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The first time I ever saw an Ornamental Cabbage I was blown away. The colors were just beautiful. I thought the shapes of the curly edges of the cabbages were wonderful and the green edges perfectly framed the lovely shades of pink, purple, whites, reds and lavender of the centers of the cabbages.
Ornamental cabbages and kale do not tolerate a lot of heat and that makes them great for landscapers and gardeners in the north as they can survive temperatures as low as five degrees Fahrenheit as long as they are slowly acclimated. However, a sudden and unexpected freeze will kill them off while moderate or light frosts will intensify their colors.
These plants were the results of hybridizing by cross pollination.
Since these plants do not do well in the summer heat, the best time to plant them is in August and September which gives them time to become established. However, if the August and September months in your zone are hot you may want to plant them later or you will probably wind up with “leggy” cabbages instead of the nice squat ones you really want. Also if you plant before the first frost you may get visitors to your garden which are known as “cabbage loopers” which will bore holes in your leaves.
You can also grow ornamental cabbages or kale directly from seed by sowing directly into the soil where you want them to grow and depending on your zone you must sow the seeds about six to ten weeks before you anticipate your first frost so check your almanac.
Seeds are to be planted in rows and spaced about eighteen to twenty four inches apart. Allow six inches between the seeds. These seeds require light for germination so do not cover them with lots of soil. Some just pat them gently into the soil and gently water them keeping them moist during germination and others say to cover them with about 1/8th inch of soil and then water and keep moist.
In about one or two weeks the seeds germinate and sprout and you can thin out the plants which they are about three inches tall. Leave the strongest plants and leave a space of about eighteen to twenty four inches between the plants.
Just remember Ornamental Cabbages and Kale need cool temperatures to obtain their beautiful colors.
“Tread the Earth Lightly” and in the meantime… May your day be filled with…Peace, Light and Love,
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries and to take a walk through her pictorial garden or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books, including her new book, “The ABC’s of Wine and Beer Making”. Many of her articles written for Greenthumbarticles have paintings she has created of the subject and they can be seen at her “How to Do It” site. Remember to check out her artwork, especially of her fruits and vegetables. Many of her paintings are sold internationally and many of her works of art have been reproduced on note cards, post cards and other functional items and you can get Giclee prints of her artwork starting as low as $11.89 Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books, art, etc. go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my sites.”
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