Cabbage Varieties

Cabbage varieties, like many vegetables, can be grouped into Early, mid-Season, or Late (overwintering) types.

Early Cabbages (50-70 days)

Cabbage Varieties—‘Red Express’ © Steve Masley…Click IMAGE to Enlarge Order Print of This Photo

‘Parel’ (50 days, F1) Compact habit, good for close planting. Forms solid round heads, (6", 1-1 1/2lbs) [15cm, 1/2-2/3kg]. Good split resistance for an early cabbage, holds up to 3 weeks in the field.

‘Gonzales’ (55 days, F1) Another mini cabbage to be harvested at 4-6" (10-15cm). Deep blue-green, softball-sized heads. Dense, firm heads, resist splitting. Crisp and delicious!

‘Red Express’ (68 days) Compact habit, good for close spacing. Forms round, 2-4lb (0.9-1.8kg) heads with deep, purplish-red leaves. Good for short-season northern and alpine gardens.

‘Savoy Express’ (55 days, F1) A delicious mini savoy cabbage. Designed for tight spacing, harvest ‘Savoy Express’ at 4-6" (10-15cm). Very early, so it's a good choice for short-season northern and alpine gardeners.

Mid-season Cabbages (70-90 days)

‘Primero' (72 days, F1) Compact habit, good for close spacing. Perfectly round, 2-3lb (0.9-1.4kg) heads.

‘Ruby Ball’ (78 days, F1) A great old standard red cabbage. Forms firm (6-8",3-4lb) [15-20cm, 1.4-1.8kg] heads. Very split-resistant, can stand 4-6 weeks in the field, allowing an extended harvest for the home gardener.

Late-season, or Storage Cabbages (90-125 days)

‘Kaitlin’ (94 days, F1) This cabbage forms smallish, green heads with dense, white flesh. High in vitamin C, Kaitlin is a great kraut cabbage.

‘Danish Ballhead (125 days, OP) Large heads (7-10", 5-6lbs) [18-25cm, 2.2-2.7kg]. Holds well in low temperatures. Great all-purpose cabbage for cooking, slaw, or kraut.

‘Storage No. 4’ (95 days, F1) This cabbage has beautiful, deep-green heads. Harvest at 75 days for fresh use, or wait till they mature to 4-8lb (1.8-3.6kg) heads at 95 days. Resistant to Fusarium yellows.

Specialty Cabbages (50-70 days)

Cabbage Varieties—‘Caraflex’ © Steve Masley (Click IMAGE to Enlarge)

‘Caraflex’ (68 days, F1) Interesting "pointy-headed" cabbage has good wrapper leaves for insect and sun protection. Forms cone-shaped, 8-10" tall, 3-4lb (20-25cm, 1.4-1.8kg)heads. Good for fresh use and cooking. Resistant to fusarium yellows.

Chinese (Napa) Cabbages (50-70 days)

Cabbage Varieties—‘Caraflex’ © Steve Masley (Click IMAGE to Enlarge)

Chinese (Napa) Cabbages  form loose, open heads. They’re great sliced into stir-fries, sautéed for wraps, as a base for Thai pad thai noodles, or fermented with chilies to make Kim Che.

‘Rubicon’ (52 days, F1) forms 11-12" tall, 5-6lb heads (28-30cm, 2.2-2.7kg). Plant spring or fall. Resists bolting and diseases.

‘Bilko’ (54 days, F1) Another great Napa cabbage. Bilko is slightly larger and later than 'Rubicon'. Like 'Rubicon', it's resistant to fusarium yellows, black speck, and club root.

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