Crop type: Cabbages
Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group) ‘Advantage’
Common name: Cabbage ‘Advantage’
Crop slug: cabbages
This Allotment Pro editorial draft summarises the cited RHS cultivar profile. Check the source and adjust cultivation decisions for local conditions.RHS cultivar profile
1 - Overview
‘Advantage’ is a bushy evergreen cabbage with an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Successional sowings provide leafy spring greens across the year, or plants can remain in the ground to form pointed hearts the following spring. This flexibility makes it useful for growers who want both loose leaves and headed cabbages from one cultivar.
The plant is broader than it is tall and retains green foliage in every season. Its pointed mature heart is the main identifying feature when the crop is allowed to head.
2 - Size
- Ultimate height
- 0.1–0.5 metres
- Ultimate spread
- 0.5–1 metre
- Time to ultimate size
- 1–2 years
Allow for the wide bushy habit when setting plants out. Close spacing can be used for greens that will be harvested young, while plants intended to form pointed hearts need more room.
3 - Growing conditions
- Suitable soils
- Chalk, clay, loam and sand
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Soil pH
- Neutral or alkaline
‘Advantage’ accepts all four common soil textures, provided the bed is fertile, firm and drains well. Avoid strongly acidic soil, especially on plots with a history of clubroot.
4 - Position and hardiness
- Light
- Full sun
- Aspect
- East-, north-, south- or west-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed or sheltered
- Hardiness
- H6 — hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe, supporting its year-round leafy crop and overwintering to form spring hearts
The profile accepts every aspect and both exposed and sheltered sites. Full sun, secure planting and fine-mesh protection will still help the broad foliage stay productive.
5 - Colour and seasonal interest
| Season | Flowers | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | — | Green | — |
| Summer | — | Green | — |
| Autumn | — | Green | — |
| Winter | — | Green | — |
Evergreen foliage is recorded as green throughout the year. The edible leaves and pointed heart are vegetative growth rather than fruit. An em dash indicates no profile colour for that field and season.
6 - Botanical details
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Native to Great Britain and Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Bushy
- Name status
- Accepted
Genus
Brassica includes upright annuals, biennials and perennials with alternate, often glaucous leaves, long taproots and clusters of cross-shaped yellow or white flowers. Many familiar vegetables, including cabbages, turnips and mustards, belong to the genus.
7 - How to grow
Cultivation
Sow ‘Advantage’ outdoors in fertile, firm soil that is not too acidic. Where ground space is limited, start seed in modules or seed trays and transplant once seedlings are easy to handle and carry about five or six leaves. Use successive sowings for a steady supply of greens, reserving selected plants to overwinter and form pointed hearts.
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sown directly or raised in modules before transplanting.
Pruning
No pruning is required. Harvest loose leaves or the completed pointed heart according to the intended crop.
Pests
Flea beetles can check seedlings, caterpillars eat foliage, and pigeons require secure netting. Snails are most damaging to young plants. Cabbage root fly may cause poor growth, while heavy mealy cabbage aphid colonies can spoil the harvest.
Diseases
The cultivar may be susceptible to brassica downy mildew and white blister. Clubroot can accumulate in soil repeatedly used for brassicas, so rotate crops and maintain suitable drainage and pH.