Cabbage ‘Katarina’

* Common name: Cabbage ‘Katarina’

* Botanical name: Brassica oleracea ‘Katarina’

* What it is: ‘Katarina’ is a super-fast cabbage to mature – ready to pick as soon as 45 days after planting transplants (meaning less time for things to go wrong!) The heads are small (about four inches across), but yield can be high because plants can be spaced as closely as eight inches apart.

The flavor is sweet, and the leaf color is light green. Plants often grow secondary smaller heads after the main head is cut.

‘Katarina’ was a good enough overall performer in national trials that it won a 2016 All America Selections award.

* Size: Plants grow 12 to 15 inches tall and about eight to 10 inches wide.

* Where to use: Being so compact, ‘Katarina’ is one of the best cabbage choices for growing in a container. It also does well in a sunny vegetable garden.

* Care: Start seeds inside in late January to early February for planting outside in late March through April. Work compost into the soil before planting, then keep plants consistently damp until harvest.

Cover plants with floating row cover or spray with Bt to guard against cabbage’s main bug pest, the cabbageworm.

A booster dose or two of fish emulsion or organic vegetable fertilizer after planting helps maximize growth.

A fall crop can be planted in late August.

* Great partner: Onions, leeks, and lettuce give nice color and texture contrast to cabbages. Or plant in blocks with similar cole-family crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower.