Ruby Red Cabbage - Late July 2011

This is the first time I'm growing Ruby Red Cabbage.  I was looking for some new crops to introduce to both widen the scope of what I was growing but also as a way to help aid in my rotation goal to reduce the stress on the soil.  These started as seedlings and have really spread out big time. 

I planted them the recommended distance apart and they've mostly grown together.  Up until this morning, I was wondering what was going to happen:  would the current leaves curl back up and form the head?  Or would something else entirely form?  Based on this post, it seems that the cabbage head will sprout up in the middle of the current leaves. 

Nat was a little skeptical about cabbage.  After all....what were we going to do with it?  Besides making a big batch of cole slaw, what else can we do with it?  Give it away? 

But after seeing them grow, she *actually* likes them and thinks that we should think about planting them elsewhere in the landscape because they're so neat looking.   The greens and purples look really pretty together.  We do, however, have a small insect problem, but being organic gardeners, it is hard to totally cure/get rid of everything with soaps. 

Hopefully the heads will form soon and we'll have cabbage in time for Labor Day.