Grow black cabbage in your own garden: We present suitable varieties and give tips and tricks from sowing, care and fertilization to harvest.

Black cabbage is mainly grown in Tuscany.

Black cabbage is a special type of cabbage and is often also referred to as palm cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia). There are many different names in English, but they all refer to its origin, such as Tuscan cabbage, Lacinato kale, Tuscan kale and Italian kale. Even under the Romans, this he althy type of cabbage was a must on the menu. Nowadays, the main growing areas of palm cabbage are in Tuscany. Its taste is similar to that of kale, but black cabbage is significantly sweeter and its cabbage leaves are a lot more tender. In the modern kitchen, palm cabbage is now one of the so-called "superfoods" because it is packed with all kinds of vitamins and fiber. Palm cabbage grows excellently in German gardens and is popular for its attractive appearance and robustness. The large, palm-like, dark green to black-green leaves are particularly striking.

Growing black cabbage: this is how it works step by step

There are different types of black cabbage to choose from, a brief summary of a few popular ones:

Well-known varieties from Italy for gardening:

  • Toskana Nero di Toscana: vase-shaped and very compact variety; light green petioles.
  • Palmizio Senza Testa: good for salads, young cabbage leaves can be gathered for salads after about 40 days.

Recommendation for growing on balcony or terrace:

  • Black Magic: very good yield; excellent taste; dense, large leaves.
  1. You can already sow seeds in mid-March. A sunny windowsill is recommended.
  2. Black cabbage prefers loose soil and should also contain sufficient nutrients. The Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil is ideal for your black cabbage plants, for example; if necessary, you can mend the planting hole with compost and horse manure.
  3. As soon as May the ice saintsare over, you can also sow the seeds directly. A hole depth of about 1-1.5 cm is sufficient here. The distance between the cabbages should be about 30 cm.
  4. The bed should be cleared of weeds regularly.
  5. Especially during the hot summer days you should pay attention to sufficient watering.
  6. The first palm-shaped leaves can be harvested after about 70 days for most varieties. Special varieties such as Palmizio Senza Testa form particularly tender and young cabbage leaves that can be harvested for salads after around 40 days.
  7. When harvesting, make sure to remove the crunchy leaves from bottom to top and only as much as you need.

Key Tips:

  • Lovers sow the palm cabbage quite late and wait until the first frost to harvest it. This is said to give the leaves an even better aroma.
  • On the balcony in a suitable pot, black cabbage can grow for 2 years; however, it must be overwintered. But you can still harvest what the cabbage plant has to offer during the first frosty days, because this type of cabbage tolerates slight minus temperatures without any problems

Special thanks to the photographer: Patti Z.

Category:

Vegetables