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Red cabbage illustration
Vegetables · Biennial

Red cabbage

Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group)

Purple leaves wrap tightly around a rounded, dense head.

Make it part of your growing collection.

A LITTLE EVERYDAY CARE

Help it thrive.

A few things worth knowing.
01

Choose firm ground

Plant in sunny, fertile, freely draining soil.

02

Protect the leaves

Cover with fine mesh against insects and birds.

03

Rotate the crop

Avoid repeatedly growing cabbage relatives in the same spot.

Care guide · RHSSource checked 20 Sept 2026 · Adapt timing to your climate and variety.
A PLACE TO THRIVE

Growing essentials.

Sunlight
6+ hours of sunSource-backed
Moisture
Moderate moistureSource interpretation
Soil pH
6–7Source-backed
Drainage
Free-drainingSource interpretation
Nutrients
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Soil texture
Not verifiedExcluded from score
Plant spacing
≈ 60 cmPlanning estimate
Growing depth
≈ 40 cmPlanning estimate
Typical height
≈ 50 cmPlanning estimate
Growing season
cool-seasonPlanning estimate

Source-backed preferences and planning estimates are labelled separately. Missing values are not treated as a match. Spacing and depth still depend on cultivar and growing method.

Data sources & uncertainty
Sunlight

Full sun is preferred; 6+ hours is a category, not an upper tolerance limit.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Moisture

Qualitative watering guidance is mapped to this interval for active growth; it is not a watering schedule.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil pH

Numeric preferred pH range given in the growing description.

Source · checked 2026-09-27
Drainage

Free drainage or avoiding waterlogging is recommended; the ordinal interval is an interpretation, not a measured drainage rate.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Nutrients

No comparable numeric nutrient requirement verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Soil texture

No specific soil textures verified; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Plant spacing

Simplified square planning allowance; variety, row layout and growing method change the space needed.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing depth

Approximate planning allowance, not a verified root depth; cultivar and growing method change the requirement.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Typical height

Approximate planning height; cultivar, pruning and growth stage change the result.

Source · checked 2026-09-20
Growing season

Broad growth category, not a local planting calendar; excluded from scoring.

Source · checked 2026-09-20