The Sunday Mail
Our next crop is cabbage. When one decides to venture into cabbage production, the first thing to consider is the variety of cabbage to grow and what the market wants.
l always advise farmers to grow hybrid varieties because they have higher disease resistance and are high yielding varieties, for example Elimo F1, Fabiola and Kilimo.
Cabbages are widely adapted to a wide range of weather conditions, hence they can be grown all-year round. As a cabbage farmer, do market research on the head size that your market requires.
If you want to achieve a large head, between six and10 kg, you need to maintain a plant population of 35 000 to 40 000 plants per hectare with a spacing of 60-70cm between rows and 45cm in-rows.
For small to medium heads, which weigh between three and 5kg, you need to maintain a population of between 55 000 and 66 000 plants per hectare with a spacing of 60cm between rows and 30 cm in-row.
The ideal ph range for cabbage is from 5.5 to 6.5.
Diseases that affect cabbages are alternaria leaf spot
Leaf spot
Downy mildew
These diseases can controlled by alternating Metalaxyl, Mancozeb, Dithane, Aquarite and other fungicides.
Insects that affect cabbages
Red spider mite
You control it by alternating Amitraz and Mitac 20 EC
Aphids
Alternately use DDVP 100EC and Dimethiote.
Diamond black moth
It is advisable to alternate Confidor and Carbaryl
