VegetableCabbage
Yukina Savoy Chinese Cabbage
Yukina Savoy Chinese Cabbage is a loose-headed leafy green that marries the delicate, savoyed texture of Asian greens with the vigor of a cold-hardy cabbage. Maturing in just 20 to 29 days, this heirloom variety delivers tender, nutrient-dense leaves that resemble an oversized, more heavily textured Tatsoi. Hardy across zones 2 through 10 and thriving in cool-weather conditions, it grows as a vigorous annual reaching 12 to 18 inches tall, making it equally at home in spring and fall gardens or even grown year-round in milder climates.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
TypeUpright
Spacing
24
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-10
Size
18in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
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Highlights
Yukina Savoy stands out for its remarkable speed and adaptability, producing harvestable greens in as little as three weeks while shrugging off both frost and unexpected heat. The savoyed, crinkled leaves give it visual distinction from other Chinese cabbages, while its loose-headed habit means you can harvest outer leaves continuously without waiting for a solid head to form. This is a variety bred for the gardener who wants results fast and wants them reliably, regardless of season.
Common Uses
Yukina Savoy's tender, savoyed leaves are perfect for stir-frying whole or chopped, where their delicate texture contrasts beautifully with aromatics and sauce. The outer leaves can be harvested continuously for salads or quick-cooking applications, while entire plants work wonderfully braised, steamed, or added to soups in the final minutes of cooking. Its quick growth and abundance of leaf material also make it excellent for batch cooking and preservation.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant seedlings outdoors after hardening off for 7 to 10 days once soil temperatures reach 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space transplants 12 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart, planting at the same depth they were growing in containers.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer for fall harvest. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in rows 24 inches apart, scattering 2 to 3 seeds every 12 inches to account for germination variability.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting outer leaves once plants reach 6 to 8 inches tall, typically 20 to 29 days after sowing. Pinch or cut individual outer leaves at the base, allowing the plant to continue growing and producing new foliage. For whole-plant harvest, cut the entire rosette just above soil level when leaves are tender and full-sized. Harvest in the morning when leaves are crisp and hydrated for best texture and flavor. Regular harvesting encourages continued leaf production rather than bolting.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa var. pekinensis
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)
History & Origin
“Yukina Savoy carries the heritage of Japanese and Chinese cabbage breeding, drawing from centuries of Asian vegetable cultivation that refined loose-headed brassicas for cool-season growth and leaf production. As a heirloom variety, it represents the accumulated knowledge of gardeners who selected for vigor, cold tolerance, and quick maturity in temperate climates. The variety has been preserved and passed through seed catalogs specifically because it performs where other cabbages hesitate, earning its place in gardens where traditional heading types struggle.”