Another "duh"...

Soloist Cabbage

"Mini Chinese cabbage. Cute 1-1/2 to 2 pound oval heads have attractive bright yellow internal color, elegant green and white wrappers and mild, delicious flavor. Can be planted densely and forms heads even under high temperatures. Has high resistance to Downy mildew.

40-50 days. So cute and delicious, too! A baby Chinese cabbage means a just right size for Asian inspired dishes without the leftovers. Soloist is a quick to mature, heat tolerant variety with 1 1/2-2 pound, golden hearted, tender, sweet heads. Bred for harvesting summer through fall."

I am growing this for the first time. While I've been waiting for it to form those cute little 1 - 2 pound oval heads, they popped up a center and started to flower. Now obviously I've missed the boat here. Any suggestions as to what I might have done wrong, or how I can do things differently when I replant them?

Next queation...

Should I just pull all of them that have flowered? And what about the ones that haven't flowered, but are large and open? Is there some special kind of trick that a person is supposed to know to catch them at the right time and do something different to make them head up?

Yeah, I know - totally duh, huh? I just have no clue!

They will be more bitter once they've flowered. You can harvest them and try them to see if you like it.

Is there something I could have done to get them to head?

I did pick the first one out this evening and used it for a stir-fry. OMG - it was awesome!!! I cannot begin to imagine how great it would be if it was grown correctly!

They did head, but they may not be a typical "head".

So, in the last photo, is that the time to pick the not-so-tight head? Or is there more to happen? Or should I have picked it sooner?

Sequee -- maybe your weather has gotten too warm and caused them to bolt? Even here in northern Michigan I seem to have a lot better luck getting cabbage to head up by planting it as a fall crop.

Thank you. I will do, that, too! having tasted it - I want MORE!!! (At least i will be able to save some seeds!)

If the weather is up and down hot and cold, they will bolt. The flower stalks and unopened buds are delicious. I grew that particular variety, but had better luck with Tenderheart.

The weather has decidedly been a roller coaster ride. It would make me very happy to think that my issues were atmospheric! I was surprised how much I like this. I major foody anyway, but this just struck a major taste-bud! I will definitely put the Tenderheart on my list. Is it a Chinese cabbage type, also?

Now I don't feel so stupid. The first year I grew loose leaf cabbage I kept waiting for it to come to a head. Don't ask what I was thinking, because I don't know. Anyway, when I figured out that was NEVER going to happen I started pulling the leaves off. they were really good

But this one IS a heading cabbage. It just didn't do it.

plant out side earlier next year or put some in in late summer paul

try growing some snow cabbage next year

Does the snow cabbage taste like the Chinese cabbage? I mean - this stuff was SOOOO good.

I will definitely start it earlier next season - like in the cold frame! And it is on my genda for early September planting!

Sequee-I know yours are supposed to be heads, but for some reason I thought mine were too. I don't know why. I think you have had some fluctuating temps that will cause them to go to seed because they feel stressed and need to get their genes in to the next generation.

Yep - I think the cold to hot to cold makes them think the season's over.

Tenderheart is a chinese or napa type cabbage, it makes a nice head. Finishes in 45-50 days but will hold longer. I planted another one, may have been called Bilko, that did well also. I am not home, or I could look at the package(I save all packages). We sell lots of asian vegetables at the market and to stay a step ahead of the competition I will try many different varieties. I didn't care for the tall chinese cabbage michihili (not sure if I spelled that correctly). It was erratic in making heads, some never did, some were more like celery stalks and it bolted at the slightest change in the weather. The only good point about it, the flower stalks were delicious!

Weedwacker-
sorry about this being completely off topic but I noticed that you were from Bark River. My parents live in Riverland!!! (Well my dad practically lives at the Highland...lol) How's the weather up there? :)

Annalynn -- if your dad frequents the Highland, we may very likely know him! The weather has been pretty darn nice this spring -- I'm afraid we're going to pay for it somewhere along the way (probably with a killing frost in early August or something!)

I'll send you a D-mail, so the forum can return to it's regularly scheduled program...

Sandy

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