Twister
Twister is a hybrid brassica. Germination takes 7-14 days and fruit ripens from about day 62. Skin runs to dark green. Water need is regular; 1-1.5 inches per week; consistent moisture essential for quality head development. Suits zones 6-9. As a hybrid it will not breed true; saving seed from it is not worth the space.
Sowing
Start indoors 5-6 weeks before transplant date, or direct sow in late May to early June (northern regions) for summer/fall harvest; transplant when seedlings have 4-6 true leaves
Cultivation
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade (4-6+ hours)
- Water
- Regular; 1-1.5 inches per week; consistent moisture essential for quality head development
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile loam enriched with compost or aged manure; slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.0)
- Spacing
- 18-24 inches
- Height
- 10-24 inches
- Season
- Warm season annual
Appearance & flavour
- Colour
- Dark green
- Shape
- Large, well-domed head with tightly closed florets
- Flavour
- Mild, tender florets with a slight sweetness; less sulfurous than some varieties, making it approachable for cooks who typically avoid strong brassica flavors
In the kitchen
Steaming, roasting, stir-frying, raw in salads or vegetable platters, fermented, freezing for long-term storage
Pests, disease & resistance
- Pests
- Cabbage moth, flea beetle, cabbage aphid, imported cabbageworm
- Diseases
- Clubroot, black rot, downy mildew
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 | July – September |
| 3 | March – April | May – June | May – June | July – October |
| 4 | March – April | May – June | April – June | June – October |
| 5 | February – March | April – May | April – May | June – November |
| 6 | February – March | April – May | April – May | June – November |
| 7 | February – March | April – May | March – May | May – November |
| 8 | January – February | March – April | March – April | May – December |
| 9 | January | February – March | February – March | April – December |
| 10 | January | February – March | January – March | March – December |
| 11 | January | January – February | January – February | February – December |
| 12 | January | January – February | January – February | February – December |
| 13 | January | January – February | January – February | February – December |
Companion planting
8 beneficial pairings indexed for this variety, 3 to avoid.
Avoid
Nutrition (per 100 g)
- Calories (per 100 g)
- 31
- Protein (g)
- 2.57
- Fat (g)
- 0.34
- Carbohydrate (g)
- 6.27
- Fibre (g)
- 2.4
- Vitamin A (µg)
- 8
- Vitamin C (mg)
- 91.3
- Vitamin E (mg)
- 0.15
- Vitamin K (µg)
- 102
- Vitamin B6 (mg)
- 0.191
- Folate (µg)
- 65
- Calcium (mg)
- 46
- Iron (mg)
- 0.69
- Magnesium (mg)
- 21
- Phosphorus (mg)
- 67
- Potassium (mg)
- 303
- Zinc (mg)
- 0.42
- Selenium (µg)
- 1.6
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 Twister?
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 Twister suits these too.
- Flame Star 62 days
- Purple Moon 62 days
- Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage 63 days
- Red Trumpet 60 days
- Purple Vienna Kohlrabi 60 days
- Champion Collards 60 days