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.

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.


Eat them now, they are not going to get any better. They are the best
tasting cabbage,with an alomst delicate flavor and texture, even though
on cooking they usually acquire a purplish hue that reminds one of
zombies. (to minimize this, dip into lemon juice and water prior to
cooking).

If you can not eat them all, you can dig them up with some roots (not
all are needed) and put them in an unheated basement planted in moist
sand. They wil last quite a bit and you can eat them over two months.

Do not try to keep them for next year. They will go to seed as soon as
the weather warms again.

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

simy1 wrote:
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.


Eat them now, they are not going to get any better. They are
the
best tasting cabbage,with an alomst delicate flavor and
texture,
even though on cooking they usually acquire a purplish hue that
reminds one of zombies. (to minimize this, dip into lemon
juice
and water prior to cooking).

If you can not eat them all, you can dig them up with some
roots
(not all are needed) and put them in an unheated basement
planted
in moist sand. They wil last quite a bit and you can eat them
over
two months.

Do not try to keep them for next year. They will go to seed as
soon
as the weather warms again.

Whjy would you want to eat ornamental cabbage?

--

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

Travis wrote:
[...]

Whjy would you want to eat ornamental cabbage?


Because it is a real cabbage. It just has a few vagrant genes that make
it look prettier (in some eys) than the regular cabbage.

Ornamental Cabbages are delicious. What better use for them after several
frosts than to eat them? Beauty AND usefulness - now that's an admirable
combination in a plant. The same thing holds true for plants like scarlet
runner beans.
"Travis" Whjy would you want to
eat ornamental cabbage?

--

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

"weft2" wrote in message
ups.com...
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 only last until about the first of the year here in zone 6. After
several hard frosts they are dead. They are used as transitional plants
here - something to plant after the annuals have become ratty or zapped by
frost. The kale, cabbage, pansies, and snapdragons will last until
Christmas or a bit longer depending on the weather. The pansies can be left
and the snapdragons will seed themselves, but the cabbage had given it's all
and needs to be removed.

True. I never grew the scarlet ones, but last year I had some purple
pole beans (with purple leaves) and that trellis looked very good.
Chard and cardoon also compete in beauty+taste. The one time I
convinced a cardoon plant to get to five feet it was a spectacular
sight. Everyone asked what that plant was. But ornamental cabbage is
special, because it truly tastes much better than the other cabbages,
it flowers so late, and you can eat it when there is little else
available in the garden.

Oakleaf lettuces and carrots are also pretty when used as border plants.