Napa cabbage blooming?
This is my first time trying to grow napa cabbage. I saw it today that it may have some flower forming inside. My guess is that 80 degree weather we had in California, made it bloom. So is this the time to pick it.
You know that it can be eaten raw.
Get right in there and take out one of the central leaves and taste it
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Asian greens are often eaten as they develop flower buds, like broccoli. At some point perhaps, they will become bitter. Chinese cabbage is the same species as bok choy and several others. I never give up on them without a taste test and prefer the flowering stalks. The lower leaves may need to be discarded.
Steve
Get right in there and take out one of the central leaves and taste it
.Asian greens are often eaten as they develop flower buds, like broccoli. At some point perhaps, they will become bitter. Chinese cabbage is the same species as bok choy and several others. I never give up on them without a taste test and prefer the flowering stalks. The lower leaves may need to be discarded.
Steve
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I grew NAPA cabbage when I lived in Phoenix area. Cut or pull off the flowers and seeds. Try to make it grow larger if it will. You can probable eat it now but it may get larger. Don't let 10 plants get too large before you start eating them. They need to feel solid like a round cabbage does before you harvest it. Go to grocery store squeeze a NAPA see how it feels.
I had 10 NAPA cabbage plants, I ate the first one when it was 12 lbs wow it was good it made excellent coleslaw. It is hard to eat one of those without help. By the time I had the 2nd one eaten several were the size of water melons. I gave them away 1 by 1 to the homeless children home they would only take 1 at a time and eventually took 6. That left me with 1 large plant and 1 smaller plant that took me another month to eat. Even the 20 pounders were good.
If you put a NAPA or any cabbage in a crock pot with 1/2 cup water for 5 hours it caramelizes and gets sweet and soft like a baked onion.
I had 10 NAPA cabbage plants, I ate the first one when it was 12 lbs wow it was good it made excellent coleslaw. It is hard to eat one of those without help. By the time I had the 2nd one eaten several were the size of water melons. I gave them away 1 by 1 to the homeless children home they would only take 1 at a time and eventually took 6. That left me with 1 large plant and 1 smaller plant that took me another month to eat. Even the 20 pounders were good.
If you put a NAPA or any cabbage in a crock pot with 1/2 cup water for 5 hours it caramelizes and gets sweet and soft like a baked onion.
Cabbages are cool season crops. If you don't have a real winter, you can plant them in the fall. Otherwise plant them in partial shade in warmer weather to keep them from bolting. I haven't seen a won bok bolt yet. Mine just goes from head to rot. It just bypasses the flowering stage. I usually pick them as soon as they form a head, otherwise they start opening up again.
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7414
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
I ordered my seeds on ebay. A friend that grows NAPA said, Michihli is a good one. Seeds I grew last time came from china. I will plant the seeds in a row like before and see how many come up then transplant them 18" apart. My friend makes Kimchi. I make coleslaw. I don't know what else to do with it except cook it. I use it like lettuce too in salads also in vegetable soup.applestar wrote:I'm thinking I want to grow a Napa type cabbage this year. I could use some recommendations for which variety? Also how best to use them.
Are there any good open pollinated varieties or are they mostly hybrids?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/121559819408?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT
I grow the Michili type too. It is taller and more "rocket" shaped than the barrel won bok. It is more heat tolerant and stores better. It can be stored for months if it is kept just above freezing. The barrel type can be heavier, but I use it in stir fries and it it is just fine.
Be careful with the soil, these cabbages are prone to club root and black rot. My soil has black rot which persists for years so I plant the cabages in a long trough planter with sterilized potting soil.
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes ... s/vg16.htm
Important update on crucifer quarantine in Washington State to control the spread of black leg fungus. Get certified seed.
https://agr.wa.gov/Inspection/SeedInspec ... ntine.aspx
https://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factshee ... abbage.pdf
Kitazawa seed has a few different varieties some hybrids have better disease tolerance, but I think the Kyoto yasai are the heirloom ones.
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_178-51.html
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_011-49.html
Heirloom variety.
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_009-49.html
Be careful with the soil, these cabbages are prone to club root and black rot. My soil has black rot which persists for years so I plant the cabages in a long trough planter with sterilized potting soil.
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/notes ... s/vg16.htm
Important update on crucifer quarantine in Washington State to control the spread of black leg fungus. Get certified seed.
https://agr.wa.gov/Inspection/SeedInspec ... ntine.aspx
https://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factshee ... abbage.pdf
Kitazawa seed has a few different varieties some hybrids have better disease tolerance, but I think the Kyoto yasai are the heirloom ones.
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_178-51.html
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_011-49.html
Heirloom variety.
https://www.kitazawaseed.com/seed_009-49.html