Brassica, Napa Cabbage, Purple Express ~ 85 seeds

Sun Preference
Full-Sun
Bloom or Harvest Time
Spring, Fall
  $4.39

Description

Brassica rapa, F-1 Hybrid

Renee's top-quality, totally gorgeous, deep purple-red Napa cabbage is imported from Korea. Because of its knockout deep purple color, Purple Express has an extremely high level of antioxidants, so enjoy its tangy-sweet, crunchy flesh knowing you are doing your body some real good! The heavy, dense heads are big, 10 to 12 inches tall, with excellent vigor and disease resistance, Enjoy in salads, with dips or in coleslaw. A color sensation for stirfry! Consider making your own kimchi!

Seed Starting Successfully

Start your garden from scratch with Gertens' wide variety of seed packets! Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, we have seeds for every skill level and garden size. From colorful flowers to delicious vegetables, our seeds are carefully selected for their quality and performance.

Seed Starting Successfully

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When to Grow Veggies & Fruits

From Our Experts

Details

Cold Winters: May - June 
Mild Winters: March - April, July - Aug.
Sun/Shade: Full Sun
Sow Seeds: 1 inch apart, 1/4 inch deep 
Days to Germinate: 7 – 10 days
Days to Harvest: 70 – 80 days 

TO START INDOORS
Start seeds 4 to 5 weeks before last spring frost. Sow 1 inch apart in seed starting mix, cover 1/4 inch deep and keep evenly moist. Provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant out. When several inches tall, transplant seedlings 10 inches apart into rich soil in full sun, after gradually acclimating to outdoor conditions.

TO START DIRECTLY OUTDOORS
When all danger of frost is over, plant in well-worked, fertile soil in full sun. Sow clusters of 2 to 3 seeds 10 inches apart in rows spaced 1 foot apart. When seedlings are several inches tall, thin to 1 strong plant every 10 inches. In mild winter climates, sow seeds again at midsummer for a fall crop.

GROWING NOTES
Purple Express needs full sun and rich, well-drained soil to produce firm, sweet heads. To avoid stunting growth, don’t let seedlings get crowded before thinning or transplanting. Keep weeded and evenly watered. Feed monthly with fish emulsion or an all-purpose fertilizer. Use non-toxic B.T. (Bacillus thuringiensis) for caterpillar pests. Floating row covers provide a good barrier method to exclude pests. Remove covers when heads begin to form.

HARVESTING
Cut the whole cabbage at ground level only when these tall, vase-shaped heads are very solid and about 6-8 inches in diameter.

More Information

Spacing Between Rows 1'
Spacing in Row 2-3 seeds, 10" apart, thin to strongest plant
Days to Germination 7-10 days
Planting Depth 1/4"
Days to Maturity 70-80 days
Seed Packet Type Vegetables
Plant Life Cycle Annual
Bloom or Harvest Time Spring, Fall
Sun Preference Full-Sun
Common Family Name Cabbage
Brand Renee's Garden

Product Questions (12)

Starting times will vary depending on the vegetable you are growing. Each seed packet will have specific sowing instructions for that type of vegetable. Some plants, such as tomatoes and peppers, should be started indoors, 6-8 weeks before the last frost...
The process of bringing seeds outside is called hardening off. Hardening off is generally done sometime after the seedling has two full sets of normal leaves. In Minnesota, you want to begin hardening off seedlings in late April/early May.  To ...
If you have a southern facing window with all day sun, you may grow seedlings in a windowsill. Be sure to rotate the seedlings frequently to ensure the plants do not lean heavily towards the sun. For more even results, use a grow light, positioned roughly...
We recommend using either high intensity T5 fluorescent bulbs, or LED grow lights. Both setups will produce excellent results. T5s are the typical grow light, are economical and come in frequencies that are helpful for plant development. LED technology...
Grow lights should be kept roughly 4-5” above the top of seedling leaves. If you are using very powerful LEDs, you could even keep them 8-10” away.
Grow lights should be used to mimic a natural sunlight cycle for plants. We recommend using them 12 hours a day, from roughly 7am to 7pm.  
A variety of seedling trays exist for seed starting. If you are starting smaller seeds, a simple peat cell tray works great. However, the larger the seed, the larger the initial pot should be. If you are starting larger seeds indoors such as: sunflowers...
Do not start any type of fertilizer regime for young seedlings until they have at least two full sets of regular leaves. Start with a root stimulator, then after a month you may move on to a gentle, weak (half strength) water-based fertilizer. Remember...
Let the roots tell you when to transplant. When you begin to see the seedling’s root growing out of the bottom of their current pot, it is time to transplant up to something larger. We recommend using a 4” nursery pot to transplant most seedlings. In...
Gertens carries a wide variety of both spring and autumn planted bulbs. Spring planted bulbs, such as gladioli and dahlias, are best started indoors in early April, and planted outside once the soil temperatures are above 55 F. Autumn planted bulbs, ...
The big three tips are: 1) Staking and training 2) Feeding and watering and 3) Harvesting and enjoying. 1) Keeping plants trained and staked allows air circulation around crops and provides much-needed support for produce as it grows...
Gertens does carry an assortment of both perennials, as well as annual and perennial wildflower mixes. It is important to remember when growing perennials, that you will not get any flowers the first year of growth. It often takes a perennial 2-3 years...
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