- Contrary to popular belief, ornamental cabbage is edible!
- How to grow successfully in your own garden
- As the nights get cooler, the ornamental cabbage becomes more colourful
- Ornamental cabbage varieties
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Ornamental Cabbage: Its time is autumn and winter. Then the curly head develops its magnificent coloring. We show how your garden shines with rich colors!
Ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. acephalad) delights every garden owner in late summer and autumn. The ruffled and variegated leaves come in a variety of shapes and, above all, colors, from deep orange to pink and violet to deep green, everything is possible. The Japanese in particular have discovered ornamental cabbage in recent years. It is therefore hardly surprising that many of the selected varieties come from the land of the rising sun.
Contrary to popular belief, ornamental cabbage is edible!
Anyone who grows ornamental cabbage himself has the advantage that it can also be processed into cabbage dishes. Especially the young leaves have a delicate and aromatic taste. If you buy the ornamental cabbage from a flower shop or garden center, it may have been sprayed with chemical pesticides. In this case: hands (and mouth) away and enjoy with your eyes.
How to grow successfully in your own garden
Ornamental cabbage, like many other types of cabbage, is a biennial plant. It flowers only in the second year of location and dies after flowering. Due to the moderate winter hardiness, ornamental cabbage must be protected with fleece in mild regions or overwintered in a cool place (basement, garage, gazebo, tomato house, etc.).
The cabbage species needs a sunny to semi-shady location. The sunnier the location, the more intense the color of the leaves. It thrives in almost any garden soil. If the soil is poor in nutrients, a high-quality potting soil such as our peat-free Plantura organic potting soil can be mixed in. Ornamental cabbage is a medium to heavy feeder.
Seeds of different varieties can be easily obtained. The seeds can be planted on the windowsill from the end of March. When sowing, cover the seeds with some soil. When watering, care should be taken that the seeds do not rise to the surfacebe flushed. A special growing soil such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil is suitable as a medium, as this promotes rooting. If you have the time, you can prick out after the first real pair of leaves has formed. This promotes the development of strong root growth and is a guarantee for large and magnificent heads of cabbage. After the plants have spent a few weeks on the warm and sheltered window sill, the young plants can be placed in their final location after the ice saints. Depending on the variety, the space required is 30-50 cm x 30-50 cm.
The colored representative of cabbage also cuts a fine figure on the terrace or balcony. If the culture takes place in a vessel, sufficient drainage must be provided. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging very well.
During the growth phase, cabbage needs regular watering. Although not too much should be poured, drying out of the soil should also be avoided. Ornamental cabbage can be fertilized with a complete fertilizer every three weeks.
You can find detailed step-by-step instructions here: Growing ornamental cabbage: sowing, care and harvest time.
As the nights get cooler, the ornamental cabbage becomes more colourful
As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, the ornamental cabbage develops its most beautiful colors. From this point on, you should no longer fertilize. After the first night frosts, it belongs either in its winter quarters or harvested. Decorative cabbage that you have grown yourself can be used in the kitchen without hesitation: either as a decorative garnish for buffets or cooked. The only downside: Unfortunately, the brightly colored leaves lose their distinctive colors when they are cooked.
Ornamental cabbage varieties
- Attraction: fairly hardy smooth-leaved variety with white leaves.
- Kind Red: smooth-leaved variety with red-purple leaves.
- King White: smooth-leaved variety with white inner leaves.
- Red & White Peacock: intensely slit and serrated with white inner leaves.
- Sunrise: long-stemmed variety with creamy-white inner leaves; partly mottled with pink.
- Sunset: long-stemmed variety with pink-purple inner leaves.
If you would like to learn more about the ornamental cabbage varieties, take a look at this special article.
Diseases and Pests
Ornamental cabbage is generally robust and easy to grow. In the beginning especially young plants of slugshaunted. When it rains, you either have to collect diligently or use slug pellets. Aphids also occur especially in a culture in the home four walls or on the balcony. These can be combated biologically and effectively with our Plantura organic pest-free neem, a natural remedy made from the seeds of the neem tree. Like all types of cabbage, ornamental cabbage also has problems with cabbage whites and cabbage flies. He is also not protected against clubroot, which does not appear too often in the home garden.
If you don't yet know what to decorate your bed for the coming garden season, then try the ornamental cabbage - a feast for the eyes and taste at the same time!