Vitaminna, Heirloom Chinese Cabbage Seeds

Bring a fresh handful of dark green leaves from your garden straight to the skillet. Vitaminna is a looseleaf Chinese cabbage with thick, crinkled foliage and a mild flavor suited to salads, soups, and quick stir-fries. Harvest tender baby leaves early, or let the plants grow for a more substantial picking.

Leafy Greens, Not a Tight Cabbage Head

This open-pollinated heirloom forms loose, leafy plants rather than the tall, cylindrical heads of Michihili. Familiar in Japanese kitchens, Vitaminna is a useful choice for gardeners who prefer harvesting greens without waiting for a firm cabbage head. Its dark leaves bring color and texture to mixed salads and cook quickly with garlic, ginger, or sesame oil.

Planting & Growing

• Season: Grow during a cool, moderate part of the year. For spring planting, wait until after the last frost; late summer sowings can provide a fall crop where the season allows.
• Sowing: Sow approximately ¼ inch deep in fertile, well-drained soil. Keep the seedbed evenly moist.
• Light: Full sun to partial shade.
• Spacing: Allow roughly 8–12 inches between full-size plants. For square-foot beds, use 1 plant per square foot for mature growth; closer sowings can be harvested young and thinned.
• Water: Maintain consistent moisture without waterlogging. Avoid letting seedlings dry out.
• Bolting: Vitaminna is described as slow to bolt, not bolt-proof. Prolonged cold exposure while young can still trigger flowering; avoid planting seedlings into extended cold conditions.

Harvest Details

• Seeds per packet: Approximately 200+ seeds / 1.0 g, as listed for this packet; counts vary by lot.
• Baby leaves: Approximately 20–24 days under suitable conditions.
• Mature plants: Approximately 45–55 days; weather and growing conditions affect timing.
• Harvest: Pick tender outer leaves while leaving the growing center, or cut a whole plant when it reaches your preferred size.
• Kitchen uses: Baby-leaf salads, stir-fries, soups, and sautéed greens. Add thicker stems before leaves so both finish cooking together.
• Botanical name: Brassica rapa, Pekinensis Group.

Growing Questions

Does Vitaminna form a napa cabbage head?

No. Grow Vitaminna for its loose, thick, crinkled leaves rather than expecting a tight or tall cylindrical head.

Can I harvest it young?

Yes. Baby leaves can be harvested around 20–24 days under favorable conditions, well before full-size plants are ready.

Can it tolerate cool weather?

Vitaminna tolerates cool conditions, but extended low temperatures can encourage bolting. Cool-season suitability is not a guarantee against frost damage or flowering.

Packed and shipped by Box Garden Seeds LLC — heirloom seeds grown without GMOs for gardeners who enjoy bringing their harvest into the kitchen.