Cabbage (Chinese) Michihili

Description

This new, softer, loose-leaf form of Chinese Cabbage has dense, narrow leaves with a deeper green outer colour, and lighter green to almost white interior leaves with wide, flat white celery-like ribs. It has a cylindrical, leafy head rather like a large romaine lettuce. The flavour of Chinese cabbages is more subtle and pleasant than our familiar European head cabbage, they are crisper and more refreshing and also less fibrous. Michihili was developed to have a stronger flavour than other cabbages. It can be sown in the spring for young salad leaves or in late summer for an autumn crop of full-sized cabbages. A dual purpose variety, the tender leaves are often used raw as a romaine lettuce would be, in salads or coleslaw. It can also be steamed whole, finely cut into slices for a salad, or cut coarsely for a stir-fry, the huge mature heads typically weighing up to 2 kg.

Sowing Advice

Best sown directly in the garden as seedlings transplanted into the garden may be shocked into bolting to seed. Can be started early indoors in biodegradable peat or paper pots which are easily planted into the garden. Sow seeds direct into finely raked, moist, weed free soil. Make a drill 12mm (½in) deep and lightly water. Station sow 2 to 3 seeds intervals in rows 30cm apart. Space plants 30cm (12in) apart for upright varieties and 40 to 60cm (16 to 24in) apart for the larger heading types. Seeds germinate in 6 to 10 days at 13 to 24°C (55 to 70°F). Thin out weakest seedlings to leave one per station.

Key Facts