Cabbage can be green or red, smooth or curly (savoy), and have flat or pointed heads. Cabbage is often defined when you plant it whether it is spring, summer, or fall planting. There is a not strict guideline for which season each cultivar goes in. It is depended upon how quickly the cabbage and it resistance to bolting, temperature, and other factors which decides when it is planted in your area. This guide gives a general idea when to plant the various varieties of cabbage but it is a good idea to check with your local extension service, nursery, or master gardener..
Early Season Cabbage Cultivars
Fast Ball Cabbage matures in 45 days. It has softball sized heads on compact plants.
'Savoy Express' Cabbage matures in 55 days with wrinkled curled leaves. It is a hybrid with small heads which was an All American Selection Winner.
'Early Jersey Wakefield' matures in 63 days is a heirloom and open pollinated. It is pointed head, waxy, and dark green with sparse outside foliage. This variety weights 2 to 3 lbs. It is resistant to cracking and stands well.
'Gonzales' or 'Gonzales Baby' matures 55 to 66 days. It has uniform, dense, spicy, 4 to 6in mini-heads.
'Dynamo' Cabbage or 'Dynamo Baby' matures in 60 to 75 days and is a hybrid. The head is dense, blue-green, 2-pound, and measures 7- to 8-inch across. The heads hold without splitting. It shows good resistance to most cabbage diseases and is also an All American Selection.
Blue Lagoon F1 is a hybrid which matures in between 68 to 75 days. It forms blue-green, globe-shaped heads with narrow cores and solid interiors which weight 3 to 5lbs. It is resistant to splitting, black rot and fusarium yellows.
'King Cole' matures in 74 days. It is large, firm, green very uniform heads.
'Ruby Ball' matures in 70 to 75 days and it is a firm very deep red round headed hybrid cabbage weighting about 3 to 4 lbs with 5 to 6 inch across head. It is resistant to splitting. This cultivar handles both cold and hot well.
'Red Acre' matures in 70 To 76 days and weights between 3 to 4 lbs. This variety is a heirloom which forms globe shaped head. It is resistant to cracking.
'Julius' matures in 75 days and is a round savoy blue-green leafed cabbage which weights between 3 to 4 lbs. It is resistant to cracking. 'Speed Savoy' matures in 75 days and has a dark blue-green color. It is disease resistant.Red Meteor matures in 75 days. It is a red firm cabbage. Round Dutch matures in 75 days. It is an open-pollinated; old, popular garden variety; most commonly sold as transplants with round, green head. It is tolerant to cold weather and resistant to bolting.
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Midseason Cultivars
Savoy Ace matures in 74 to 78 days This cabbage cultivar is a hybrid. It has medium blue-green, to deep green, 3 1/2- to 4-pound, very firm, round, lightly savoy head. It is an All American Selection Winner.
'Cheers' is harvested in 75 to 80 days. This variety had solid uniform dark blue green heads weighting 4 ½ to 5 ½ lbs. It is tolerant to both black rot and thrips and is resistant to fusarium yellows.
'Ruby Perfection ' matures in 75 to 85 days and is a wrinkled, curled leaf; red to purple round headed cabbage weighting 4 lbs to 6 lbs. It resist splitting and stores well. It is also thrips tolerant.
'Cardinal' matures in 80 days and is a hybrid. This cabbage variety is round with deep-red heads. It is resistant to fusarium yellows and splitting tolerant. 'Cheers' matures in 80 days. This cabbage has very uniform round dark blue-green heads wrighting between 4 1/2- to 5 1/2-pound. This variety is resistant to fusarium yellows and black rot.
'Rio Verde' matures in 80 to 85 days and is a hybrid. It is a blue green, weighting, 4-7 lb, 6 to7 inch diameter Danish slightly flat round heads. This cabbage cultivar shows resistance to Fusarium yellows, black speck and cold.
'Red Head' matures in 85 days and is a red hybrid cabbage. . 'Savoy King' matures in 85 days. It is very dark green and is very uniform in shape. Savory Queen matures in 85 days and weighs 5 lbs. It is dark green with good heat tolerance. 'Bravo' matures in 85 days and is a hybrid. It has uniform, large, globe-shaped heads. It is resistant to Fusarium yellows and tolerant of black rot.
'Chieftan' matures in 88 days. It is a flat blue green savoyed head cabbage. 'Quisto' matures in 88 days. This cabbage variety is blue-green with, 3- to 6-pound heads. It is good for short-term storage. This cultivar is tolerant of splitting, black rot, tip burn and resistant to yellows. It is also considered a late season cabbage.
Late Season Cabbages
“Stonehead” is round, hard cabbage thus its name and weighting somewhere between 4 to 6 pounds with heads about 6 inches across. It has a solid green creamy type color. It does well in cool regions and matures between 50 to 67 days. It is resistant to yellowing and tolerant of black rot. Also shows good resistances to powdery mildew. It is considered a summer cabbage. It is hardy. Its height is 40cms and spread is 20cms It should be planted 45 cms or 18inches apart in rows. Slow to split. Resistant to fusarium yellows. Tip burn and bursting tolerant. This cabbage is also considered an early season cabbage because of how quickly it matures.
'Late Flat Dutch' Cabbage matures in 110 days and is a green heirloom. It is 14” wide, flatten, oval, green cabbage which is winter hardy and stores well.
'Red Rodan' matures in 140 days and weights 3 lbs. It is hard, round and red headed cabbage. 'JANUARY king ' matures in 160 days and weights 3 to 5 lbs. It is a green head cabbage with purple marks and is cold hard.
The Growing Cabbage page has information on successfully cultivating this cole crop.
Growing Cabbage Information Links
Sources Used
Cornell University Cooperative Extension 24 Feb 2011. “Vegetable Varieties
for Gardeners” Cornell University Cooperative Extension. 24 Feb 2011.
<http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/mainSearch/showAll.php?ID=11&sortBy=overallrating&order=DESC&searchIn=1>\
Doubrava,
N., Blake, J. H. and J Williamson. May 2004. "Cabbage, Broccoli & Other Cole Crop Diseases" Clemson University Cooperative Extension
Service. 24. Feb 2011. <http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/pests/plant_pests/veg_fruit/hgic2202.html>
Mississippi State University Extension Service.14 Oct 2010. "Vegetable Gardening in Mississippi: Cabbage". Mississippi State University Extension Service. 05 Feb 2011. <http://msucares.com/lawn/garden/vegetables/list/cabbage.html>
Ortho. 2004. "Complete Guide to Vegetables, Fruits, & Herbs" Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023.
Roth, S. A. 1997. “New Complete Guide to Gardening”. (2nd Edition) Meredith Corporation, 1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA 50309-3023. p 467.
University of Illinois Extension. 11 Feb 2011. "Cabbage" University of Illinois Extension. 11 Feb 2011. <http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/cabbage.cfm>