heavy soil, raised beds or containers give you more control over drainage and soil quality.
- Pick a Sunny Spot: Your vegetables need at least eight hours of sunlight daily.
- Test Your Soil: West Virginians can get their soil tested for free through the WVU Soils Lab. Knowing your soil’s pH and nutrient levels is key to a healthy garden.
- Start Composting: Mix two parts “brown” (leaves, paper, sawdust) with one part “green” (veggie scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings) for rich compost.
Once your soil is ready, begin planting cool-weather vegetables like radishes, carrots, peas, spinach, and leaf lettuce. Save heat-loving crops like tomatoes, squash, and beans for warmer weeks ahead.
Cabbage: The Cool-Weather Hero
This week’s spotlight is on cabbage — a classic crop with deep historical roots and amazing nutritional value. Cabbage has been cultivated for thousands of years, originating in the Middle East and spreading through Asia and Europe. Today’s tight-headed varieties evolved from the looser-leaved types grown by the Romans and Greeks.
Cabbage thrives in spring gardens thanks to its love for cool temperatures. It’s part of the cole crop family, which includes broccoli, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and collards. Cabbage grows best when daytime temperatures stay between 60°F and 75°F, and it can even tolerate a light frost.
According to the USDA, cabbage is one of the most economical cooked vegetables based on cost per edible cup. At just 24 calories per cup, it’s also a low-calorie, high-fiber food rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, manganese, and iron. Red and purple cabbage varieties offer even more antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Planting and Growing Tips for Cabbage
To get the best results from your cabbage patch:
- Soil & Watering: Cabbage prefers fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of compost or organic matter. Keep the soil moist by watering about 1 inch per week. Mulching helps maintain moisture and keeps the roots cool.
- Soil pH: Aim for a soil pH between 6.0 and 6.8 to prevent diseases like clubroot and ensure nutrient availability.
- Transplanting vs. Direct Seeding: Skip direct sowing. Instead, start seeds indoors about six weeks before transplanting. Local garden centers also offer disease-free cabbage starts.
- Spacing: Space plants 12–16 inches apart in rows that are 30 inches apart. Tighter spacing produces smaller heads, while wider spacing encourages large head formation.
- Container Growing: If you don’t have a large garden space, cabbage also grows well in containers or raised beds. Most varieties mature in around 70 days.
For disease-resistant varieties, try Cheers, Early Jersey Wakefield, or King Cole. Red varieties like Red Acre and Ruby Perfection add color and nutrition to your meals.
Protecting Your Plants and Harvesting Tips
Keep an eye out for common pests like aphids and cabbage worms. These insects can damage cool-season crops quickly, so treat infestations early. As your cabbage heads mature, be aware of the risk of splitting, which can happen after heavy rain. To avoid this, maintain consistent watering and harvest heads as soon as they feel firm.
To store cabbage, remove any loose outer leaves and keep it in the fridge near 32°F. Properly stored, cabbage can last several weeks.
April is the perfect month to give cool-season vegetables like cabbage a head start. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a first-time grower, cabbage is a nutritious, reliable crop that adds real value to your garden and your dinner table. So grab your trowel, test your soil, and make this spring a fruitful one.
