Digging deeperPlant Library

Ruby Perfection Red Cabbage

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Other Names:  Ornamental Kale, Ornamental Cabbage

Group/Class:  Capitata Group

Description:

Cabbage is typically grown in the cool temperatures of spring or fall for best results; apply mulch to protect shallow roots and keep consistently moist; harvest after firm heads form

Edible Qualities

Ruby Perfection Red Cabbage is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. The round dark red tightly-wrapped heads of foliage are usually harvested from mid to late fall. The heads have a pleasant taste.

The heads are most often used in the following ways:

• Eating When Cooked/Prepared
• Cooking

Planting & Growing

Ruby Perfection Red Cabbage will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. This vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.

This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It should only be grown in full sunlight. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Ruby Perfection Red Cabbage is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing the canvas against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.