weft2 wrote:
I have around 8 very pretty, frilly medium sized ornamental
cabbages in the front yard, in front of some cedar bushes, and
though we've had frost (and snow) for a few weeks now, the
cabbages
are a bit larger and more colourful than ever. What I'm
wondering,
since this is the first time I've had these lovely purple
centered
green cabbages (bought at a nursery and planted late summer),
is
how best to keep them going.

I'm in Eastern Ontario zone 4/5 and we often get wickedly cold,
bitter winters with lots of snow. I'd like to know if I should
dig
these plants up, or just leave them overwinter and cover them
with
lots of straw. Maybe it's too late to dig them up, though the
roots
seem rather close to the surface. Right now the ground is
frozen,
so I would imagine no digging would be possible, but it's
supposed
to warm up a bit in the coming days. (Rain, and wet snow). If
they
were dug up at some point, when should that be (as in, what's
the
point of no return when the cabbage would be damaged by the
cold?),
and would they be stored in a cold, dark shed, covered, and/or
pruned? Or would they be potted and put in a window like
Geraniums?
Thanks for any input.

They are an annual plant enjoy them and plant new ones next fall.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5