Trust your cabbage crop to a classic in the field, an heirloom All-America Selection winner that finishes quickly, holds well, and stands up to splitting, yellows, and black rot. Stonehead takes its name from its very tightly-packed, small round heads. You will love the compact size, but most of all you'll appreciate the rich flavor within.
These cabbages reach 4 to 6 pounds on average, with a short core and plenty of thick wrapper leaves to protect the small head within. Green throughout, they keep both their flavor and texture even if you can't harvest them right away. But chances are, you'll be ready with the knife the minute Stonehead finishes, for you will be eager to sink a fork into these tender, rich leaves.
Stonehead won an AAS in 1969, and it remains the popular favorite for quick, dependable, compact crops. These plants reach only 12 to 20 inches high, and need just 24" between plants to grow. Always reliable and tasty, Stonehead is the one you will come to count on.
Cabbage is a cool-season crop, sown in early spring for early-summer harvest or in mid- to late summer for fall harvest. Where winters are mild, it can be sown nearly year-round, except during the hot summer months. Start indoors or direct sow, spacing plants 2 feet apart in rows 3 feet apart. Before planting, prepare the soil well with fertilizer, and add a dose of ammonium nitrate about a month into the growth season. Germination takes just 6 to 10 days. Harvest the heads when they are firm and brightly colored. Plants may form smaller side-heads after the main head is harvested; these are delicious too.