It seems fanciful to call cabbage romantic, but how else to describe the awesome choice of varieties, shapes and sizes available in seed and transplants. The Thompson and Morgan seed catalog lists 19 kinds, for instance. Cabbage is the king of the winter garden,'' says Ralph Eddy of Cupertino, who grows three kinds of cabbage in an organic plot at McClellan Ranch in Cupertino. And this king is definitely headed for the big time. They have refined the taste, improved color and created disease-resistant traits.
New varieties show up every year.
Sakata has been improving cabbage for 80 years. Their varieties are sold by catalogs such as Johnny's, Shepherd's and Park seed companies. With all this excitement over new varieties, Eddy prefers a trio of old favorites. They taste good and produce perfect heads,'' he says. Cabbage are heavy feeders.