Cabbage Question

[dbjay417]

I took the stalk of a store bought head of cabbage and put it in a dish.

It started growing leaves so I put it in a pot full of soil.

Leaves began to originate from 5 different areas on this one stalk, so I cut it into 5 pieces and planted 4 in the ground and one remained in a 3 gallon pot.

The four in the ground have been struggling, but they are making progress, they are stabilizing.

The one in the pot, has not skipped a beat. It is about 50% bigger than the biggest one in the ground. Its got the circumference of a large chicken egg. and a number of leaves. It is also producing what looks like flower buds.

WTF is up with the tiny cabbage producing flower buds!?

Is this because it was started from the remains of an older plant or is this normal for cabbage?

 

[FarmerDenise]

When I cut off a head of cabbage in the garden, the remaining stalk will send up new shoots. The new shoots will flower. These are there to replace the one that was cut, for the plants sole purpose in life is to reproduce.
If you left a cabbage alone it would eventually sprout a flower stalk from the middle.
So, yes it is because you used the remains of a stalk.

 

[dbjay417]

will it produce fruit afterword or should I try and snag whatever seed its gonna produce?

 

[jlmann]

It will probably make a little seed pod that looks like a tiny tiny green bean. At least that's what broccoli does. They are both "western brassicas" so I'm assuming..... I've never let a cabbage go to seed. I 'm not sure if cabbages are self fertile either so if you do try the seeds they may or may not grow.

I always buy plants that the nursery has already started from seed but I know you can buy seed. Maybe someone who has grown more cabbage than I can tell you if the seeds from your cabbage will be fertile or not . If they are you can just plant those.