How to Grow Savoy Cabbage

While most people have heard of – and eaten – red and green cabbage, I’ve noticed that fewer are familiar with savoy cabbage.

This is a shame, since it’s my favorite variety!

With crinkly green leaves, it adds beauty to the garden, and a unique texture in the kitchen.

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Here’s everything you need to know to add it to your vegetable patch this year:

Let’s dig into the details!

Savoy cabbage, like all other cabbage varieties is a specific cultivar of Brassica oleracea. The wrinkly leaves have a milder flavor and a lighter texture than the more traditional green cabbage that many of us are used to.

According to Texas A&M University, the name savoy comes from the historical Savoy region of the Western Alps in parts of what is now Italy, France, and Switzerland.

As with other varieties of cabbage, savoy doesn’t do well in hot weather. Therefore, it can be grown once in the spring, and again in the fall.

In the spring, you should aim to get transplants in the ground immediately after your last frost. This gives plants time to fully develop before it becomes too hot. Start seeds five or six weeks before your expected last frost date.

In the fall, crops should be transplanted in late July to mid-September. Those in colder regions should transplant earlier, while those in warmer regions can transplant later.

Seeds for transplants should be started in late June to early August, depending on when you want to plant.

No matter when you plant, choose a site with full sun and good drainage. Plant seedlings 12-18 inches apart in rows 18-24