Cabbage ‘OS Cross’

* Common name: Cabbage ‘OS Cross’

* Botanical name: Brassica oleracea ‘OS Cross’

* What it is: One of the biggest-growing hybrid green cabbages, sometimes producing up to 10-pound heads. Outer leaves are blue-green. Matures in about 85 days from planting. Earned a 1951 All-America Selections award and is still one of the best home-garden cabbages.

* Size: Space plants at least 2 feet apart.

* Where to use: Vegetable garden.

* Care: Start seeds inside in late January to early February for planting outside late March through April. Work compost into soil before planting, then keep plants consistently damp throughout the growing season. Cover with floating row cover or spray with Bt to guard against the main bug pest, the cabbageworm. A booster dose or two of fish emulsion, compost tea or organic vegetable fertilizer helps maximize size.

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