Cultivating cabbages is, for some strange reason, not all that high on the ‘To do’ list of the vast majority of gardeners here. It appears that they would much rather take a chance with, for example, beautifully coloured sweet corn which is almost impossible to eat in the usual way as it is intended to be ground up and used as flour but which, in the eyes of many, is far more attractive to look at than a simple, deliciously useful, cabbage!

There is absolutely nothing wrong in delighting in success with new or unusual vegetable varieties, of course, and I highly recommend it but not, it must be stressed, at the expense of producing top quality crops of easily grown cabbages, along with a delectable selection of other members of the surprisingly, to the inexperienced, diverse Brassica family of plants to which these wonderfully versatile greens belong.

Now, before awarding further accolades to cabbages, let’s get one extremely important point sorted out: cabbages can be cultivated right around the year — and this too in each and every single corner of our beautiful, environmentally diverse country, completely irrespective of how high or how low the ambient temperature happens to be. The only condition is that suitable varieties are selected according to the growing season; then, after sowing seed, showering the growing plants with lots of tender loving care.

They may not be the most attractive looking plants, but they are beneficial and easy to grow

Sowing winter cabbages and expecting them to thrive in summer heat is, obviously, a nonstarter, yet, due to a lack of information, some gardeners have tried exactly this. And then, after having failed and failed miserably, opted for things such as the aforementioned multi-coloured sweet corn instead and ended up with nothing homegrown to serve up on the summer table. This, times being as they are, is just not on!

Getting it right with cabbages is not, once you get the hang of it, a difficult proposition at all and is, in fact, quite the opposite.

As a general guide: hard headed, dark green, heavily wrinkled cabbages such as ‘Savoy’s’ are sown in early autumn for mid to late winter and spring usage — this type of cabbage requires a relatively long growing season and will not tolerate hot weather for more than a week or two at the very most.

Soft-hearted cabbage

Hard headed, pale green, smooth cabbages varieties — there are many of these ‘Cannonball’ types around. They can be grown throughout the year but can become waterlogged — inside their heads — during the summer monsoon and this excess of water during warm/hot weather results in rotting inside the cabbage head itself. Personally speaking, I avoid sowing this type for summer harvesting, much preferring to time it for winter through until very early summer or the autumn months instead.

Loose leaf or, if you like ‘soft-hearted cabbages’ — these often have pointed, mid-green, not-quite-hearts — are rapid growers and can be ready to harvest in just 30-35 days from sowing the seed. They can be grown all year round and are very reliable croppers during hot weather as long as they are watered regularly and copiously. This type, including old favourites such as ‘Greyhound’ and ‘Wheeler’s Imperial’ are best grown in dappled shade during the hot season and in full sun at other times of the year.

Cabbages, along with other medium to large sized, ‘Brassicae’ that grow above ground such as cauliflower, broccoli, calabresse, kale, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, etc, all thrive in soil that is rich in organic matter, with lots of old, well rotted, organic manure and compost, preferably homemade. The soil is to be prepared at least two weeks prior to planting out individual seedlings, at variety specific distances, once they have reached the four by four true leaf stage in their respective seed beds / seed trays or seed pots. It can also be beneficial, especially if you are aiming for gigantic results … and who isn’t? ... to continue feeding the soil, thus the plants, throughout their growing period by applying an organic mulch, one to three inches deep depending on plant size. The nutrients in this are slowly watered in — and otherwise broken down by useful soil life such as worms and beetles — over time. Mulch should not come into direct contact with plant stems as it may damage them: better to lay it a couple of inches or so away.

Brussels sprout in a pot

Small leaved, above ground Brassicae, ‘regular’ mustard, for one, are sown directly where the crop is to grow as they neither need nor tolerate the transplanting procedure.

Below ground Brassicae, turnips, radishes, kohl rabbi being prime examples, require the same soil conditions and care as detailed above.

Although Brassicae need regular and copious watering — essential on a daily basis in hot weather — they intensely dislike waterlogged conditions which often leads to the onset of debilitating diseases and crippling pest infestations; so please ensure that drainage is good: not medium but good.

Whilst cabbages, cauliflower and even kale, as long as you get the variety right, of course, can be cultivated round the year in Pakistan, as can radish of various types, some Brassicae are only happy during the cooler months of autumn, winter and into mid-spring after which they give up the ghost. Prime examples of cool weather only Brassicae are Brussels sprouts, mustards, broccoli, calabresse, turnips and kohl rabbi although, as always, experiment and you may get some very interesting surprises.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer will not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, November 30th, 2014