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Growing Green Express Cabbage in the Vegetable Garden

Green Express is a cool-season crop that performs best when it matures in mild weather. For a spring crop, start seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last expected frost, sowing 0.25 inch deep and maintaining soil temperatures between 65 and 85 F for germination. Harden off transplants over 7 to 10 days and set them out 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost date — cabbage is cold-hardy and handles light frost well. Space transplants 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 18 to 36 inches apart in fertile, well-drained soil. For a fall crop, start seeds in late spring to early summer and transplant out in midsummer, timing the harvest to fall in cool weather. Green Express can also be direct sown in fall gardens in mild climates.

Cabbage is a heavy feeder — work compost or aged manure into the bed before planting and side-dress with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer as plants establish. Keep soil consistently moist, as uneven watering is the primary cause of head splitting; ease back on irrigation as heads approach maturity for the same reason. Mulching helps retain moisture and moderate soil temperature. Row cover applied at planting is the single most effective tool for keeping cabbage worms and loopers off the crop. Practice crop rotation by avoiding planting cabbage or other brassicas in the same bed for consecutive years to reduce clubroot and black rot pressure. Green Express works well as a companion to dill, rosemary, and onions, and should be kept away from strawberries and tomatoes.

Harvesting Green Express Cabbage

Green Express is ready to harvest when heads feel firm and solid when pressed — typically at 50 days from transplant, when heads reach 5 to 6 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 pounds. Do not delay harvest once heads are firm, as Green Express and other early varieties are prone to splitting after heavy rain or if left in the ground too long. Cut heads at the base with a sharp knife, leaving the outer leaves and root in place — the plant will often produce smaller secondary heads from the remaining stem, extending the harvest. Freshly harvested heads store best under cool, humid conditions at around 32 F and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity, and will keep for several weeks. Green Express is excellent fresh in coleslaw and salads, and its tender, mild leaves are well suited to lightly cooked dishes, stir-fries, and wraps.

About Green Express Cabbage Garden Seeds

Cabbage has been cultivated in Europe for more than 2,000 years and is one of the foundational vegetables of northern European, Asian, and North American cuisines. It belongs to the same species as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale — all of which are cultivated forms of Brassica oleracea selected over centuries for different edible characteristics.

Green Express was developed as an early-season mini cabbage, selected specifically for its compact head size, fast maturity, and mild sweet flavor. Its 50-day maturity from transplant places it among the quickest cabbages available, making it particularly valuable in short-season climates and for gardeners who want to fit two crops into a single growing season.

The compact 2 to 3 pound head size of Green Express is well matched to modern, smaller households, where a single head is the ideal quantity for one or two meals rather than the several pounds a large storage cabbage produces. It pairs naturally with its sibling variety, Red Express, for a colorful combination planting that matures at the same time.

Tips From Our Gardeners

Green Express matures quickly and will split if you miss the harvest window — especially after a heavy rain. Get in the habit of pressing each head firmly with your palm every few days as it approaches maturity. The moment it feels solid and dense all the way through, cut it. A day or two of hesitation after a rainstorm can turn a perfect head into a cracked one.

- Jerry Sawyer, True Leaf Market Writer

Green Express Cabbage Seeds Per Package:

• 4 g Packet - Approximately 960 Seeds
• 1 oz - Bulk - Approximately 6,800 Seeds
• 4 oz - Bulk - Approximately 27,200 Seeds
• 1 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 108,800 Seeds
• 5 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 544,000 Seeds
• 25 lb - Wholesale - Approximately 2,720,000 Seeds

Green Express Cabbage seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.