CABBAGE - RED ACRE

     Organic Cabbage Red Acre

          100 Seeds Pack    

Heirloom Red Acre cabbage is among the oldest cultivated vegetables, with origins traced as far back as 4,000 BC in China. The Romans later embraced cabbage, valuing it for its medicinal properties, and even philosophers like Pythagoras and Cato wrote extensively about its benefits. This ancient vegetable has stood the test of time, and Red Acre cabbage remains a standout for its exceptional qualities.

Red Acre is renowned as the best early-maturing red cabbage, producing small, compact plants with round, vibrant reddish-purple heads. These heads typically range from 5 to 7 inches( (13 x 18cm) in diameter and weigh about 3 pounds, making them perfect for both home gardens and small-scale farming. Its crisp, colourful leaves are ideal for adding a festive touch to coleslaws, salads, and other dishes.

This variety is not only prized for its beauty and flavour but also for its practicality. Red Acre stores exceptionally well and offers natural resistance to cabbage yellows, making it a reliable and low-maintenance choice for gardeners. Whether grown for its striking colour, versatility in the kitchen, or robust nature, Red Acre cabbage continues to shine as a cherished heirloom variety.

        PLANTING & GROWING

Organic red acre cabbage is a cool weather crop able to be planted multiple times throughout the season for successive year-round harvests.  .

Rich in organic matter that is well-drained.  Choose an area in your garden that gets at least 6 hours of sunlight. 

Sow seeds 1.25cm (½in) deep and space 15 to 20cm (6 to 8in) between rows.

Once the seeds have germinated, thin the seedlings to 7.5cm (3in) between each plant. After germination, seedlings will often be ‘leggy’, so plant them as deep as possible to really anchor them into the soil when they are between 6 and 8cm high (2½ to 3in).  Water plants well before you begin and better to transplant on a dull day or in the evening to prevent the plants wilting in hot, dry weather.

Cabbage requires regular, even watering. Uneven watering can result in stunted or cracked heads. Give cabbage 2.54cm (1½in) inches of water every week; 1 inch equal 16 gallons (60.5 L).

Because other brassicas need the same kinds of nutrients as cabbage, they can be planted near your cabbage crop. Brussels sprouts, kale, swiss chard, broccoli, and cauliflower are all suitable companions. Not only are members of the cabbage family easy to grow, but they also enjoy the same climate and conditions that cabbage does.  An overabundant amount of brassicas can out-compete each other.  Brassicas need sun, but cabbage enjoys shade in the hard afternoon sun. One of the best ways to provide some shade and  Nitrogen-fixing plants like beans and peas will feed cabbage.

Carrots, beets, onions, and parsnips make good cabbage companion plants too.  Growing onions, garlic, and herbs beside your cabbage will keep it pest-free and the leaves from beets provide magnesium to the soil when they break down.

One herb, in particular – rosemary, sage and dill– not only repels cabbage moths, it improves the flavour of each head of cabbage nearby. This is because rosemary provides potassium, calcium, and sulphur to the soil, which gives the cabbage a little help in the flavour and nutrition departments. 

Tomatoes, Lettuce and Strawberry are one of the most unsuitable cabbage companion plants. They are carriers of fungal infections and can infect your cabbage with diseases. Cabbage, on the other hand, can deplete the nutrients that your tomatoes need to thrive.  Cabbage crops contain plant chemicals that inhibit tomato growth, as well as other nightshades like eggplants and peppers.

Cabbage is a cross-pollinated crop because of sporophytic self-incompatibility, and honey bees play an important role in its pollination.  Biennial vegetables include: beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, Florence fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, parsley, parsnips, winter radishes, rutabaga, and turnips. About 80% of plants require pollination from insects or birds.