Bilko Napa Cabbage
Brassica rapa var. pekinensis 'Bilko'
Height: 12 inches
Spacing: 12 inches
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: (annual)
Other Names: Chinese Cabbage
Description:
A culinary delight, featuring green crinkled leaves forming a dense head; a cool season performer that is great for gardens or large containers; mild pleasant flavor creates a vegetable that is very versatile; great in soups, stews and coleslaw
Edible Qualities
Bilko Napa Cabbage is an annual vegetable plant that is typically grown for its edible qualities. The crinkled oval green leaves with pointy white spines are typically harvested when mature. The leaves have a pleasant taste and a crisp texture.
The leaves are most often used in the following ways:
- Fresh Eating
- Eating When Cooked/Prepared
- Cooking
Planting & Growing
Bilko Napa Cabbage will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. When planted in rows, individual plants should be spaced approximately 12 inches apart. This fast-growing vegetable plant is an annual, which means that it will grow for one season in your garden and then die after producing a crop.
This plant is typically grown in a designated vegetable garden. It does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. This plant should not require much in the way of fertilizing once established, although it may appreciate a shot of general-purpose fertilizer from time to time early in the growing season. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Bilko Napa Cabbage is a good choice for the vegetable garden, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing the canvas against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
