Care of cabbage plants

My 84 year old mother-in-law told my husband to break off the lower leaves on my cabbage plant. What is the purpose of this and is it common practice? I didn't do that last year and they grew just fine. Help appreciated. Thanks Anna

That is new to me. Never knew anyone to break off bottom leaves on cabbage plants. I don't know the purpose and it surely is not common.

I asked what the purpose was and she said it made them produce heads sooner. I think I will leave them to grow at their own rate.

In a situation like this, it's a good time to do an experiment. Pull the lower leaves off of every other one and watch to see what happens. Then you can report back to us. My guess would be that they don't really form a head sooner or, if they do, the heads would probably be smaller than the others. That's what common sense would tell me but, once in a while common sense lets you down. Find out.

Steve

Well I'm not quite that brave, I only planted six cabbage plants. So it is one that is minus the lower leaves. They are all growing like crazy right now and I don't seem to see any difference. She (my mother-in-law) also told my husband to plant the beans 4 inches deep. I didn't do that because we got such a late start getting them in the ground. They also seem to be thriving. Anna

Wasn't there an old wives tale about taking a leaf and putting it on top of the cabbage head, to stop cabbage moths from laying eggs within the head. Perhaps that's what the OP's grandmother was talking about Pan Ohco