CABBAGE (Brassicaceae)
Published: 2015-03-13Tags: алелопатия, зеле, другаруване, растения-компаньони
Translation
This is a translation of a Bulgarian-language post. It conveys the content faithfully but is not the author's original English writing.
The family includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, collard, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, mustard, leaf mustards, even turnip and radishes, and many others. Although they all develop in different ways, when it comes to pests, diseases and preferences they are almost the same for all of them. Hyssop, thyme and wormwood help to repel the cabbage butterfly.
All the brassicas do well in the company of aromatic herbs, whose scent confuses pests. Good companions for them are dill, celery, chamomile, sage, mint, rosemary, onion and... potatoes. Excellent companion planting also results from alternating them with tagetes.
The brassicas dislike strawberries, tomatoes and climbing beans. All members of the family are heavy feeders and need large amounts of compost or well-rotted manure mixed into the soil before planting. Mulching does them a great deal of good. If the cabbage or broccoli do not form "heads," it is a sign that the soil needs potassium, phosphorus or potash (potassium carbonate). If, on the other hand, their core rots, the element Boron is missing (number 5 in the periodic table).