Cabbage 'Red Express'
Cabbage 'Red Express' is a hybrid brassica variety (Brassica oleracea var. capitata 'Red Express'). Harvest begins around day 76-80; seed germinates in 5-10 days. Set plants 12-15 inches apart. Grow in soil pH 6.0-6.8, zones 6-9, full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours). Plants reach 10-24 inches. It will crop in a container. Hybrid seed does not come true, so it has to be bought fresh each season rather than saved.
Sowing
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or direct sow 2-3 weeks before last frost date. Can succession plant for fall harvest.
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- 1-1.5 inches per week, consistent moisture
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained soil with good organic content
- Soil pH
- 6.0-6.8
- Spacing
- 12-15 inches
- Height
- 10-24 inches
- Season
- Cool season
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Deep red-purple throughout
- Size
- 2-4 pounds, compact heads
- Shape
- Round, tight, uniform heads
- Flavour
- Crisp and crunchy with mild peppery-sweet flavor, less bitter than green cabbage
In the kitchen
Perfect for coleslaw, braising, pickling, and fermentation. Adds color to stir-fries and salads. Excellent for sauerkraut.
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Cabbage worms, cutworms, aphids, flea beetles
- Diseases
- Clubroot, black leg, downy mildew, white rust
- Resistance
- Good resistance to fusarium yellows and black rot
Planting calendar by USDA zone
| Zone | Start indoors | Transplant | Direct sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April – May | June – July | June – July | August – September |
| 2 | April – May | June – July | May – July | August – September |
| 3 | March – April | May – June | May – June | July – October |
| 4 | March – April | May – June | April – June | July – October |
| 5 | February – March | April – May | April – May | July – November |
| 6 | February – March | April – May | April – May | June – November |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | March – May | June – November |
| 8 | January – February | March – April | March – April | May – December |
| 9 | January | February – March | February – March | April – December |
| 10 | January | February – March | January – March | April – December |
| 11 | January | January – February | January – February | March – December |
| 12 | January | January – February | January – February | March – December |
| 13 | January | January – February | January – February | March – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 25
- Protein (g)
- 1.28
- Fat (g)
- 0.1
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 5.8
- Fibre (g)
- 2.5
- Sugars (g)
- 3.2
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 5
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 36.6
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.15
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 76
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.124
- Folate (µg)
- 43
- Calcium (mg)
- 40
- Iron (mg)
- 0.47
- Magnesium (mg)
- 12
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 26
- Potassium (mg)
- 170
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.18
- Selenium (µg)
- 0.3
Where to buy seed and equipment
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Cultivar facts compiled from public horticultural references including USDA GRIN and NC State Extension. Descriptions are original to this catalogue.
Grown Cabbage 'Red Express'?
Post a crop report — day counts, reservoir readings, what worked. Variety-specific logs are the most useful thing on the forum.
Similar varieties
Other brassicas with a comparable time to harvest, so a season that suits Cabbage 'Red Express' suits these too.
- Red Acre Cabbage 76 days
- Puntoverde 78 days
- Denali 73 days
- Graffiti 80 days
- Kossak 80 days
- Vitaverde 71 days