You can make a crisp winter salad or a hearty side dish from red cabbage. We will explain to you what cultivation options there are and how to properly care for the young plants.
The red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra), often too referred to as red cabbage, was first mentioned in historical sources from the 12th century. Red cabbage is not only a tasty winter vegetable, but also a bioindicator: it changes color depending on the soil pH value. It appears red when grown in acidic soil, but bluish in alkaline soil, which can be revealing information about your garden. In our overview article you will find everything you need to know about caring for, harvesting and using red cabbage. Below we explain in detail how to successfully plant red cabbage in the garden.
Sowing red cabbage: How to do it
The right time for sowing red cabbage depends heavily on the variety: A basic distinction is made between early, medium and late ripening red cabbage varieties. You can find out more about this in our special article on the different types of red cabbage.
Red cabbage seeds are sown broadly in seed trays or in the cold frame for young plant rearing, worked in flat and isolated after emergence. Or the seeds are placed - when sowing directly into the bed - in straight seed furrows with a distance of 15 cm from each other and later transplanted with a larger distance. A potting soil with a lower nutrient content is best suited as a plant substrate for growing young plants, as this promotes vigorous root growth, which is advantageous for later transplanting. For example, our Plantura organic herb and seed soil is ideal for growing young plants thanks to its low nutrient content and loose structure. In addition, we trust in the sustainable production of our earth and do not use peat at all.
Sowing early cabbage: Early varieties of red cabbage can be sown from February to the beginning of March in heated greenhouses, heated cold frames or a comparable frost-free location with a temperature of around 15 °C. theAfter the development of the first real leaves, young plants are pricked out, i.e. isolated, and placed in nutrient-rich soil. At a temperature of at least 15 °C, the plants continue to grow in the cold frame, greenhouse or in the bed under the protection of a polytunnel. Between May and June they develop into heads ready for harvest.
Sow summer cabbage: If you want to harvest summer cabbage varieties, you should sow the seeds of the corresponding varieties in March or early April. Suitable places for sowing are unheated cold frames or beds covered with warming, transparent plastic sheets. From May, the young plants can either be placed in the bed from the cold frame or the tarpaulin on the bed is removed. Summer cabbage is ready for harvest between July and September.
Sowing autumn and winter cabbage: The slowly developing late and very late red cabbage varieties are also sown between March and early April in a cold frame or under a tarpaulin. In addition, these varieties allow subsequent sowing in April and May, so that the late red cabbage can be harvested from October to December.
Tip: In mild regions without severe frost, early cabbage can be sown in the previous year, so that the somewhat time-consuming rearing of young plants is no longer necessary. For this purpose, seeds can be sown directly into the bed in late summer, around mid-September, which then rest over the winter. Even in winter, temperatures should not fall below 0 °C for long periods of time, and only short periods of frost should occur. The seeds begin to germinate the following year as soon as daytime temperatures reach around 10°C and form vigorous heads of cabbage that can be harvested as early as May.
Plant red cabbage
When do you plant red cabbage?
If you have sown cabbage as described above, you have strong young plants. Many garden centers also offer pre-grown young plants. As a rule, only summer and autumn or winter cabbage are offered. Both can be planted in beds from May to the end of June. If you use a greenhouse, a polytunnel, fleece or a transparent tarpaulin, you can even plant as early as April.
The young plants should be planted as deep as possible, whereby the heart, i.e. the origin of the leaves, should remain above the ground. To do this, you can dig a hole with a normal planting trowel, put the young plant in it, then cover it with soil and press it down lightly.
Tip:During planting before mid-May, it is important to protect the small plants in front of cold, since a premature flowered flowering can be triggered by a too intense colder and it is not for Head formation coming.
Red cabbage: planting distance, location and soil
Red cabbage feels best in a sunny to partially shaded location. Red cabbage can be grown particularly well in good garden soil, especially humus-rich, deep loamy soil with a slightly acidic to slightly basic pH value. As a highly nutrient-consuming crop, a high nutrient content in the soil is advantageous. Less humic and more calcareous soils are usually tolerated, but produce lower yields. The right distance is important both when planting the young plants and when direct sowing: With a planting distance of 50 cm and a row spacing of 50 cm, the plants are given enough space for he althy growth. Late-ripening varieties usually require a little more space and should therefore be planted about 70 cm apart. The large planting distance gives the cabbage enough space to grow and also prevents infestation with pests such as the cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae).
Cultivation of red cabbage in mixed cultures is possible without any problems, especially carrots (Daucus carota subsp. sativus), lettuce, onions ( Allium cepa), haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) work particularly well. But fragrant herbs such as thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and sage (Salvia) are also good neighbors and at the same time keep pests away. In general, the following applies to cabbage varieties: cabbage next to cabbage does not get along. Other cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae) such as oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and mustard (Sinapis) are also not good mixed culture partners.
If you want to consider a sensible crop rotation in your bed, you should plan the red cabbage for the first harvest. Good preceding crops include potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) or legumes such as peas (Pisum sativum) and haricot beans (Phaseolus vulgaris). ), since legumes can bind nitrogen in the soil and are therefore an ideal green manure. A break in cultivation of at least four years should generally be observed with other cabbage varieties or cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae) to prevent diseases such as clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae),a harmful fungal disease.
Tip for the balcony: It is also possible to grow the red cabbage in a pot. A pot with a diameter of at least 20 cm and a depth of 20 cm should be used for this, placed in a sunny to partially shaded location. Only one head of cabbage should be planted per pot, otherwise there can be competition for water and nutrients due to the limited space between several plants. Regular watering is especially important for pot cultures.
Growing Red Cabbage: A Brief Summary
- In order to provide the red cabbage with nutrients right from the start, it makes sense to apply green manure to the area before cultivation.
- The right time for raising young plants or sowing in the bed depends on whether early, summer or autumn cabbage is to be grown. In general, red cabbage can be grown as young plants from February or sown directly into the bed from mid-April.
- A high-quality potting soil with a lower but balanced nutrient content, such as our Plantura organic herb and seed soil, is suitable for growing young plants, as this promotes root growth.
- The ideal planting distance for early varieties is 40 to 50 cm, for late varieties around 70 cm, as they stay longer in the bed.
- Early planted plants should be protected from night frosts by fleece, a tarpaulin or in a greenhouse.
Proper care during cultivation
As soon as the young plants are planted in the bed, care begins: the small plants should be regularly raked around to prevent weeds from competing for light, water and nutrients. In addition, tillage loosens the soil and improves ventilation. Especially on dry days, you should water regularly and intensively because the root system is still weak, so that the red cabbage does not dry out. You can find out how to water and fertilize the red cabbage correctly and what pests there are as soon as it is older in our overview article on red cabbage.
Are you looking for other types of vegetables that make a delicious winter salad with red cabbage? Then read our article about growing and caring for the sugar loaf.