Hybrid

Vitaverde

Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Harvest

71d

Days to harvest

📅

Sun

Full sun to partial shade

☀️

Zones

6–9

USDA hardiness

🗺️

Height

10-24 inches

📏

Planting Timeline

Zone:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Start Indoors

Transplant

Direct Sow

Harvest

Showing dates for Vitaverde in USDA Zone 7

All Zone 7 brassica →

Zone Map

Click a state to update dates

Vitaverde · Zones 6–9

What grows well in Zone 7? →

Growing Details

Difficulty

Easy

Spacing18-24 inches

SoilWell-drained loam, rich in organic matter, slightly acidic to neutral

WaterRegular, consistent moisture; approximately 1-1.5 inches per week

SeasonWarm season annual

FlavorMild, slightly sweet green cabbage with a crisp, tender texture when fresh.

ColorGreen

Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar

Zone	Indoor Start	Transplant	Direct Sow	Harvest
Zone 3	March – April	May – June	May – June	July – October
Zone 4	March – April	May – June	April – June	July – October
Zone 5	February – March	April – May	April – May	June – November
Zone 6	February – March	April – May	April – May	June – November
Zone 7	February – March	April – May	March – May	May – November
Zone 8	January – February	March – April	March – April	May – December
Zone 9	January – January	February – March	February – March	April – December
Zone 10	January – January	February – March	January – March	March – December
Zone 1	April – May	June – July	June – July	August – September
Zone 2	April – May	June – July	May – July	July – September
Zone 11	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December
Zone 12	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December
Zone 13	January – January	January – February	January – February	February – December

Succession Planting

Cauliflower doesn't lend itself to tight succession the way lettuce or radishes do — each plant gives you one head, and at 71 days per crop, you need to think in 3–4 week intervals rather than weekly plantings. Start the first round indoors in late February, transplant in April, and you'll be cutting heads in late May or June. For a fall run, start a second round indoors in late June or early July and transplant in August for harvest from October into November.

The main constraint is heat. Cauliflower curds will button — form tiny, premature heads — or turn grainy and loose if temperatures climb above 80°F during head development. Time your transplants so the 71-day window falls in the cooler shoulder seasons. In most of zone 7, that means two windows per year with a hard stop on spring planting if you're past mid-April.

Complete Growing Guide

Big, heavy, green heads mature early on large plants. Can be grown for traditional harvest in fall, but is also suitable for summer production in areas with moderate heat, and winter production in mild areas. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Vitaverde is 71 days to maturity, annual, hybrid (f1).

Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist. Height: 0 ft. 10 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spread: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.. Spacing: 12 inches-3 feet. Growth rate: Medium. Maintenance: Medium. Propagation: Seed, Stem Cutting. Regions: Coastal, Mountains, Piedmont.

Harvesting

Vitaverde reaches harvest at 71 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.

The fruits dry and split when ripe.

Color: Brown/Copper, Green. Type: Siliqua. Length: > 3 inches.

Garden value: Edible

Harvest time: Fall, Summer

Edibility: The foliage is edible raw or cooked but when cooked can emit an unpleasant odor.

Storage & Preservation

Harvest Vitaverde heads when they reach full size but before florets begin to separate. Store freshly cut heads in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator's crisper drawer at 32–40°F with 95% humidity; they'll keep for up to two weeks. For longer preservation, blanch florets for three minutes, then freeze in airtight containers for up to eight months. Alternatively, steam until tender and pickle in vinegar brine for a crisp, tangy product lasting several months in cool storage. Drying is less common but possible—slice heads thinly and dry at 140°F until brittle. Vitaverde's compact head structure means florets stay tightly bound longer than looser varieties, making it particularly well-suited for freezing without significant texture loss during thawing.

History & Origin

Vitaverde is an F1 hybrid developed through controlled cross-pollination. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.

Origin: W. Europe

Advantages

+Early maturity at 71 days allows multiple harvests per growing season
+Large, heavy heads produce substantial yields for market or storage
+Versatile production window suits fall, summer, and winter growing regions
+Easy difficulty rating makes Vitaverde accessible to beginner gardeners
+Big plants utilize space efficiently while producing premium-sized heads

Considerations

-Large plant size requires significant spacing, limiting density in small gardens
-Heavy heads may need staking support in windy or exposed locations
-Susceptible to typical brassica pests like cabbage worms and aphids

Companion Plants

Marigolds and garlic get recommended constantly for brassicas, and they're not wrong choices — but NC State Extension's IPM guidance is honest that the repellent evidence is mixed. The more reliable principle behind interplanting is dilution: spreading Vitaverde through a bed with unrelated plants like lettuce or carrots means a cabbageworm colony has to work harder to find the next cauliflower head. Lettuce is a practical pairing specifically because it fills the low space between 18–24 inch cauliflower plants without competing for the same root depth, and you'll harvest it before the canopy closes in.

Thyme, dill, and nasturtiums pull in predatory and parasitic insects that feed on aphids and caterpillar eggs. Dill in flower is especially good at attracting the parasitic wasps that target imported cabbageworm (Pieris rapae) larvae. Plant it nearby but not right up against the cauliflower — mature dill gets tall enough to shade a developing curd at exactly the wrong time.

Tomatoes and pole beans are the ones to keep out of the same bed. Tomatoes are heavy nitrogen feeders that compete directly for soil nutrients, and they share fusarium wilt pressure with brassicas — two problems in one neighbor. Pole beans fix nitrogen through root bacteria, which sounds useful, but the release is slow and tends to push Vitaverde toward vegetative growth rather than tight head development. Give cauliflower its space, or fill it with genuinely low-competition plants like carrots and onions, which occupy a different soil layer entirely.

Plant Together

Marigolds

Repel nematodes and various flying insects that damage brassica crops

Garlic

Natural fungicide properties help prevent clubroot and other soil-borne diseases

Lettuce

Provides ground cover and efficient use of garden space with different root depths

Carrots

Help break up soil for brassica roots and don't compete for nutrients

Thyme

Repels cabbage worms and provides natural pest deterrent through aromatic compounds

Dill

Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control cabbage worms and aphids

Onions

Repel cabbage root fly, aphids, and other brassica pests with their strong scent

Nasturtiums

Act as trap crop for flea beetles and aphids, drawing pests away from brassicas

Keep Apart

Tomatoes

Compete for similar nutrients and may stunt brassica growth through allelopathic effects

Strawberries

Both are heavy feeders that compete for nutrients, leading to reduced yields

Pole Beans

Can shade brassicas and compete for nitrogen, inhibiting proper head formation

Nutrition Facts

Calories

31kcal(2%)

Protein

2.57g(5%)

Fiber

2.4g(9%)

Carbs

6.27g(2%)

Fat

0.34g(0%)

Vitamin C

91.3mg(101%)

Vitamin A

8mcg(1%)

Vitamin K

102mcg(85%)

Iron

0.69mg(4%)

Calcium

46mg(4%)

Potassium

303mg(6%)

Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #747447)

Pests & Disease Resistance

Common Pests

Cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, flea beetles, aphids, diamondback moths

Diseases

Clubroot, black rot, yellows, downy mildew, fusarium wilt

Troubleshooting Vitaverde

What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.

Ragged holes chewed through leaves, often with visible green caterpillars or frass on the surface

Likely Causes

Imported cabbageworm (Pieris rapae) — white butterfly lays eggs on brassica leaves
Cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni) — arches its body as it moves, feeds heavily on outer leaves
Diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella) — tiny, wriggles when disturbed

What to Do

1.Spray Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Bt) every 5–7 days while larvae are small — it stops working once they're big
2.Check the undersides of leaves for egg clusters and crush them by hand before they hatch
3.Cover transplants with floating row cover immediately after planting; secure the edges so moths can't get underneath

Tiny round pits or shot-holes across young leaves, worst on seedlings in warm spells

Likely Causes

Flea beetles (Phyllotreta spp.) — jump when disturbed, most damaging to seedlings under 4 inches tall
Dry or stressed soil that slows the plant's ability to outgrow damage

What to Do

1.Row cover at transplant is your best defense — flea beetles locate plants by smell and sight, and exclusion beats any spray
2.Keep soil consistently moist (1–1.5 inches per week); stressed plants take two to three times longer to push past the damage
3.If populations are heavy on uncovered plants, kaolin clay applied to the leaf surface creates a physical barrier they dislike

Plants wilting and yellowing despite adequate water; roots are swollen, distorted, or club-shaped when pulled

Likely Causes

Clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae) — a soil-borne pathogen that can persist for 10–20 years
Low soil pH (below 6.0), which favors spore germination

What to Do

1.Pull and bag affected plants immediately — do not compost them
2.Lime the bed to raise pH to 7.0–7.2, which suppresses spore activity; get a soil test first to know how much lime to apply
3.NC State Extension recommends rotating brassicas out of that bed for at least 3 years — longer if the infestation was heavy

V-shaped yellow lesions on leaf edges that turn brown and papery; dark streaking inside the stem when cut

Likely Causes

Black rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) — a bacterial disease that enters through leaf margins and moves through the vascular system
Overhead irrigation or rain splash that carries bacteria from plant to plant
Infected transplants brought into the garden at purchase

What to Do

1.Remove and trash (not compost) affected leaves or whole plants immediately — black rot spreads fast once it's in the vascular tissue
2.Switch to drip irrigation if you're running overhead; keeping leaves dry slows transmission significantly
3.Inspect transplants before buying and refuse anything with yellowed or water-soaked leaf margins

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Vitaverde cabbage take to mature?▼

Vitaverde cabbage matures in approximately 71 days from transplant to harvest. This early maturity makes it ideal for multiple growing seasons. You can plant it in spring for early summer harvest, or in mid-summer for fall production, and even in mild winter climates for winter harvests.

Is Vitaverde a good cabbage variety for beginners?▼

Yes, Vitaverde is classified as Easy difficulty and is well-suited for beginners. It's a hybrid variety that produces reliable, uniform heads with minimal fuss. Its adaptability to multiple seasons and straightforward growing requirements make it forgiving for new gardeners.

Can you grow Vitaverde cabbage in summer?▼

Yes, Vitaverde is specifically suitable for summer production in areas with moderate heat, unlike many cabbage varieties. While it's traditionally grown for fall harvest, its heat tolerance makes it one of the better choices for maintaining cabbage production through warmer months in appropriate climates.

What does Vitaverde cabbage taste like?▼

Vitaverde is a standard green cabbage variety with a mild, slightly sweet flavor typical of fresh green cabbage. It's crisp and tender when harvested at proper maturity, making it excellent for fresh eating, coleslaw, and cooking applications.

When should I plant Vitaverde cabbage?▼

Plant Vitaverde transplants or direct sow seeds timing them to mature in your preferred season. For fall harvest, sow in mid-summer; for spring harvest in mild areas, sow in late winter; for summer production in moderate-heat zones, sow in late spring. Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before transplanting.

How much space does Vitaverde cabbage need?▼

Vitaverde cabbage plants are large and vigorous, requiring adequate spacing for proper head development. Space plants 18-24 inches apart in rows spaced 24-30 inches apart to allow air circulation and prevent disease while maximizing your harvest yield.