Vegetable
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata · Brassicaceae
Also called: Head Cabbage, Green Cabbage, Red Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is a moderate-water vegetable well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Cabbage at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours) during the cool season.
- Mature size
- 12-24 in. tall and 18-24 in. wide depending on variety
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Yellow (biennial; only flowers in its second season or if over-wintered and bolted), Heads harvested late fall through winter in Tucson; bolts in spring heat
- Cold hardiness
- Cool-season and very frost-hardy — tolerates freezes to roughly 20-25 F and flavor sweetens with frost, making it one of the most dependable Tucson winter crops.
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained, organic-rich soil; pH 6.0-7.0. Amend Tucson's alkaline soil with compost.
- Native range
- Cultivated derivative of wild cabbage native to coastal Mediterranean / western Europe
- Best used as
- Edible head (slaws, kraut, cooking), Storage cool-season crop, Fall/winter garden staple
- Wildlife
- Cabbage loopers, imported cabbageworm, aphids, and harlequin bugs are the main Tucson pests; scout leaf undersides.
- Toxicity
- Edible and non-toxic to people. Generally safe for pets in moderation; large raw amounts of brassica can cause gas in dogs.
How to grow Cabbage in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Keep soil consistently moist (about 1-1.5 in./week); uneven watering after heads form can split them. In Tucson set out transplants (or sow seed) Sept-Oct for a fall-through-winter harvest; cabbage is among the most cold-hardy and forgiving of the brassicas.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Heavy feeder: compost plus balanced fertilizer at planting and nitrogen side-dressings every 3-4 weeks until heads firm up.
Pruning & care
Harvest when heads are firm and solid by cutting at the base; leaving the rooted stub can yield small secondary sprouts.
Notes
One of the easiest and hardiest brassicas for Tucson. Plant transplants or seed Sept-Oct; heads mature through the cool winter. Choose smaller, faster varieties to beat spring heat, and harvest promptly once firm to avoid splitting.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension – Pima County Monthly Gardening Guides; Tucson Organic Gardeners Planting Guide; Pima County Master Gardeners