Brassica rapa var. pekinensis “Granaat”
Granaat Chinese Pé-Tsaï cabbage, Chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, celestial cabbage: be careful not to treat it like a European cabbage. It belongs to a different species (Brassica rapa, the species that includes turnips), and its cultivation follows the opposite rule: sow it in late summer, not in spring. Its tender, sweet, crunchy leaves form an elongated head in just eight to ten weeks.
Characteristics:
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Elongated, compact head: tender leaves with broad, crunchy white ribs.
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Very early: the Granaat selection is one of the fastest, ideal from late summer through autumn.
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Resistant to bolting: its greatest advantage in temperate climates.
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Mild flavor: without the bitterness or sulfurous taste of classic headed cabbages.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: full sun to partial shade.
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Soil: cool, humus-rich, well-drained, and slightly acidic to neutral, enriched with well-rotted compost. Avoid growing it where another brassica has grown in previous years.
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Method: sow from March to September, in a nursery bed or directly in the ground depending on the season, at a depth of 1 cm. Sowing in July–August remains the safest option: when sown in spring, it tends to bolt before forming a head, even though this variety is resistant. See how to sow your seeds.
Planting advice:
- Transplant at the 4- to 5-leaf stage, spacing plants 40 cm apart. Handle carefully: it does not tolerate damaged roots well.
Care advice:
- Water regularly and generously: this is essential for good head formation. A lack of water immediately causes bolting.
- Mulch around the base. An insect-proof mesh helps limit flea beetles and cabbage whites without treatment.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest when the head feels firm to the touch, before severe frosts—it is less hardy than European cabbages. Cut at ground level.
- It keeps for several weeks in a cool place, wrapped in a cloth.
Beneficial companion plants:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Sown in late summer, it makes useful use of beds that have been cleared and maintains plant cover in the latter part of the season, protecting the soil.
- If allowed to flower, it produces highly nectar-rich yellow flower clusters that are valuable in spring.
Uses:
- Raw in salads, stir-fried in a wok, in soup, stuffed, or lacto-fermented into kimchi—it is the traditional cabbage used in this Korean preparation. It pairs especially well with ginger, garlic, cilantro, and soy sauce.
Symbolism:
In China, Chinese cabbage symbolizes prosperity and abundance—its name, bai cai, resembles an expression meaning “a hundred riches,” which has made it a frequent motif in jade sculptures.
Saving your own seeds:
Allow one plant to flower the following spring, then harvest the brown, dry seed pods. Good news: because it belongs to Brassica rapa, it does not cross with European cabbages—but it can cross with turnips. See how to save your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for all living things as our guiding principle. Based near the volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, test them for germination rates, and carefully sort and package them without any chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
The kimchi cabbage, tender and quick to grow.
