Spring cabbage 'Advantage'
For home vegetable growers, the adaptability of spring cabbage that can be grown as both greens and as hearted cabbage is invaluable and a recent RHS trial set out to reveal which are the best. 27 cultivars were tested and, of those, seven proved of sufficient quality to receive the Award of Garden Merit. One of those that did especially well was ‘Advantage’.
‘Advantage’ is a British-bred, pointed variety which can be grown as a hearted cabbage to mature in spring and autumn, or grown for greens that can be cut in spring, summer and autumn. The neat heads are small to medium in size, and dark green in colour.
One feature that the judges noted in particular was the fact that ‘Advantage’ withstood a period of hot weather in April very well with almost no bolting. The plants were netted to prevent pigeon damage but although this was damaged by heavy December snow, it was rapidly repaired and the plants suffered little damage.
The sowing regime for greens and for hearts should be as follows. Seed of ‘Advantage’ can be sown from early February to the end of July to provide greens from early June though the summer and then hearted plants in the autumn until about the end of November. Seed can also be sown from mid August to the end of September, to produce hearts to cut during March, April and the first half of May. So you can cut ‘Advantage’ for more than half the year.