Two of our 30 Elisa F1 cabbage have finally split.
split cabbage
The cabbage have been ready for several weeks, with hard, compact, round shiny heads.
mature cabbage Elisa
Most F1s, including Elisa cabbage, have good standing – which means they stay in this firm state for many weeks. Even though Elisa is not generally prone to splitting, the long period of dry weather experienced when the heads were mature, followed by a heavy downpour, has caused the cabbage to crack and split wide open.
The main causes of cabbages splitting are:
- the pressure of excessive water when the heads are mature
- sudden heavy rain
- a growth spurt caused by water after a long dry period
Ways to avoid cabbages splitting
- choose a variety which does not normally split
- keep cabbages well & evenly watered
- mulch the cabbage so that they do not dry out & rain is slowly released to the soil
- after rain: either
cut the roots, by pushing a spade down either side of the cabbage, so that it cannot take up too much water
or, lift the head & twist to one side so that the roots break – but the cabbage will have to be harvested quite soon after this
split cabbage
Harvest split cabbage heads as soon as possible because the open surface will allow disease to enter & the head will deteriorate