Cabbage, Cuor Di Bue Grosso
Cuor Di Bue Grosso Early. 65-75 day. Sweetheart type conical cabbage with ample wrapped leaves of light green and marked veins. An Italian heirloom, it produces small to medium sized, conical heads. This is the sweetest raw cabbage I've tasted. It makes excellent coleslaw and sauteed cabbage. A great short season cabbage for fresh eating.
Not all cabbages have the round shape that we usually find on the market, and not all grow to proportions that are big enough to feed a football team.
Cuor di Bue Grosso, literally translated means ‘Large Heart of the Ox’, a cultivar with a beautiful conical shape and sweet compact heart, and looking at its glorious shape ‘Ox Heart’ is the perfect name for it
Cabbage ‘Ox Heart’ is a famous European heirloom, Sweetheart type cabbage. An early variety that produces a mid-sized, conical head with large, firm, pointed hearts and ample wrapped leaves of light green and marked veins.
This very fine cabbage variety is suitable for a multitude of uses. The white hearts are crisp and sweet, excellent eaten fresh in salads or cooked.
Maturing in 65 to 75 days, it can be grown close together, spaced just 12" apart and is a great addition to the smaller garden. It can be harvested early for smaller heads or left to grow. They will stand well in the field until needed or can be picked and stored for up to 10 weeks.
Prepare the site:
All brassica crops grow best in partial-shade, in firm, fertile, free-draining soil. Start digging over your soil as soon as you can brave the elements. Remove any stones you find and work in plenty of well-rotted manure or compost. Tread on the soil to remove air pockets and to make the surface firm. Brassicas will fail if the soil is too acidic; add lime to the soil if necessary, aiming for a pH of 6.5 to 7.5.
Sowing: Sow from February to March or directly outdoors from May to June
Nearly all brassicas should be planted in a seedbed or in modules under glass and then transferred. Seeds should be sown thinly, as this reduces the amount of future thinning necessary and potential risk from pests.Sow seeds 12mm (½in) deep and space 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) between rows.
Once the seeds have germinated, thin the seedlings to 7.5cm (3in) between each plant. After germination, seedlings will often be ‘leggy’, so plant them as deep as possible to really anchor them into the soil.
Growing:
Cabbage seedlings are ready for transplanting when they are between 6 and 8cm high (2½ to 3in). Water the day before moving, and keep well-watered until established. Plant firmly, close together for small heads and wider apart for larger cabbages, around 30 to 45cm (12 to 18in) apart. Cabbage seedlings are ready for transplanting when they are between 6 and 8cm high (2½ to 3in). Water the day before moving, and keep well-watered until established. Plant firmly, close together for small heads and wider apart for larger cabbages, around 30 to 45cm (12 to 18in) apart.
Clear away any yellow leaves. Feed the plants as they near maturity with a foliar feed.
Harvest: September to October.
Earliest heads can be cut, leaving the stump in the ground to produce a second crop of small leafy heads.
Tips:
Brassicas are affected by a wide range of pests and diseases, especially the fungal disease, club root. The roots become stubby and swollen and can develop wet rot, while leaves become yellow and wilt, causing severe stunting of growth. Remove any infected plants from the ground and destroy. Make sure the soil is adequately limed and well drained.
Rotate your crops annually to avoid disease. Don't grow brassicas on the same plot more often than one year in three, as moving the crop helps avoid the build up of soil pests and diseases
Companion Plants:
Good Companions: Aromatic Herbs, Celery, Beetroot, Onion Family, Spinach, Chard
Mint: Effective against Cabbage White Butterflies, Aphids / Flea Beetles.
Thyme:To ward off that nasty Cabbage Worm.
Also useful: Sage, Oregano, Borage, Chamomile and Nasturtium.
Bad Companions: Dill, Strawberries, Runner Beans and Tomato.