Savoy cabbage

Savoy cabbage
Savoy cabbage

Although of course you have enjoyed the beautiful late summer, the unusual heat of September has also wreaked havoc in the kitchen garden's production plan. Which this bed of savoy cabbage is a glaring example of.

The cabbages are sown June 20 and planted as late as August 1 after harvesting winter potatoes. Several years' notes had indicated that sowing would probably not happen much later if one were to expect harvest-ready cabbage heads in mid-October. And that was what I was aiming for: that the lower temperatures of the autumn from the end of October would make the development of the cabbages go so slowly that it could be harvested over a longer period. At the same time, the savoy had to be harvested only when fresh supplies of the summer's dominant crops could no longer be obtained: tomatoes, beans, courgettes, broccoli and more. In theory, then.

And then you stand here on September 19 with 21 savoy cabbages calling for being harvested - and we are not hungry for savoy at all. And definitely not after eating a head a day for the next 3 weeks. If the semi-warm weather continues, it will be interesting to see how long they last without starting to crack.

The variety (Vorbote 3) can otherwise be highly recommended. It is extremely quickly developed, and is otherwise described as a variety for sowing in early spring for summer use. It is very crispy and delicious, and not at all as coarse in it as many of the typical autumn and winter savoy. However, I only grow it as a 2nd crop for late use (summer cabbage needs are covered by cabbage), as it can also withstand several degrees of frost - it will probably just be sown 14 days later next year …….