Like all the Brassica vegetables, Spring greens are extremely good for us. They contain vitamin C and K and the benefits to our immune systems are well evidenced. Spring cabbage has been very difficult to get in organic seed.

Wintergreen is a dark green open headed cabbage with a wonderful spring green taste. It crops from January onwards and so it is a welcome and valuable crop when little else in the garden is ready. We usually offer Wintergreen in packets to amateur gardeners and if stocks allow small quantities to growers. There is a certain lack of uniformity in the crop which professional growers should be aware of but is still a valuable source of greens in the early Spring.

• Grow in the Brassica section of your rotation.
• Sow seeds in July or August in the Brassica seedbed. They will be ready to transplant in September or October when they are about 10 cm tall.
• Soak the plants before transplanting if the soil is dry and dig them out carefully with a fork. Keep the roots wet while you are transplanting the plants to their permanent position. This will help them get established quickly. You can do this with a dibber making holes about 15 cm deep and 45 cm apart. Pop the transplant in and firm the soil around and water well.
• Harvest late Winter and early Spring.

Pests and diseases:

• The seedlings can be susceptible to slug damage and cabbage white butterfly caterpillars.
• We find the best way to protect from this is to net with enviromesh during the Summer.

You can pick individual leaves or whole heads of Spring greens. Wash the leaves and strip them from the stems. Steam or boil in a small amount of water for a few minutes until tender. They have a wonderful silky luxuriousness as well as good flavour.

• Brassica oleracea
• Approx. 250-300 seeds per gram