Most annual vegetables have another plant that’s believed to be a beneficial companion when grown in the same row, including tomatoes and cabbage. Companion planting will help to conserve moisture, supply nutrients to the soil and diminish disease and pest management without using substances. Quite often, companion planting increases vegetable production, resulting in a greater crop yield. For best results, cabbage plants should be cultivated by seed, while tomatoes are best planted as seedlings. They both prefer 8 hours of sun exposure per day and well-draining soil. Cabbage may be harvested twice a year in fall and spring, whereas tomatoes are harvested in the late summer through autumn, based on the variety.
Plant cabbage seeds to a depth of one-half inch, 12 inches apart, in early spring when soil temperatures have been above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Water thoroughly using a garden hose set on a fine mist to a depth of at least 6 inches after planting.
Fertilize cabbage plants by hand sprinkling 5-10-10 granular fertilizer on each side of the row, one month after sowing the seeds. Continue fertilizing the cabbage plants once a month until the first crop. Follow all of manufacture directions listed on the fertilizer containers label.
Harvest each mature cabbage head from the plant using a sharp knife in the late spring, 63 to 88 days after planting by cutting in the lowest point possible, leaving the outer leaves attached to the stalk. Leaving the leaves will guarantee a second harvest to your cabbage plants which are left in the row prior to transplanting the tomato crops. When the cabbage head feels solid and firm to the touch it is mature and ready for harvest.
Eliminate every other cabbage plant from the ground after the first harvest, using a shovel, digging deep enough into the soil to extract the entire root system. Shake off as much soil as possible from the origins. Transplant 8-inch tall tomato seedlings between every present cabbage plant one-half inch deeper than the cover of the root ball. Lightly pack the indigenous soil around the root ball of the plant. Water thoroughly using a garden hose set on a nice mist after planting, to a depth of at least 6 inches.
Stake the 2-foot-tall tomato plant, then inserting a 2-by-2-inch, 5-foot tall wooden stake 1 foot into the floor and one-fourth inch apart from the stalk of the tomato plant. Tie the plant to the wooden stake freely with tie tape each 6 inches because it grows.
Fertilize tomato crops in transplant time sprinkling 5-10-10 granular fertilizer on each side of the row. Begin fertilizing the tomatoes and cabbage together once a month afterwards from early spring through fall.
