Vegetable cabbage - Ribbed cabbage / Portuguese cabbage

Plant family

Crucifers (Brassicaceae)

Cultivation Break

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Medium (loamy)

Nutrient requirement

High

Light germinator

Germination temperature

18 - 22 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Plant distance

50 cm

Row spacing

50 cm

Seeding depth

0.5 cm

Instructions

Description

Portuguese cabbage is a green leafy vegetable from the cabbage family. Unlike most cabbage varieties, this vegetable does not form heads and grows in leaves like kale. This led to the alternative common name Portuguese kale. However, unlike kale, the leaves of this green vegetable, as well as the midrib and stem, are fleshy and juicy. Kale ribs and stems are often too woody to eat. Many compare this vegetable to collards.

Growing tips

Seeds can be sown in the fall or spring. In both cases, you can pre-grow the seeds in pots about six weeks before the planting date. Transplant your best seedlings into the garden around the beginning of fall or mid-spring. After that, growing these cabbages is surprisingly easy and trouble-free. The first leaves can be harvested a few months later. This vegetable can survive hot summers in suitable zones. Watch out for caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly. If you don't want to use pesticides, simply inspect the leaves regularly and pick off any caterpillars you see. You may also have birds that want to eat these green vegetables, so protect the plants with vegetable protection netting.