Question about cabbage.

[onster]

Some time ago my mom bought a red cabbage, used half of it then put the rest of it in plastic wrap in the fridge. A week later it was all wilty and I was going to throw it out, but my mom thought it was growing (where it was sliced in half it was starting to push up/increase in height like stem, i thought it was just dehydrated and the rings were separating). ANyoo, she put it in an empty pot and my dad and I both bet nothing would happen.

Lo and behold




I'm not quite sure what it's doing. Its pretty though. BUt i googled and googled and as far as I can tell, you can't grow a cabbage head. Also, there were no roots or antying

[Dog Dancer]

Never say never! Apparently you have grown a cabbage head. Very pretty.

[14+kitties]

Very neat! There must have been a bit of viable plant left in order to do that. Now you're going to have tons of us trying that!! Green thumb mom!!

[onster]

It's just so weird. It was literally sliced in half and put in the fridge for over a week!

This is all growing up from the flat sliced surface. Isn't that just crazy???

I was just curious really, whether anyone knew you could do this? If anything I thought it would only have worked before slicing in half/refrigeration

Now I'm gonna have to do this to another cabbage on purpose just to experiment!



Has anyone ever let cabbage go to seed? I wonder if this cabbage is just picking up where it left of in the field, albeit after a long hibernation period.

[onster]

Got below from http://heirloom--seeds.com/Saving_Cabbage_Seeds.html

SAVING SEEDS
This is a two-year project, and also the chance that your prize cabbage variety will swap pollen with both other cabbages and cabbage family relatives. Keep plant intended for seed at least 300 feet from them. Use a loose mulch to help plant overwinter, or in colder zones, unearth the plant, roots and all, and keep them indoors on a cool, humid spot for setting out in the spring. In the second year, you can help the flower stalk to come forth by slashing an X in the top of each cabbage's head. Wait until the seed heads turn brown before collecting the seeds.

so slicing the head right in half probably acted like an extreme version of slashing an X into the had, which encouraged the flowering stalk

now if only I actually liked cabbage enough to want to collect cabbage seeds lol, seed exchange next yr anyone??? hahaha

[14+kitties]

The cold would have acted to suspend the growth so that is why your mom got the thing to sprout. With the right conditions it did. Now she can start her own cabbage growing business.
If she waits till the seed heads turn brown I'll grab a few seeds from you.

[onster]

oh my mom will let it go brown alright, she wouldnt have the heart to get rid of it before she's 100% sure it's dead. She gave me a lecture when I wanted to throw it out and she thought it was growing "its alive onster! that would be so cruel to throw a living thing in the garbage, how could u?!?!?!" me: alriiiight mom Ill plant your precious cabbage. Don't look at me when it rots

Guess who's eating her words now? lol Mom's always right.

Wouldnt it need bees and such for the flowers to be pollinated tho?

[hazelrunpack]

You'd think it would need pollen from another plant, wouldn't you? Unless it's one of those self-pollinating plants and even then, it would need a pollinator. I suppose you could try transferring pollen from one flower to the next with a Q-tip

It makes a pretty flowering plant! I would never have expected that from a cabbage!

[Macomom]

Onster, I have some bad mac and cheese in my fridge. Can you make me a mac and cheese plant, pleeeease?

[hazelrunpack]

Originally Posted by Macomom

Onster, I have some bad mac and cheese in my fridge. Can you make me a mac and cheese plant, pleeeease?

Fresh from the plant to the table! I like that idea!!!

[Tundra_Queen]

Onster,,,tap the plant every 24 hrs in case it's like a tomato plant that needs a bit of wind to move the pollen around. You can grow tomatoes in the house if u tap the plant evey 24 hrs when it's flowering to get the pollen to move from flower to flower.

[luckypenny]

Originally Posted by onster

Guess who's eating her words now?

Better that than cabbage, right? .

Actually, grated red cabbage left to sit overnight in the fridge with oil, red wine vinegar, and salt makes a great salad .

I think the plant looks really pretty.

[growler~GateKeeper]

Very pretty

I know potatoes left in a dark cupboard will start sprouting & if you cut enough of the potato around the sprout & plant it you will grow a potato - no guarentee on taste/size though so I guess it's not too far fetched to grow cabbage plant - there may be no actual cabbage head that comes of it though possibly just the plant

Originally Posted by onster

now if only I actually liked cabbage

Originally Posted by Macomom

Onster, I have some bad mac and cheese in my fridge. Can you make me a mac and cheese plant, pleeeease?