Why your cabbages have no solid heads

A farmer inspects his cabbage crop. Good quality heads of cabbage should be firm, crisp, juicy, and sweet. They may sometimes be peppery, but definitely not bitter. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

“Why are my cabbages only growing big leaves and not forming heads?” this is a common question farmers have been asking in our feedback pages.

Today, I will address the issue. Cabbages produce lots of leaves after planting. But as they mature, the inner leaves at the centre of the crop begin to curl inwards to form a head. However, formation of the head can be affected by a number of reasons.