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Jessie Keith
Brassicaceae
Brassica oleracea 'Red Express'( Capitata Group)
Red Cabbage, Red Express Cabbage
An early-maturing, "miniature" red cabbage that resists splitting, 'Red Express' bears dense spherical heads of colorful leaves that are decorative and delicious either cooked or raw. Typically grown as an annual, cabbage is a cool season vegetable that traces its ancestry to Brassica oleracea, a fleshy-leaved, short-lived perennial from coastal areas of western and southern Europe.
Maturing some 65 days after sowing, 'Red Express' forms coconut-sized heads with spreading, leathery outer leaves and relatively thin, tightly packed inner leaves. Flavor is robust and peppery. Vigor and flavor decline with heat. Although cool weather enhances flavor, plants may flower (or "bolt") following extended chilly spells. Somewhat cold-hardy, this cabbage can be grown as a winter vegetable in areas such as the Lower Southeast United States and western California. It is among the best red cabbages for the northern United States and Canada.
This cool weather crop prefers full sun and fertile, organic-rich garden soil with ample drainage. Plant seed or transplants in early spring, or in summer for fall or winter harvest. For an extended harvest, also plant late-cropping varieties. Plants may a produce a second crop of side sprouts from the "stumps" of the harvested heads.
Cabbages are rewarding to grow and well worth the effort. As with all members of Brassica oleracea, they are susceptible to a number of pests, including cabbage loopers and several other types of caterpillars.
6 - 1
8 - 11
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Vegetable
Full Sun, Partial Sun
8"-12" / 20.3cm - 30.5cm
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean
Acidic
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Fast
Average Water
Rosette/Stemless
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Showy
Yellow
Red, Purple, Burgundy
Red, Purple
Yes
No
Single
Bold
Matte
Semi-Evergreen
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable
Butterflies
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