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Varieties

Bravo, Cheers, Early Jersey Wakefield, Golden Acre, Green Boy, Market Prize, Rio Verde, Ruby Ball, Ruby Perfection, Sanibel, Savoy King

Soil Preferences

  • Fertile, well-drained, medium textured soils
  • pH range of 6.0 - 7.5
  • Relatively well adapted to heavy soils, but poorly adapted to light sands.

Optimum Growing Conditions

Cool days (60-70°F) with cool to cold nights (40-50°F). Will tolerate wide temperature fluctuations and warm temperatures; 15 - 20°F is normal freeze threshold.

Establishment Methods

Planting Method Direct seeded or transplanted
Optimum Time Spring - soil seed zone temperature > 50°F
Fall - soil seed zone temperature < 100°F
Seeding rate Raw Seed - 0.5-1.5 lbs/acre at 0.25" depth
Coated Seed - 6-8 lbs/acre at 0.5" depth.
Approx seed/oz 9,000
Seedling spacing Fresh market - 1-2 rows on 24 to 40" wide raised beds with 6-12" in-row spacing
Processing - 9-15" in-row spacing

Fertility/Fertilization

Rates presented as actual lbs/acre N2, P2o5, and K2o (base actual rates applied on soil test results).
Generalized rate: 150 - 75 - 80 lb/acre
N*100-130 pre-plant
25-30 lbs N/acre side-dressed at thinning (4 true-leaf stage), or at transplanting
P60-80 banded approximately 2" below seed at planting
K80-100 (additional potassium not normally required in most areas of Texas)
* Ammonium nitrate is very stable and least likely to evaporate. Urea and ammonium sulfate evaporate if not incorporated.

Water/Irrigation

High water demand (20-30"). Uniform moisture levels required throughout growing season for Optimum yields.

Pest Management

Cabbage Diseases and Common Name of Fungicidal Controls
DISEASE FUNGICIDE* OMRI LISTED FUNGICIDE**
Alternaria clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, neem oil, streptomyces lydicus,
Bacterial soft rot Bacillus subtilis
Black rot acibenzolar-s-methyl, copper sulfate, PCNB, Bacillus subtillus, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide,
Black rot acibenzolar-s-methyl, copper sulfate, PCNB, Bacillus subtillus, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide,
Downy mildew acibenzolar-s-methyl, Bacillus subtillus, chlorothalonil, copper sulfate, dimethomorph, fenamidone, fluopicolide, fosetyl-Al, mandpropamid, maneb, mefenoxam, potassium phosphite, azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, Bacillus pumilus, clove, rosemary and thyme oil, copper hydroxide, cuprous oxide, extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis, neem oil, potassium bicarbonate, streptomyces lydicus,
Nematode 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, ethoprop, metam-potassium, metam-sodium, sesame oil, azadirachtin,
Cabbage Insect Pests and Common Name of Insecticidal Controls
INSECT INSECTICIDE* OMRI LISTED INSECTICIDE**
Aphid Acetamiprid, Bifenthrin, Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Dinotefuran, Disulfoton, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Methyl parathion, Naled, Oxydemeton-methyl, petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil, Spirotetramat, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, Pyrethrins,
Armyworm Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Endosulfan, Flubendiamide, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methyl parathion, Novaluron, Permethrin, Zeta-cypermethrin Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis Pyrethrins, Spinosad,
Beetle Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Pyrethrins
Cabbage Aphid Acetamiprid, Bifenthrin, Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Dinotefuran, Disulfoton, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Malathion, Methyl parathion, Naled, Oxydemeton-methyl, petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids , Soybean Oil, Spirotetramat, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, Pyrethrins
Cutworm Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Cryolite, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Diazinon, Endosulfan, Esfenvalerate, Flubendiamide, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Lambdacyhalothrin, Methoxyfenozide, Permethrin, Zeta-cypermethrin Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis
Looper Bifenthrin, Cypermethrin, Methomyl, Naled, petroleum oil Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis , Garlic Juice Extracts, Pyrethrins
Moth Azadirachtin
Thrips Acetamiprid, Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Dinotefuran, Gamma-cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Novaluron, Oxydemeton-methyl, Petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Soybean oil, Spinotoram, Thiamethoxam Azadirachtin, Neem oil, Peppermint and rosemary oil, Pyrethrins, Spinosad
Whitefly Beta-cyfluthrin, Bifenthrin, Cyfluthrin, Cypermethrin, Dinotefuran, Endosulfan, Gamma-cyhalothrin, Imidacloprid, Lambdacyhalothrin, Novaluron, paraffinic oil, petroleum oil, Potassium salts of fatty acids, Sodium tetraborohydrate decahydrate, Soybean Oil, Spiromesifen, Spirotetramat, Thiamethoxam, Zeta-cypermethrin Azadirachtin, Garlic Juice Extracts, Neem oil, Pyrethrins,
Weeds and Common Name of Herbicidal Controls
WEED HERBICIDE* OMRI LISTED HERBICIDE**
Preplant incorporated clomazone, DCPA, napropamide, bensulide, trifluralin Corn gluten meal
Preemergence (prior to spear emergence) DCPA, napropamide
Postemergence carfentrazone, oxyfluorfen, paraquat, sethoxydim, glyphosate, pelargonic acid, clethodim d-limonene, clove oil, cinnamon and clove oil

* The above is a partial listing of controls intended as examples. Some labels may have been revoked since the publication of this guide. Refer to product labels for specifics and use accordingly. Ensure that products with one of the listed active ingredients is registered for the crop it is to be used on. Failure to do the above may result in crop injury, death and/or citation for law violation. Humans, animals and the environment may also be adversely affected by misuse.
** As stated in §205.206 of the National Organic Standards, pest management decisions should follow a hierarchical approach, which should be defined in a farm's organic systems plan. Please ensure that you have followed the appropriate steps and any product to be used in certified organic production systems has been approved by your certifying agent.

Harvest

Days after plantingDirect seeded - 110-130
Transplanted - 60-80
Optimum StageFresh market - Heads 50-60% solid, 6-8" in diameter, and weigh > 1 lb
Processing - Heads 50-60% solid, > 6-8" in diameter, and weigh > 4 lbs
Normal methodHand harvested
ContainersBulk wagons, some direct field packing into 50 lb meshed bags
GradesBased on size and uniformity
  • Small - Heads under 2 lbs
  • Medium - Heads 2-5 lbs
  • Large - Heads > 5 lbs
Packaging/HandlingNormally in 50 lb mesh bags or 53 lb cartons
Anticipated yield/acre15-20 tons

Transit Conditions

32°F at 98-100% RH (freezing point - 30.4°F). Shelf life - 3 weeks to 6 months.

Comments/Production Keys

  • Warm temperatures and increasing day length will cause early flowering of the heads
  • Soils pH >7.8 may induce black hollow stems; Solubor(Bo) at 5-10 lbs/A foliar applied prior to heading reduces severity
  • Crop may have an alleopathic adverse effect on following crop
  • High nitrogen requirements
  • Shallow, horizontal rooting patterns dictates very shallow cultivation to ovoid root pruning and reduced yields
  • Production on ligh soils requires high level of management
  • Better suited to early fall production in most areas of the state
  • Water management very critical for stand establishment of early fall direct seeded crop