Red Express

Family: Brassicaceae Vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Red Express to a garden.

Crisp, cool crunch meets a bold, ember-deep color in Red Express—heads that emerge with a richly saturated burgundy-red sheen and hold their color beautifully as they mature.

The texture is tight and fine-grained, with a satisfying snap that stays pleasantly resilient from garden to table. Ideal for fresh salads, slaws, and vibrant braises, Red Express brings striking color and lively flavor to every cabbage-forward dish.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 75 DaysHabit: Rosette

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Red Express Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Apr 6th	May 18th	Aug 1st – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Mar 27th	May 8th	Jul 22nd – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Mar 27th	May 8th	Jul 22nd – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Mar 31st	May 12th	Jul 26th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Mar 27th	May 8th	Jul 22nd – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Mar 25th	May 6th	Jul 20th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Mar 20th	May 1st	Jul 15th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Mar 16th	Apr 27th	Jul 11th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Mar 13th	Apr 24th	Jul 8th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 7th	Apr 18th	Jul 2nd – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 2nd	Apr 13th	Jun 27th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Feb 20th	Apr 3rd	Jun 17th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Feb 11th	Mar 25th	Jun 8th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 2nd	Mar 16th	May 30th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Jan 16th	Feb 27th	May 13th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Dec 22nd	Feb 2nd	Apr 18th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	Continuous Production
Zone 10b	Continuous Production
Zone 11a	Continuous Production
Zone 11b	Continuous Production
Zone 12a	Continuous Production
Zone 12b	Continuous Production
Zone 13a	Continuous Production
Zone 13b	Continuous Production

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	75
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Rosette
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	45
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	30
Harden Off (days)	6

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Red Express is built for the cabbage-to-the-table moment: tight heads shred cleanly and keep their snap instead of turning watery. When cooked, the leaves hold color and structure, so it lands as bright, peppery-sweet slaw or a vivid, ember-toned braise rather than a gray mush.

Best Uses

shredded slaw that stays crisp under a creamy dressing
raw cabbage salad with a sharp vinaigrette for snap and bite
quick-to-medium braise where the leaves stay intact and colorful
pan-roasted wedges that char lightly at the edges while staying springy

Flavor Profile

tight, fine-grained crunch with a resilient snap cool brassica sweetness mild peppery bite color-stable burgundy that doesn’t dull fast with heat

Kitchen Pairings

caraway apple mustard bacon black pepper smoked paprika

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the most common Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) pest or disease, and how do I manage it?

Cabbage often suffers from cabbage worms (cabbage looper/diamondback moth) that chew holes in leaves and frass on the plant. Check leaves under the canopy twice a week and hand-pick early larvae; for control, spray Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and reapply as directed until chewing stops. If you see yellowing with water-soaked spots or a fuzzy gray growth, remove affected leaves immediately and avoid overhead watering to reduce spread.

How often should I water red cabbage during the main growing phase?

During head formation (roughly after the plants are well-established and before maturity), keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Aim for deep watering about 1–2 times per week, increasing to 2–3 times during hot or windy weather, and water only when the top 1 inch of soil starts to dry. Mulch around plants helps maintain even moisture, which improves head tightness and reduces split heads.

How can I tell when my Brassica oleracea var. capitata heads are ready to harvest?

Harvest when heads feel firm and reach the expected size for your planting spacing, usually around 75 days from transplanting. Use gentle pressure: a ready head should not compress easily with your palm. If outer leaves begin to loosen while the head remains firm, cut at the base and remove loose outer leaves before storing.