Organic Cabbage Marner Lagerrot - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds - Brassica oleracea capitata

The Red 'Marner Lagerrot' Cabbage is a summer and autumn variety that produces medium-sized heads composed of red leaves with a pleasant and pronounced taste. This cabbage stores very well and is delicious when eaten raw and grated in a vinaigrette. Sow from March to June for a harvest extending from September to November.

The Savoy Cabbage or Round Cabbage is a very popular leafy vegetable, it is a must-have in the vegetable garden and we may love it as much for its flavour as for the generous size of its heads.

Indifferently called Savoy Cabbage or Round Cabbage (in Latin Brassica oleracea capitata, capitata meaning "head"), this beautiful vegetable plant belongs to the large family of Brassicaceae (formerly Crucifers). Native to Europe, it is a biennial plant grown annually that produces a more or less tight head, which can be round, slightly flattened, or distinctly conical in pointed varieties. The leaves of the Savoy Cabbage are smooth, and their colour varies depending on the variety: from very light green, almost white, to dark green, sometimes slightly bluish, to red tinged with violet or almost black.

The Cabbage, although emblematic of winter, can be sown and harvested almost all year round. Varieties are generally grouped into three main categories: spring cabbages that are harvested from late April to June, summer and autumn cabbages for the period from July, and winter cabbages that, along with leeks and parsnips, allow us to wait until the first spring harvests.

Savoy Cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked, it can be prepared grated in salads, braised to accompany meat and fish dishes, stuffed, or used in soups and sauerkraut. There are plenty of recipes, both in traditional and modern cuisine.

From a dietary point of view, it is remarkable: its energy value is low but very rich in vitamins C, B6, and B9; it also contains a lot of fibre and minerals such as calcium.

In the vegetable garden, it is easy to grow if its requirements are met: deep soil, excellent fertilisation, and regular moisture. It thrives in the sun and generally does well in cool and rainy climates.

Harvest: it is done when the Cabbage forms a nice head before the leaves turn yellow. It is harvested with a knife by cutting just below the head.

Storage: Savoy Cabbage can be kept in the refrigerator for several days. It can also be frozen well after being blanched in salted boiling water. Winter varieties can also be left in the ground. Finally, the preparation of sauerkraut (lacto-fermentation) allows the delicious preservation of autumn varieties with white heads.

Gardener's tip: Don't forget the flowers! Even though the vegetable garden is primarily a garden for producing quality vegetables, it is always interesting to plant flowers. Firstly, for the aesthetic pleasure they provide, but also to repel pests and attract precious pollinators. So, don't hesitate to plant, in the middle of the rows or along the edges of the beds, Gaillardias, Marigolds, Zinnias, Cosmos, Nasturtiums, or even beautiful herbs like Dill. However, be careful with some plants, even though they are useful, like Borage, which tends to self-seed abundantly in dedicated growing spaces.

Organic or "AB" seeds come from plants without phytosanitary products (insecticides, herbicides). These seeds are also not treated after harvest. They bear the AB label and are certified by Ecocert, an independent organisation.