Napa cabbage

About Napa cabbage

Napa cabbage (Chinese cabbage) forms a crisp, pale, barrel-shaped head; the taller Michihli type is a close relative. It is a cousin of bok choy and turnip, and it is the classic cabbage for kimchi. Cold spells in spring can make it bolt, so fall is its most reliable season.

Grown as a cool-season annual in every zone; fall crops are more reliable. It is the same species as field mustard, which the California Invasive Plant Council rates Limited (advisory).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

• Set out plants: 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost

Days count from seeding (common hybrids take about 54 to 72 days; Florida lists 70 to 90). Spring plants set out 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost may bolt if nights stay below 50F for a week or more; in the North, sow in early July for a fall crop, since it needs about two months.

Soil

Fertile, well-drained soil that holds moisture; aim for about an inch of water a week, since uneven watering leads to tipburn.

Get a soil test first, aim for pH 6.0 to 7.5, and work in well-rotted manure or compost in spring or fall.

Feeding

Don't use fresh manure or weed-and-feed products; too much or late nitrogen can cause dark specks (pepper spot) on the midribs.

Harvest

Cut the head above the outer leaves when it feels firm and dense when pressed. Don't leave mature heads standing long, and cover them if lows below 30F are forecast.

Cut the whole head once it feels firm and dense, and don't leave mature heads standing; sow a fall crop in midsummer.

Varieties (10)

Extension lists name about 10 napa and Michihli varieties; few give full details.

Good neighbors

Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Collards, Kohlrabi

UMN Extension names napa cabbage as a trap crop that can draw flea beetles away from other cabbage-family crops, working best in a mix of several trap species; expect the napa itself to get chewed.

Pests to watch for

Flea beetles, Imported cabbageworm, Cabbage looper, Diamondback moth, Cabbage maggot, Aphids, Harlequin bug, Cutworms, Beet armyworm, Whiteflies, Slugs, Brown garden snail

Diseases and problems

Black rot of cabbage-family crops, Alternaria leaf spot (cabbage family), Clubroot, Downy mildew, White rust, Tipburn, Bacterial soft rot, Bottom rot, Turnip mosaic

In the kitchen

Shredded raw into slaws and salads, used as wraps, or braised, stir-fried, added to soups and dumplings, and fermented into kimchi.

Keeping it: Refrigerate heads in a bag, away from produce that gives off ethylene gas, which yellows the leaves; in a root cellar at 32-40F with high humidity they can keep for weeks or months.

Pets: Not listed by the ASPCA