(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello, Mid-Ohio Valley farmers and gardeners. After a warm and dry March, the weather has turned cold on us for a few days here in the second week of April. There is still time to prune fruit trees and plant some cool season vegetables.

April 11 is Arbor Day here in West Virginia. It is marked by the planting of trees and emphasizes tree care to sustainably protect our natural resources. Journalist Julius Sterling Morton began his crusade of spreading the importance of planting trees for our environment back in the 1870’s.

As editor of the Nebraska City News, Morton used the platform to propose a day that would encourage all Nebraskans to plant trees in their community. This practice spread to other states, and in 1972 President Richard Nixon proclaimed April 28 as National Arbor Day.

If you’re completely new to vegetable gardening and want to enjoy your own homegrown produce this year, there are several things you can do to make your garden more successful. Choose raised beds and containers if you have clay soils.

If you use containers, you can garden in any location and move the containers for optimal conditions. Select a site where your plants will get at least eight hours of sunlight.

Get a soil test. Soil testing is a free service here in West Virginia, and the WVU Soils lab is open and ready to serve the people of the Mountain State. A soil test will tell you if your soil has deficiencies and if it is too acidic or alkaline.

Build organic matter with compost to correct many deficiencies. Start a compost heap with two parts “brown” materials such as leaves, straw, paper and sawdust to one part “green” materials such as vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, grass clippings and animal manure.

Choose easy-to-grow vegetables that your family enjoys. Five vegetables that thrive in cool conditions are radishes, peas, leaf lettuce, carrots and spinach. Heat-loving veggies that should be planted in warm soil are bush beans, summer squash and tomatoes.

This week I want to discuss cabbage. Sauerkraut (German for soured cabbage) has been a staple for many generations in Europe and actually traces its roots to China. Remember folks, we survived for thousands of years before refrigeration.

Cabbage is an ancient vegetable, cultivated thousands of years ago in the Middle East and spread east into Asia and west into Europe. However, the smooth, tight-headed cabbages we grow today are a relatively recent development. The Romans and Greeks most likely cultivated a loose-headed, savoy-leaved type of cabbage.

Cabbage is a great addition to the spring garden. It loves cool weather and is tolerant of late spring frosts. This cool season vegetable is a cole crop and related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collards, kale and kohlrabi. It grows best with average temperatures between 60 and 750F.

According to the USDA, cabbage is the second most economical cooked vegetable in terms of price per edible cup (and a cup only has 24 calories). Only potatoes came out slightly less expensive.

Cabbage contains numerous flavonoids and phenols which have demonstrated antioxidant activity. This is a major reason why research has linked cabbage intake to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Red and purple varieties of cabbage are available and contain even more phytonutrients. However, they take a little longer to mature and are usually shredded into salads or pickled. Cabbage is also high in dietary fiber, iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, manganese and other important nutrients.

Cabbage thrives in fertile, well-drained, moist soils with plenty of organic matter. Mulching around plants will help keep the ground cool and moist. It has a shallow root system, so provide consistent and adequate water when needed, about 1 inch per week.

Soil pH should be maintained between 6.0 and 6.8 for optimum growth. This range will maximize nutrient availability and discourage clubroot, a disease that occurs most often when cabbage is grown in more acidic soils with a pH lower than 6.0.

Direct seeding in the garden is not recommended for cabbage. Purchase disease-free, strong and healthy transplants or start seeds indoors about six weeks before setting out in the garden in April until mid-May. Garden centers and nurseries have many varieties to select from.

Space plants 12-16 inches apart in the row with 30 inches between rows. Plant spacing affects head size. Close spacing (12 inches apart in the row) produces small heads. Large-headed varieties are spaced wider. Small-headed varieties are fast maturing and can be succession planted throughout the season. The closer the spacing, the smaller the heads.

In addition, cabbage can easily be grown in containers or raised beds and will mature in about 70 days. There are dozens of varieties available to gardeners. Cheers, Early Jersey Wakefield and King Cole are some disease-resistant varieties to select for the home garden. If you are looking for red cabbage try Red Acre or Ruby Perfection.

Insects, including aphids and worms, can be especially harmful to cool-season crops. Control them as they appear. As cabbage heads mature, they become prone to splitting in response to heavy rainfall. To minimize head splitting, avoid late-season fertilization, provide adequate water throughout the growing season and harvest heads as soon as they are firm.

Cabbage can be harvested once the head is firm and is adequately sized, based on the variety and environmental conditions. Remove all loose leaves prior to storage to maintain sufficient air circulation. Cabbage can be stored in a refrigerator for several weeks if temperatures are near 32 degrees F.

Contact me with questions at the WVU Extension Office at 304-424-1960 or at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu. Good Luck and Happy Gardening!