Information on Ornamental Cabbage Care

Requirements

• Select a sunny location with organically rich, moderately moist soil. Ornamental cabbage prefers an acidic to slightly alkaline pH. The plants need cold weather to look their best, and survive freezing temperatures as low as 5 degrees F. Plant them in late summer or early fall for fall and winter displays. In cold climates where warm spring temperatures are slow in coming, you can also plant them in late winter for spring displays.

Planting

• You can start ornamental cabbages from seeds but they must be started and kept for 10 weeks under cold conditions so most people buy transplants from a garden center or nursery. Select plants with good color that are an appropriate size for your garden. They don't usually get any bigger once they are transplanted. Plant them deep enough so the lower stem is buried, and the bottom leaves sit just above the soil. Space the plants 12 to 18 inches apart. Keep the plants well-watered until they are established. Once temperatures begin to drop the color intensifies.

Maintenance

• Ornamental cabbage flowers are not showy and may cause the foliage to decline, so remove flower stems as they appear. The plants have fewer problems with pests than their warm-season relatives, but when warm weather persists longer than expected they may be bothered by cabbage worms, cutworms, aphids and slugs. Watch for rabbits, which consider ornamental cabbage a treat when other foods are scarce. When warm weather causes drooping leaves, remove the plants and replace them with summer annuals.

Uses

• Use ornamental cabbage to replace summer annuals in the front of your flower borders. They also grow well in window boxes and other containers. Combine them with cold-tolerant annuals such as petunias, pansies, snapdragons and Swiss chard. Plant them around ornamental grasses or on their own in mass plantings for an outstanding display. In mass plantings you can create patterns using plants with different colors.