Savoy
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Purple Savoy Cabbage is a frost-hardy brassica that transforms your garden with its striking appearance and tender, sweet leaves. The outer leaves are deeply flushed with purple, while the interior stays a crisp, pale green, creating a visually stunning head that matures in about 100 days. Cold-tolerant enough for zones 2 through 10, this variety thrives in full sun and moderate water, reaching a compact 12 inches at maturity. Its crinkled, savoyed texture makes it distinctly tender compared to standard cabbages, and the flavor leans sweet rather than sharp. A long-season crop that rewards patient gardeners with small, beautiful heads weighing 1 to 3 pounds.
Full Sun
Moderate
2-10
18in H x 12in W
Perennial
Moderate
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The defining feature of this variety is the contrast between its deep purple outer leaves and the pale green, intricately crimped interior. Unlike tougher storage cabbages, the savoyed leaves are tender enough to wrap around fillings or to shred raw into coleslaws without toughness. Fall sowing actually works better than spring planting for this variety, and its exceptional cold tolerance means you can harvest well into winter in most climates. Home gardeners love it for the visual drama it brings to the kitchen garden and the table.
Purple Savoy Cabbage shines as a wrapper for stuffed cabbage rolls, where its tender leaves hold fillings without splitting. The crisp interior works beautifully shredded raw in slaws and salads, offering both crunch and a slightly sweeter bite than standard cabbage. Its tender texture also makes it excellent for quick stir-fries and sautés, where it cooks down gently without becoming mushy. The visual appeal of the purple-and-green contrast means it's equally at home on a dinner plate as it is in the garden.
Sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost date in germination temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Transplant healthy seedlings outdoors once they've developed their first true leaves. For fall crops (which this variety prefers), sow seeds indoors in mid-summer to have transplant-ready seedlings by late summer.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they're established with true leaves, spacing them 18 inches apart in rows 18 inches wide. Harden off seedlings gradually over 7 to 10 days before planting. This variety tolerates cooler soil temperatures and can be planted once nighttime temperatures stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Harvest Purple Savoy Cabbage when heads feel firm to the touch and have reached their mature size of about 12 inches across. The tightly formed interior leaves should be crisp and pale green. Use a sharp knife to cut heads at the base, leaving the roots in the soil if you want smaller secondary heads to develop. Because this is a long-season variety, plan to harvest around day 100 from transplanting, or roughly 100 days from seed in direct sowings. The heads store well after harvest, so you needn't rush to use them immediately.
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