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Cabbage — Brassica oleracea var. capitata

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Cabbage — Brassica oleracea var. capitata

layout: base.njk title: Cabbage description: Growing Cabbage in West Virginia (Zone 6b/7a) category: cool-season

Quick Reference: See detailed growing information below
Fresh green cabbage head

Type: Biennial (grown as annual)
Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
Sun: Full sun (6+ hours, prefers cool weather)
Water: Moderate to high (1-2" per week, consistent moisture critical for head formation)
Soil pH: 6.0-7.5 (tolerates wider range, optimal 6.5-7.0)
Hardiness: Zones 2-11 (cool season annual, cold hardy variety-dependent)

🌱 Expected Yield

  • Per plant: Early varieties: 1-2 lbs per head. Late/storage varieties: 3-8 lbs per head.
  • Per 10' row: Early: 15-25 lbs. Late varieties: 30-60 lbs (fewer plants, larger heads).
  • Per season: With spring and fall crops: 40-80 lbs per 10' row annually. Storage varieties can provide cabbage through winter.

🏺 Heirloom Varieties (5-10+)

'Golden Acre'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (rareseeds.com), Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com)
  • Days: 63 days
  • Notes: Danish heirloom from 1920s. Early, compact heads (6-7" diameter, 2-3 lbs). Ball-shaped, light green. Cold tolerant, slow to bolt. Good for coleslaw, fresh eating. Reliable early producer.

'Copenhagen Market'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Burpee (burpee.com)
  • Days: 65 days
  • Notes: Danish heirloom. Round, firm heads (3-5 lbs). Red and green varieties. Cold hardy. Stores well. Classic Northern European cabbage. Crisp texture, mild sweet flavor. Excellent for sauerkraut.

'Brunswick'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (southernexposure.com)
  • Days: 90 days
  • Notes: German heirloom, standard for sauerkraut. Large, flat-topped heads (8-10 lbs). Slow growing but exceptional keeper. Sweetens in storage. Traditional German variety. Best planted for fall harvest and winter storage.

'Red Drumhead'

  • Source: Baker Creek, Seed Savers Exchange, Johnny's Selected Seeds
  • Days: 95 days
  • Notes: Heirloom storage cabbage. Large, flat, purple-red heads (5-8 lbs). Cold hardy, excellent keeper. Sweet, mild flavor. Beautiful ornamental value. Slow growing but productive. Traditional European storage variety.

'Savoy King'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 80 days
  • Notes: Hybrid savoy type. Deep green, heavily crinkled leaves. Medium-large heads (4-6 lbs). Cold tolerant. Tender texture, sweet flavor. Savoy types more cold-hardy than smooth. Good for fresh eating and cooking.

'Early Jersey Wakefield'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Burpee
  • Days: 63 days
  • Notes: American heirloom from 1840s. Pointed, conical heads (2-4 lbs). Very early. Good for coleslaw. Tender, sweet flavor. Heat tolerant for early cabbage. Pointed shape distinctive.

'Quick Start'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, High Mowing Organic Seeds (highmowingseeds.com)
  • Days: 58 days
  • Notes: Hybrid, F1. Very early, small round heads (2-3 lbs). Uniform, holds well in field. Heat tolerant. Good for early market. Mild, tender. Fast turnover for growers.

'Charleston Wakefield'

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 70 days
  • Notes: Southern heirloom. Pointed heads (3-5 lbs). Heat tolerant for cabbage. Good for Southern springs. Mild flavor. Traditional Southern variety predating 1900.

'Ruby Ball'

  • Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds, Baker Creek
  • Days: 65 days
  • Notes: Hybrid red cabbage. Round, compact heads (3-4 lbs). Deep purple-red color. Holds color when cooked (unusual for red cabbage). Sweet, mild. Slow to bolt. Beautiful raw and cooked.

'Storage #4' (Late Flat Dutch)

  • Source: Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek, Southern Exposure
  • Days: 105 days
  • Notes: American heirloom. Massive flat heads (10-15 lbs). Ultimate storage cabbage—improves in winter storage. Sweetens with cold. Traditional for winter cellars. Requires long season but unmatched for keeping quality. Plant in early summer for fall harvest.

🌾 Seed Saving

  • Method: Cabbage is biennial—requires vernalization (cold period) to flower. For seed saving, select best heads, mark plants, leave in ground over winter (mulch heavily in zone 6b) or dig entire plant with root ball, store in cool, humid place (root cellar at 35-40°F), replant in spring. In spring, plants send up 3-5' flower stalks from center of head.

Yellow, four-petaled flowers bloom over 3-4 weeks. Heavy insect pollination (bees, flies). Seed pods (siliques) mature 4-6 weeks after flowering, turning from green to tan/brown.

Cut stalks when most pods brown but before shattering. Hang in paper bags or on tarps in dry, ventilated area 2-3 weeks. Thresh by beating bags or rolling stalks.

Winnow by pouring between bowls in breeze to separate seeds from chaff. - Isolation distance: 2 miles minimum (up to 5 miles for pure seed). Cabbage cross-pollinates readily with all Brassica oleracea varieties (kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi—all same species). For pure seed, grow only one B.

oleracea variety or cage isolated plants with netting and hand-pollinate. - Viability: 4-5 years when stored in cool, dry, dark conditions in airtight containers. Medium-sized seeds store well. - Special notes: Save seed from minimum 5-10 plants to maintain genetic diversity. For heading cabbage, cut an "X" in the top of stored heads to help flower stalk emerge in spring.

Select for head quality, disease resistance, bolting tolerance, storage ability. In zone 6b/7a, hardy varieties can overwinter with heavy mulch (straw, leaves). Less hardy varieties must be stored indoors and replanted.

Some varieties more prone to bolting—avoid saving seed from plants that bolt prematurely. Biennial requirement means seed saving requires two full seasons..

Added to WV Planting Guide 26155 — The Loop Farmstead

🌾 Natural Soil Amendments (Loop Farmstead Standard)

Only on-farm, regenerative inputs:

  • Compost: 1-2 inches annually (on-farm production)
  • Cover crops: Rye + vetch (fall), buckwheat (summer), daikon (compaction)
  • Wood chips: Pathways only (aged 2+ years for beds)
  • Fall leaves: Mulch or compost browns
  • Blood/bone meal: From farm-slaughtered animals
  • Biochar: Charged with compost tea (permanent carbon)
  • Wood ash: Light application from wood stove
  • Eggshells: Crushed/powdered (slow calcium)

❌ Never used: Synthetic fertilizers, mined minerals, gypsum, peat moss

See: natural_soil_amendments_standard.md for complete guide