Cabbage [Brassica oleracea Capitata group]

Cabbage

Grow cabbage in your garden, and you're sure to gain a new appreciation of this ethnic favorite. Cabbage, after all, is a classic vegetable that's been a staple in Western diets for hundreds of years.

If you've ever endured eating overcooked boiled cabbage, you'll enjoy finding better ways to use the tender, homegrown version, especially if you experiment with the many interesting varieties available. There are early, midseason, and late varieties; round, conical, or flat-head types; smooth leaves or savoyed (crinkled) foliage; and colors ranging from yellow green to blue green, deep green, or purplish red. Each has a distinct flavor, with the red types being among the most sweet.

Use homegrown cabbage fresh. Shred and add by the handful to mixed salads. When it's young and tender, it has a more mild flavor. Use it in classic or innovative slaws, too, and you'll find them a treat. Try stuffing large leaves. And, of course, you can always cook them, pickle them, or even make sauerkraut.

Light:

    Sun,Part Sun

Plant Type:

    Vegetable

Plant Height:

    6-18 inches tall

Plant Width:

    10-30 inches wide

Top Varieties

'Dynamo Hybrid' cabbage

forms small, 2-pound, blue-green heads, which are ideal for single serving use. 55 days

'Early Jersey Wakefield' cabbage

features distinctive conical heads that set it apart from other cabbage varieties. It is an heirloom type good for salads and slaws. 64 days

'Golden Acre' cabbage

is an early round-head cabbage with medium green color. It's an old-time, open-pollinated (nonhybrid) variety that stands well without splitting. 58 days

'Gonzalez Hybrid' cabbage

produces 2-3 pound aqua-green heads. The relatively small head size is good for singles or small families. 55 days

'Ruby Ball Head' cabbage

has a mild, sweet flavor and is a medium-large red variety that holds well in the garden. 78 days

'Savoy Ace Hybrid' cabbage

has crinkly deep green outer leaves. The head is firm and also deep green. 78 days

'Stonehead Hybrid' cabbage

lives up to its name, forming a solid, dense head in just 50 days from transplanting. It also has excellent disease resistance.

'Savoy King Hybrid' cabbage

is slightly larger than most other crinkle-leaf types. It produces a 5-pound head with a creamy interior color. 90 days

'Super Red 80 Hybrid' cabbage

offers deep purplish-red heads that have a peppery flavor and are good for storing. 80 days

Garden Plans Colorful Vegetable Garden Plan

Harvest Tips : Once a head is full size and firm when you squeeze it, cut it off near ground level with a sharp knife. If left too long in the garden, the head may split. After the main head is harvested allow the stub to regrow. Often it will form several smaller heads that you can harvest later in the season.

GROW IT IN YOUR HOME YOURSELF