Michihili Napa Cabbage Seeds

Michihili Napa Cabbage Seeds - Green Chinese Cabbage Heirloom Vegetable Seeds
Brassica rapa var. Pekinensis 
Listing is for 1 packet of approximately 100 seeds

This one of the most popular cultivars of Napa cabbage grown both commercially and in home backyard gardens. Michihili cabbage forms an elongated head made of very loose upright leaves. Leaves are a lush green and have a frilly edge. Plant them 1 foot apart because they get very big. You can harvest individual leaves or wait until the head is big enough for your liking to harvest the entire thing. Perfect for stir-fry's, adding into soups, or preserve by pickling or making kimchi. 

I recommend to start seeds in 72 cell seed trays but they also do well if direct sown. Seedlings are transplanted into the garden once the root system fills the whole cell. At planting time, I add a nice handful of blood meal in each planting hole. Blood meal is organic and high in nitrogen. The resulting leaves are lush and concentrated in color. I also sprinkle some organic granular fertilizer about 1 month later after being transplanted to give them a boost to grow large heads. 

I have not experienced much pest issues if grown during the correct time of year which is fall thru spring. The only issue I have had was aphids start attacking them late in spring. I have found if I plant kale and nasturtiums all over my garden, the aphids will feast on them instead and leave my greens alone. So I use kale and nasturtiums as a trap crops. I have a Trap Crop seed collection if you want to grow more of the trap crops that I recommend and use in my garden. 

Ideal Growing Conditions

Sun: Full sun. In hot climates, plant in a spot that gets full morning sun with afternoon shade. 

Water: Keep the soil consistently moist

Fertilizer: Add some blood meal into the planting hole before transplanting or work some into the soil before direct sowing seeds. Switch to a nitrogen rich liquid or granular fertilizer, and apply every 3 to 4 weeks. 

When & How To Sow Seeds: General guidelines say to sow seeds indoors, 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. Can also direct sow the seeds after your last spring frost date. In hot climates (like garden zones 8 and up), it is best to sow in fall to grow through winter and spring. Can follow square foot gardening guidelines to space 1 Napa cabbage plant per square foot, or space each plant 12 inches apart, in rows that are 12-18 inches apart. 

Germination: 3-10 days

Days To Maturity: 75 days after direct sowing the seed or transplanting

How & When To Harvest: Harvest the entire head of Napa cabbage once it forms, but before it starts to bolt (go into the flowering stage).

Common Diseases: The most common disease in Napa cabbage is clubroot, which causes swollen roots, wilting, and stunted growth. To manage it, rotate crops, raise soil pH with lime, remove infected plants and keep the garden clean to prevent its spread.

Common Pests: One of the most common pests when growing Napa cabbage is the cabbage worm, which is green with white stripes down its back. Classic signs of a worm infestation include munched on leaves and finding little green, black, or orange balls which is the frass (poop) of these worms. You can hand pick them off your plants, but if the infestation is severe, spray with an organic worm treatment like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). 

Do I have a YouTube video tutorial on how to grow this? YES

Watch it here: https://youtu.be/bvZBdjPazeM

Additional Tips/Information: N/A