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Cabbage - Red Express

SKU: CA24017A
CA$3.90
CA$3.90
Unavailable
per item
Approximately 315 seeds per gram.
Brassica oleracea
Lot# CA24014
Red Express is a hardy biennial that produces a smaller cabbage that does well in cool northern climates. As the name implies, Red Express is an early maturing variety,   It is considered a ball head type cabbage that produces dense purple  medium sized cabbage heads that are about 12-18 cm  (5-7”) wide and weigh about 1.8 kg (2-4 lbs.).   Red express cabbage has a compact spread of 20-30 cm (8-12”) and grows to 20-30 cm (8-12”) tall.  Red Express cabbage can be comfortably spaced at 20-30 cm (8-12”) apart. 
 Planting Instructions:
  • Sow indoors beginning in March and transplant outdoors from April to the end of July. Overwintered cabbage is sown outdoors during July.  Sow 3 or 4 seeds per pot, 5-12 mm (¼-½") deep, under very bright light. Thin to the strongest plant. Space transplants 20-30 cm (8-12") apart in rows 60-91 cm (24-36") apart.  Start fall transplants 2-3 months before first frost.  Needs cool temperatures to head properly – will bolt in heat. Keeping soil evenly moist is a must for a healthy crop. 
  • Soil Conditions:  Well worked rich, loose well-drained soil. Ideal pH: 5.0-7.0. 
  • Planting Depth:   5-12 mm (¼-½") deep. Space transplants 20-30 cm (8-12") apart in rows 60-91 cm (24-36") apart.  .
  • Germination:  7- 12 days.
  • Height at Maturity: 20-30 cm (8-12”) tall.  Spread is about 20-30 cm (8-12”). 
  • Days to Maturity:   63 days for maturity 
  • Watering:    Cabbage requires a steady supply of water.   2.5 cm (1") of water a week ensures good growth, whether they are grown in single or wide rows. The amount of rain that falls during the week affects how much you should water your garden.   
  • Sun/Shade:  Full Sun. Can tolerate some shade.
  • Spacing after Thinning:  20-25 cm, (8-10") apart.   Plants in rows that are 61 cm (24”) apart.

Additional Information
Given cool weather and adequate moisture, cabbage is easy to grow. Spurts of hot weather can yield split heads or rotten interiors. In the South, cabbage can be grown in the winter months; in cooler zones it does well as a spring or fall crop. Early cabbages can be ready to eat in 50 or 60 days, while the big varieties that are grown for winter storage need up to 85 days after transplanting. Cabbages are heavy feeders, requiring a rich organic soil well-fortified with compost and organic fertilizer. Cabbages suffer if the soil doesn't provide sufficient phosphorous and calcium.  For spring planting, start cabbage seeds indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost date in your area. The plants will tolerate cold, and seedlings can go into the garden as soon as the soil is dry enough to be worked and is 4°C (40°F) or more. Late season storage cabbages need to be started and planted later. The roots of cabbage are shallow and can be easily damaged. The best way to prevent that is to surround the plants with a 5-7 cm (2-3") layer of shredded leaves, newspaper or straw. Cabbages want consistently cool, moist soil and this mulch will also help ensure they enjoy ideal growing conditions. Cabbage comes in only two colors; red and green. There are two leaf types for cabbages; smooth and puckered or savoyed.    Finally, there are two maturity dates as well; early or late.  Among other characteristics, they have several shapes from round to flat to pointed.  All cabbage varieties have a similar flavor and texture.
To harvest cabbages, slice off the cabbage as high on the stalk as you can. The stub will often produce little baseball-sized cabbages, particularly if you cut an X on the top of the stem.