Which cabbage please...

[lettuceleaf]

I've grown this cabbage but didn't keep the seed packet, so I don't know what type it is.

The leaves are large and stalks are purple-ish, but it doesn't seem to be growing a heart, so I am wondering if it is the type that you use only the leaves - but I wouldn't want to pick the leaves if it will eventually grow a heart.

Can anyone help, please?

[rustylady]

Very difficult to see, as the plants are very close together. It's not sprouts, is it?

[lettuceleaf]

No, definitely cabbage. If you double (left) click you can enlarge the picture. Thanks.

[rustylady]

The stalks look very long, which is why I thought of sprouts. It is deffo a red cabbage of some sort, and they do take quite a long time to heart up.

[lettuceleaf]

That's odd because I never bought red cabbage seeds . However, whether they heart up or not was my main query, so I guess I ought to leave them to do that. Thank you.

[rustylady]

I don't suppose you can remember which cabbage seeds you did buy?

[lettuceleaf]

Unfortunately not, but I would have remembered if I had bought red cabbage seeds.

I did get some free cabbage seeds from botanico but the cabbage on the packet is oblong firm and green - nothing like my picture (above). Perhaps this isn't cabbage at all?

[singleseeder]

On GQT this week, Christine Walkden spoke about working at a seed company. She said that it wasn't uncommon for seeds from a previous packing run being left in the system and getting into the first packs of the next run if it wasn't cleaned out properly.

So you might have bought green cabbage, but got a few red ones.

[Two_Sheds]

Those leaves are huge, it looks like it should be one that grows a heart.

How many red cabbages are there, and how close together are they? (they look a bit crowded, and so might not heart up at all)

[Florence Fennel]

Definitely red cabbage, it looks like the red cabbage I'm growing, but I'd need to look at the packet to know the variety. Could let you know later. As TS says, if they're too close together they may not heart up.

[lettuceleaf]

Oh dear, bad news all round then. They were very small when I planted them out. Suddenly they've grown enormous.

Could I replant them successfully (farther apart) ?

Can I eat the leaves, if they don't heart up ?

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, the leaves are still edible

They're probably too big to transplant now, so just eat every other one and leave the rest to grow on. (cabbages need to be about 24"-30" apart)

[lettuceleaf]

Good idea. I guess these cabbages still have a lot of growing to do, if they are to hearten up. Would I be right in thinking ready for picking about end August?

[Two_Sheds]

that depends what variety they are

[Potstubsdustbins]

I grow my winter cabbage very close together due to lack of space. I thin by picking every other one and eat it as spring greens, and then go along again picking every other one. Only the last few get a chance to heart up but this method about 12/14 weeks of tasty fresh greens.

Colin