Eric Beaubien Jr., age 10, of Carson City, Nev., for his question:
DOES CABBAGE GROW FROM SEEDS:
Cabbage is a common vegetable native to England and northwestern France, but now grown throughout Europe, America and Asia. The plants grow from seeds. In areas with a mild climate, most farmers prefer to plant the cabbage seed directly in the field.
Cabbage grown commercially under normal conditions is a biennial. Farmers grow the plants one year and leave them in the ground during winter. In the spring the plants produce seed.
Sometimes cabbage plants that have been subjected to cool weather between 50 degrees and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, produce seeds rather than marketable heads. Many biennial plants show this response to cold weather. In warmer weather, from about 60 degrees to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, cabbage plants produce heads.
Cabbage seeds are small and look almost exactly like those of cauliflower, broccoli or other similar plants. When planting directly in the field, farmers sow the seed in rows about three feet apart. When the young plants grow, workers thin the rows to allow a space of about 18 to 24 inches between the plants.
In regions with short growing seasons, farmers may start the seeds in greenhouses or hot beds. They plant the seeds in small, shallow boxes called flats. Shortly after the plants sprout, workers transplant them to larger flats, spacing them two inches apart.
In the larger flats, the plants grow for another eight to 10 weeks. Then the workers transplant them to the field.
By first planting in flats, each plant must re establish itself every time it is transplanted. Because of this, growth is often retarded. Therefore, most farmers, particularly those in mild climates, seed cabbages directly in the field.
Most home gardners seem to prefer to buy small cabbage plants rather than seeds. On a small scale, this type of planting seems to be the easiest.
There are three kinds of cabbage: white, red and Savoy.
The leaves of the plant grow close together to form a hard, round head. The leaves of the white and red cabbage are usually quite smooth, but have rather prominent veins. Those of the Savoy appear wrinkled or blistered.
White cabbage, which has pale green leaves, is the most popular type in the United States and Canada. People eat it raw in salads, cooked as a hot vegetable or pickled as sauerkraut.
Red cabbage, with its reddish purple leaves, is not so popular as white, but it can be eaten raw or cooked.
Many people say the Savoy type has the best flavor.
Cabbage plants are sometimes attacked by aphids, cabbage loopers, maggots, cabbage worms and other insects. Some insects eat the leaves, destroying the round shape of the head. Insecticides can control the insects.
Diseases that affect cabbages include blackleg, club root, mildew, mosaic, root rot and yellows. Club root and yellows are soil borne diseases.