A biennial leafy vegetable, usually grown as an annual for its edible buds. Young leaves begin green with red stems, and mature to produce dark red to purple leaves and buttons, which keep their colour when cooked.
0.5-1 metres
0.1-0.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, and protect from strong winds. Where possible, avoid growing brassicas in the same soil year on year, to prevent the build up of soil-borne diseases. See the RHS A-Z Guides to vegetable cultivation for more detailed advice
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors
No pruning required
May be susceptible to cabbage root fly, cabbage caterpillars, cabbage whitefly and mealy cabbage aphid
May be susceptible to downy mildews, powdery mildews, and club root particularly in acidic soil