- origin and distribution
- use
- appearance and growth
- leaves
- Blossoms, flowering period and fruits
- toxicity
- Which location is suitable?
- soil / substrate
- Plant ornamental cabbage correctly
- Water ornamental cabbage
- Fertilize ornamental cabbage properly
- Propagating ornamental cabbage
- hibernate
- diseases and pests
- species and varieties
In summer the garden is practically overflowing with colorful blooming plants, but in autumn the color slowly fades. Now the time has come for the ornamental cabbage (bot. Brassica), which conjures up a splash of color in the garden bed with its white, pink or red-violet curly leaves. The pretty drawings shine most beautifully at temperatures of less than ten degrees Celsius. If you don't have a garden, plant the various Brassica species in a bucket on the balcony or terrace.
Decorative charcoal inspire with their differently colored inner leaves
Table of Contents
Show all- origin and distribution
- use
- appearance and growth
- leaves
- Blossoms, flowering period and fruits
- toxicity
- Which location is suitable?
- soil / substrate
- Plant ornamental cabbage correctly
- Water ornamental cabbage
- Fertilize ornamental cabbage properly
- Propagating ornamental cabbage
- hibernate
- diseases and pests
- species and varieties
- Date for sowing: not before the end of May
- Sowing possible until mid-July
- Distribute seeds in a seed bed, in the greenhouse or in a seed container
- cover lightly with soil
- Always keep soil moist
- Seeds germinate within one to three weeks at temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius
- Separation of the seedlings as soon as they have formed one or two leaves
- now plant in separate pots in a loose, humus-rich substrate
- Plant out in the garden bed as soon as at least five leaves are present
- Cabbage fly: numerous white flies on cabbage, leaf damage, countermeasures: remove diseased leaves, spray with tansy broth, establish natural enemies (hoverflies, lacewing larvae).
- Flea beetles: appear through sieve-like perforated leaves, dust infested plants with rock dust (14.13€).
- Aphids: Spray infested plants with nettle or tobacco decoction, establish natural enemies (lacewings and hoverflies, parasitic wasps, (22.99€) ladybirds).
- Cabbage white: infests ornamental cabbage that is planted several times in a row at the same location, change the location in the garden every year to prevent it, or cultivate ornamental cabbage in pots
- 'Attraction': white inner leaves, smooth leaf margin
- 'Coral Prince': white center and strongly dissected leaves
- 'Coral Queen': red colored center and heavily lobed leaves
- 'King Red': red-purple inner leaves, smooth leaf edges
- 'Peacock': burgundy and white center and long, serrated and slit leaves
- 'Redbor': violet-red center, curled leaves
- 'Rose Bouquet': bright red center and smooth leaf edges
- 'Sunrise': well suited for the vase because of the long-stemmed, cream-white inner leaves
- 'Sunset': pink-purple inner leaves, long stem
- 'White Crane': long-stemmed variety, white ground color with soft pink inner leaves
- 'White Lady': distinctive white center and curled leaves
origin and distribution
The ornamental cabbage (bot. Brassica oleracea) is a popular cabbage plant from the cruciferous family (bot. Brassicaceae), closely related to the edible kale. There are numerous ornamental forms that adorn flower beds, balconies and vases, mainly because of their colorful leaf decoration. The original form of this unusual type of cabbage comes from the western European Atlantic coast, but most of the cultivars are now cultivated in Japan and other Asian countries.
use
Ornamental cabbage is an unusual ornamental leaf plant in beds and pots. The rosette-like growth and the idiosyncratic coloring attract everyone's attention and can be combined particularly well with tall, slender summer and autumn flowers or perennials - the striking contrast forms a beautiful contrast. Impressive pictures are also created if you place the ornamental cabbage in groups in the flower bed - for example as a foreground or frame planting. In a bowl or vase, the plant is characterized by a particularly long shelf life, provided the water is changed daily. Since the colors of the plant are only pronounced in autumn temperatures of less than ten degrees Celsius, the cabbage plant has mainly established itself as an autumn decoration.
appearance and growth
Most varieties of ornamental cabbage form a basal leaf rosette that can be up to 50 centimeters high and just as wide. However, some varieties also develop a stalk. Color and shape of the leaves vary depending on the cultivar.
leaves
Ornamental cabbage is cultivated because of the conspicuously colored leaf rosette inside, the color of which ranges from creamy white to shades of yellow to pink, red or even violet. In contrast, the outer leaves are mostly dark to blue-green. The strong colors only appear with the falling temperatures in late autumn or winter, which is why you can only cut the ornamental cabbage as a decorative element for the apartment or for the vase at this time. Depending on the variety, the leaf edges are either slit or entire, the leaves are smooth or curled.
Blossoms, flowering period and fruits
If you leave the ornamental cabbage in the bed after the winter, the biennial species forms yellow flowers between May and June, which are terminal on long stalks above the leaves. The pods that are characteristic of cruciferous plants then develop from them. However, the ornamental cabbage is usually only cultivated once a year due to the lack of winter hardiness.
toxicity
In contrast to other ornamental vegetables (such as ornamental pumpkins), ornamental cabbage is not poisonous and is actually edible. However, the different varieties are selected for their appearance and not for their taste, which is why consumption is not recommended. The aroma of ornamental cabbage is quite unpleasantly bitter, and the beautiful leaf colors are lost during heating and take on an unsightly gray colour.
Which location is suitable?
In order for the beautiful leaf colors to develop, the ornamental cabbage needs a location that is as sunny and protected as possible.
soil / substrate
Like cabbage, ornamental cabbage thrives best in nutrient-rich, humus-rich and calcareous soil, which at best contains a proportion of clay. A neutral pH is ideal, but the plants also tolerate slightly acidic or slightly alkaline substrates. Furthermore, the soil should be well drained so that waterlogging does not occur in the first place - which is why good drainage is essential for plants cultivated in pots.
Plant ornamental cabbage correctly
If you want to plant ornamental cabbage in the garden, you can either buy the young plants you need in stores or grow them yourself from seeds. Plant these out as soon as they have developed at least five to seven leaves, but no earlier than August. Late planting is important because the temperatures during the growth phase should be below 20 degrees Celsius for the formation of the leaf colors. Ornamental cabbage, on the other hand, is not suitable for growing indoors, as it is simply too warm for it in the apartment. When planting in the bed, keep a planting distance of approx. 20 to 25 centimeters.
Like other cabbage plants, ornamental cabbage also has a high nutrient requirement, which is why you should improve the excavation of the planting hole with manure or mature compost. If the pH of the soil is too acidic, raise it by adding lime to it. Also pay attention to the crop rotation, because where cabbage or another cruciferous plant has been planted before, no such plant may be planted for at least three years - this also applies to ornamental cabbage, of course. Therefore change the location every year.
Good Neighbors / Bad Neighbors
Here, too, you can follow the recommendations for cabbage and cultivate the ornamental cabbage together with endives, beans, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, spinach or dill. A direct neighborhood to strawberries and various Allium species (e.g. onions and garlic, but also ornamental onions!) is not recommended.
Water ornamental cabbage
Ornamental cabbage not only has a high nutrient requirement, but also a high water requirement and should therefore be watered regularly for healthy growth. Always let the soil dry out a bit between the individual waterings, but never dry out completely: In this case, so-called flea beetles will quickly settle and practically eat up the ornamental cabbage.
Fertilize ornamental cabbage properly
As a heavy feeder, ornamental cabbage should be fertilized regularly during the growth period with a low-dose liquid fertilizer, which you administer every four weeks until around the end of August. From this point on, reduce the amount of fertilizer and, above all, make sure to use a potassium-based fertiliser: nitrogen-rich fertilization, on the other hand, has a negative impact on later leaf colouration.
What to do if the leaves turn yellow
Yellowing and then falling leaves are common - but not always! - a sign of a lack of fertilization. Until about the end of August, the fertilization should be more nitrogen-rich, then low-nitrogen with an emphasis on potassium - and also slowly tapered off.
Propagating ornamental cabbage
Ornamental cabbage can be grown quite easily by sowing yourself, although collecting your own seeds is only rarely possible - in many cases the plants do not survive a Central European winter at all or do not produce any flowers in the following spring. You should therefore purchase the seeds from specialist retailers and train them into small plants as follows:
hibernate
As a rule, ornamental cabbage is not overwintered, but only cultivated as an annual. Although the bright colors of the plant are all the more magnificent the cooler it is, the plant only tolerates temperatures down to around minus eight degrees Celsius. If the thermometer falls well below that, the plants will inevitably die - even if you protect them with a cover. In the spring, simply pull the dead cabbages out of the ground and dispose of them in the compost. If you want to bring the ornamental cabbage to bloom, you should overwinter it frost-free and bright. In this way, with a bit of luck, you can win your own seeds.
diseases and pests
Unfortunately, typical cabbage pests such as beetles, cabbage flies (a variant of the white fly) or the cabbage white do not stop at ornamental cabbage.
tips
High-stemmed ornamental cabbage varieties can also be used very well for extravagant bouquets.
species and varieties
There are numerous different varieties of ornamental cabbage on the market, which impress with their wealth of variants. Many of them come from Japan, from which variety names such as 'Tokyo' (red center, smooth leaf edges), 'Nagoya' (white and red center, heavily wavy and/or curly leaves), 'Osaka' (white, pink and red center). , slightly curled / wavy leaves) or 'Hatsuyume' (very long-stemmed, white color with a pale pink centre).
In addition to the popular and proven Japanese varieties, there are a number of newer F1 hybrid breeds that stand out due to their visual features:
Furthermore, the two subspecies Brassica oleracea var. sabelllica (tall or curly ornamental cabbage) and Brassica oleracea var. acephala (colored ornamental cabbage) can also be planted very well in flower borders.