Count cabbages in a row from a photo

Counting cabbages and other headed crops row by row

Growers count cabbages to estimate yield before harvest, to compare planted rows with harvestable heads and to check crate fills for a wholesale order. Each head sits inside a rosette of outer leaves that overlaps its neighbors, so the firm head is the part to count. Photograph one bed or section at a time from a high angle along the rows, or straight down from a drone, so the heads appear as separate rounds.

If outer leaves join neighbors into one green mass, mark one head as an example, boxing the head itself rather than the whole leafy plant. Gaps in the row are worth noting, since they explain the difference between planted and harvestable counts. Weeds, drip lines and foreground leaves can earn dots, and plants at the edge of the frame may be cut in half, so frame the bed with both ends inside the photo. Lettuce, cauliflower and other headed crops work the same way once you change the item in What to count.

Add each bed as a tally row and keep the same height and angle for repeat counts so they can be compared through the season. Younger plants in trays are covered on the seedling counter, and potted or bedded stock on the plant counter.