Kelvin Wairimu
The greatest challenge in cabbage farming is lack of uniformity or extremely small-sized cabbages. This means big losses to farmers as they cannot harvest all on the same day, and small-sized cabbages fetch the lowest prices, as low as KSh 5 per head, not to mention extended maturity time.
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Cabbages usually have four main growth stages: seedling stage, establishment stage, vegetative stage, and head compaction stage. Every activity per stage matters and must be adhered to fully.
The success of one stage determines the optimal growth of the subsequent stage. But most important is the variety that you select. The best varieties for dry areas are Kiboko F1, Victoria F1, and Pretoria F1. The good thing is they will still do well in highlands.
Stage 1: Seedlings (1-4 weeks)
Cabbage farmers always have the option of either buying seedlings or raising their own. In case of raising seedlings, raise them on fertile soil and don’t overcrowd them in order to have strong leaves.
Normally it is not advisable to sow your seeds with fertilizer as it can scorch them and they also don’t need it.
However, you can apply some foliar fertilizer such as Citishooter or Easygro Starter through drenching. It is also good to add some insecticide such as Thunder for controlling cutworms. This should be done in the third week.
Controlled irrigation is also paramount to prevent damping off. Apply Ridomil Gold (25g/20l) on the eve of transplanting to prevent damping off as well.
Stage 2: Establishment (First 30 Days)
The focus at this stage is normally to have all seedlings grow vigorously. To achieve this, you need a lot of manure and DAP fertilizer. You also need to control Diamond Back Moth (DBM).
Apply well-decomposed manure (4 handfuls/a 2kg tin) in all deep holes spaced at least 50cm by 50cm. This will help with strong growth and water retention.
During transplanting, make sure you drench with Thunder insecticide and Citishooter, and repeat the same on the 7th, 14th, and 21st day, but this time with Escort, Amigad, or Emmaron instead of Thunder to prevent Diamond Back Moth infestation.
Fourteen days after transplanting, top-dress with DAP fertilizer at least 10g per plant while maintaining sufficient irrigation.
At the end of the first month, all the cabbages should at least be uniform, vigorous, and strong without any DBM infestation.
In the event there are some cabbages which are smaller than others, especially those that were gap-filled, repeat top-dressing with DAP, but this time only for them alone, and irrigate.
Stage 3: Vegetative Stage
The focus here is to enhance our cabbages to produce bigger leaves uniformly, which will compact into bigger cabbages at a later stage. You also need to prevent Diamond Back Moth and aphids which poke holes, destroying the quality of cabbage.
This means we need to apply inputs with high nitrogen, which helps in faster leaf growth, and also phosphorus, which helps with faster root development. NPK 23:23:0 will work when top-dressed 28 days after transplanting.
Apply Wuxal Foliar or Easygro Vegetative or High N combined with High P, along with Escort, Emmaron, or Amigad on the 28th, 35th, and 42nd day after sowing to prevent or control Diamond Back Moth and also enhance leaf growth.
On 50th day its good to apply Pyracopp or metacopp or any copper to prevent Black rot.
It is important to make sure your farm is always weed-free. Also provide sufficient irrigation to avoid cases of water stress that can lead to stunted growth.
Stage 4: Head/Compaction Stage
Given that now our cabbages are leafy and some or the majority have begun folding, it is at this stage we enhance the compactness by applying Zinbor (zinc and boron) and high potassium.
Top-dress with NPK 17:17:17 and apply Zinbor and High K on the 60th day after transplanting. At this stage, the cabbages need optimal irrigation to enhance compactness.
Cost Analysis of Cabbage Farming per Acre in Kenya 2025
At this stage, there is no need to apply any insecticides for controlling Diamond Back Moth and aphids as there won’t be any. However, if there are any, you can apply Amigad, Escort, or Emmaron.
Always add spreader or sticker as some may call it on all applications.
Most cabbages mature in 85-90 days, though some can go up to 120 days. At least 90% of all the cabbages should be mature by then.
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