Re: [gardeners] Cabbage
Catharine Vinson (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 13 Jun 1998 10:46:57 +0000
Allen wrote:
> > Here in Texas our land grant college is the world famous Texas A&m
> > University. Home of the fighting Aggies. I'm a big fan of the extension
> > service not the football team. I root for a different team.
I'm right fond of TAMU's CES folks, too....been talking with them all my
life. Now, as for football, I will refrain from asking which team you root
for. Several of my kin were fighting Aggies....nobody in the family ever
had to sink so low as to slink over to Austin <bg>
>The only other serious soil
> > problem you might have is a boron deficency. You really need a soil test
> > to determine the ph, fertilizer requirements,or any trace element
> > deficencies. Your agent can recomend the right varieties for your soil
> > and climate. I garden about 1/3 of an acre. I plant only the varieties
> > recomended by the extension service for my area.
I have soil tests run on each garden once a year. I'm not showing any
deficencies where the cabbages are planted this year. Boron deficency
shows up in my area fairly often, but isn't the culprit here. I think
George has hit the nail on the head in his comment about timing. Cabbages
and my part of Georgia are iffy to start with. I think I've yet to hit the
window of opportunity right. So, will keep trying.
In the case of Texas' CES, I wholeheartedly agree that taking the advice
of your County Agent is a good bet. Other states are not so fortunate. The
County Agents are called upon to wear many hats and in many areas are
poorly staffed and poorly informed about the differences between the needs
of a) agribusiness, b) market growers, c) home gardeners/hobbyists. They
also tend to rely too heavily on Frankenfood varieties, Nuke-It pest
control, and Better-Living Throuh Petrochemical fertilization. When
people ask me about getting in touch with their Country Agent, I tell 'em
Go For It....but first evaluate the skill of the particular agent. The
differences among them can be mind boggling. I avoid the Fulton County CES
office like the plague. But down the road a bit, there's the DeKalb County
office. Walter Reeves is the agent and a superb resource. And then I call
up the Gillespie County (Tx) office at least a half dozen times a year.
Catharine, Atlanta/zone 7b