A biennial grown as an annual vegetable. A cultivar producing a stout rosette of triangular, lobed, grey-green basal leaves and short, sturdy stalks bearing densely packed, edible heads of crisp, blue-green florets. It has an excellent flavour and remains in good condition for a long time. Successional sowing will provide a harvest throughout Summer and Autumn
0.1-0.5 metres
0.1-0.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Grow in fertile, well compacted, non-acid soil in full sun. Sow thinly between April-June at a depth of 1cm in rows 30cm apart and thin seedlings to 10cm apart when large enough to handle. Can be sown indoors in a seed tray of good quality seed compost and covered with 6mm of vermiculite, maintain at 15 degrees until germination then prick out into individual cells. See calabrese cultivation for more detailed advice
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
No pruning required
May be susceptible to birds, cabbage caterpillar, cabbage root fly, cabbage whitefly, cutworms, flea beetle, mealy cabbage aphid, slugs and snails, swede midge
May be susceptible to black rot, club root, grey mould, leaf spot, white blister, downy mildew