Cabbages as Ornamentals and Flowers
These long stemmed cabbage flowers were in a large bunch at a local florist. Doubtless they were flown into England from many carbon miles away but you can easily grow your own ornamental cabbage.
Growing Ornamental Cabbage
- Large ornamental plants with frilled edges and an ornamental coloured heart. Colour vary with cream, pink and maroon being popular.
- Sow seeds in spring for summer bedding or summer for late autumn planting to replace summer bedding. Sow seeds 1/16in deep in a good seed compost. Germination takes 14-21 days
- When large enough to handle, transplant to 3in pots. Harden off spring sown plants and plant out 12-18in apart in the border. Pot up summer sown plants into 5in pots or containers and stand out of doors on a sheet of polythene to prevent root penetration into the soil.
- Water regularly and give weak doses of a high Nitrogen fertiliser every 14 days. Plant out in late summer in beds, window boxes, containers, etc.
- The leaf colour change occurs as the night temperature drops in late summer.
- In late winter they produce a tall flower spike which makes an unusual floral decoration.
Cabbage Northern Lights F1 Seeds from Thompson Morgan
Nutritional Information
- Eaten raw or cooked, cabbages are an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Try to use all healthy outer leaves as the darkest green leaves contain the most nutrients.
- Ornamental cabbages are edible when young although the flavour can be rather strong.
- Vary the colour of your coleslaw with some chopped ornamental leaves.