Matsushima Heirloom Napa Cabbage Seeds

Bring crisp white ribs and tender green leaves to your kitchen with Matsushima, the Matsushima No. 2 selection of Japanese napa cabbage. Its upright heading growth and mild, fresh flavor make it a versatile choice for pickling, kimchi, salads, and warming soups. The leaves soften and develop a sweet, juicy character in cooked dishes while the broad ribs add satisfying texture.

Why Grow Matsushima?

• Distinctive heading cabbage: Lime-green outer leaves wrap around a paler yellow-green interior with broad white ribs.
• Kitchen versatility: Shred for fresh salads, use in pickles and kimchi, or add toward the end of cooking soups and stir-fries.
• Cool-season harvest: A useful late-summer planting for fall heads where the local season allows.
• Heirloom and open-pollinated: A traditional Japanese selection, not an F1 hybrid.

Planting and Growing

Plan planting dates around your local climate rather than a fixed July date. Late-summer sowing or transplanting is often a good route to fall heads. Spring crops are possible, but prolonged chilling of young plants can encourage bolting once conditions warm. Light-frost tolerance does not mean plants are immune to cold damage or bolting.

Direct sow or start indoors about 4–6 weeks before transplanting. Sow approximately ¼ inch deep and keep evenly moist during emergence. Handle roots gently and harden seedlings off before planting out. Choose fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Mild growing temperatures support good head development; extended heat can interfere with quality.

Allow approximately 18–24 inches between plants for full-size heads. In a square foot garden, give 1 plant per 4 sq ft (full-size heads). Maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging and feed according to soil needs and fertilizer directions. Avoid crowding large outer leaves even if heads themselves look narrow.

Watch for flea beetles, cabbage caterpillars, aphids, and slugs. Insect netting or suitable row cover can help exclude pests when secured promptly. Rotate brassica crops and maintain good garden hygiene; no companion plant guarantees protection from soil-borne disease.

Harvest Details

Maturity: Approximately 80 days; timing varies with sowing method, growing conditions, and desired head size.
Head: Upright, elongated to stocky heading napa cabbage with light-green outer foliage, paler inner leaves, and white ribs.
Flavor: Mild and crisp raw; tender, sweet, and juicy when cooked.
Best uses: Kimchi, pickling, fresh salads, stir-fries, and soups.
Botanical name: Brassica rapa, Pekinensis Group.
Type: Heirloom, open-pollinated, non-GMO; grown as a cool-season vegetable crop.
Seeds per packet: Approximately 200+ seeds / 1.0 g; seed counts vary by lot.

Harvest when the head has filled and feels firm enough for your intended use. Cut at the base with a clean knife and remove damaged outer leaves. Harvest before severe freezing or loss of eating quality. Rinse before use and refrigerate harvested heads.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — heirloom seeds grown without GMOs, selected for your garden.