Chinese cabbage: The all-round talent is enjoying increasing popularity. We give tips and tricks for growing, harvesting and storing.
Chinese cabbage has been cultivated in China, Korea and Japan for many centuries. It has also been known in our latitudes since the 20th century. In its original homeland, Chinese cabbage is usually pickled with a kind of fermented sauerkraut, which can also be very spicy. In South Korea you can find the so-called kimchi as a usual accompaniment to many dishes. Archaeological finds of clay pots show that such a preparation has been practiced for over 2000 years. Find out more about the origins of Chinese cabbage in our article.
Chinese cabbage varieties
Meanwhile there are various types of Chinese cabbage on offer. In addition to the old varieties, modern F1 hybrids usually dominate in the garden centers of DIY stores. Some F1 hybrids are now also resistant to clubroot. With Scarlette there is now also a variety with reddish foliage.
You can find a comprehensive overview of varieties of Chinese cabbage here.
- Garnet: variety with elongated heads and jagged leaf edges; Garnet is particularly valued for its good taste and delicate leaves; According to studies, the variety should have an above-average amount of vitamins.
- Hong-Kong (F1): short, stocky and tightly packed heads; good taste.
- Kasumi (F1): very early variety with very good visual and flavor characteristics.
- Parkin (F1): Bolt-resistant and medium-early variety with resistance to clubroot. Medium sized heads with delicate and aromatic leaves.
- Scarlette (F1): the special feature of this variety is the red-purple leaves; the outer binders are still green with a slight purple tinge, the inner leaves are almost entirely red-purple in the heart; Scarlette is high-yielding and has a particularly mild aroma.
- Yuki (F1): medium early variety with very firm heads; very mild taste.
Grow Chinese Cabbage
The tasty Chinese cabbage can also be grown in the home garden without any problems. It prefers a nutrient-rich soila sheltered and sunny to semi-shady location. Contrary to what our readers frequently ask, the heat requirement is not as high as its main growing countries would suggest. A wind-protected location and a good supply of moisture are much more important.
Chinese cabbage, like most types of cabbage, is one of the heavy consumers. Poor soil should be repaired before planting the young plants. A primarily organic organic fertilizer such as our Plantura organic tomato fertilizer with a long-term effect can be used for this. Alternatively, you can also use compost or some manure from organic animal husbandry.
Chinese cabbage is usually planted quite late. It is therefore well suited as a follow-up crop for plants that were cleared early, such as carrots or beans. Sowing is not until mid-June to early August. You can grow the plants in smaller pots or sow them directly in the bed. The sowing depth is 1.5 cm. The distance between plants should be 30-40 cm and between rows 50-60 cm. At a soil temperature of 15 to 18°C, germination will take place within a week.
It is a typical root crop. If the soil is regularly loosened by hoeing, the cabbage will thank you with he althy growth and a high yield. Always water when dry.
Harvesting and storing Chinese cabbage
Depending on the variety, Chinese cabbage needs about 75-95 days to be harvested. Depending on the sowing, you can harvest in September, October and even November. Chinese cabbage tolerates light frosts without any problems and if not needed in the kitchen, it should remain in the bed for as long as possible. You can also protect the plants from frost with some fleece, large cardboard boxes or fir branches. Later and larger heads of cabbage can be stored better and longer. The head should be as firm as possible. However, do not wait too long, because temperatures that are too low damage the Chinese cabbage.
When harvesting, loose leaves should be removed and the plant should be cut off as low as possible at the root base. The petioles should not be injured, as this is a gateway for pathogens. The Chinese cabbage quickly begins to rot during storage.
Chinese cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week without any problems. If you smack the heads in damp newspaper or a damp towel, it can stay in the fridge for a few weeks. The Chinese cabbage can also be stored in a suitable, cool cellar. True, it does not advise this kind of cabbageto freeze, but you can easily process the cabbage into a delicious Chi Kimchi and keep it for months. Kimchi is traditionally popular in Asia (especially Korea). It can best be described as fermented and spicy pickled sauerkraut.
Diseases and harmful symptoms in Chinese cabbage
The symptoms of damage range from leaf damage (nudibranchs or cabbage white butterfly) to holes in the leaves (flea pods) to clubroot, a fungal disease that causes the roots of Chinese cabbage to thicken.
Ingredients and uses of Chinese cabbage
With a calorific value of only 10-18 kcal per 100g, Chinese cabbage is considered to be very low in calories. It can be added to mixed salads, served as a mild coleslaw or served as a stir-fry. Those who are willing to experiment can try to prepare the Korean kimchi.