Favorable weather for growing cabbage has Hansen Farms of Stanley, NY on pace to have a bumper crop to ship the most product in its history.
Depending upon when the first hard freeze occurs, the grower-shipper hopes to be shipping through November, although on average the first freeze occurs around the 15th to the 20th.. If the freeze occurs much earlier, the company expects to leave a lot of unharvested cabbage in the fields.
A different twist this season has Hansen actually shipping some cabbage to California. The Golden State has been having issues with disease and pest pressure so they have been reaching out to the East Coast.
A totally different scenario exists in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, thanks to large part to dry growing conditions and heat.
For winter vegetables like cabbage, early plantings have been delayed. Typically, growers would be harvesting in late October or early November, but under the current conditions, some may have to wait until early or mid-December, reports Primo Trading Services, LLC of McAllen, TX.
While planting delays are already affecting the early season, growers are hopeful more favorable temperatures will improve conditions as winter approaches. As for those risked planting early, they may experience reduced yields or inconsistent crop development. Once temperatures begin to cool, there should be more favorable growing conditions.