The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

Savoy Cabbage for me has to be the king of cabbages, they’re big, they’re tasty, they’re crinkly, incredibly good for you and they look great in the garden or allotment.

I’ve chosen to grow Savoy King F1 – this variety is a very popular, second-early, savoy-type hybrid. It’s also quite versatile in mild conditions and can be sown in spring, summer and autumn. Savoy King F1 is also an All American Selection (AAS) Award Winner.

I’ve tried to do some research into the Savoy variety and where it comes from, and my research took me back thousands of years. The history of the cabbage is a patchy one (excuse the pun) but it’s highly likely that the cabbage was first used for home use somewhere in Europe before 1000 BC. Savoys were not developed until the 16th century.

By the dark ages and from then on since the cabbage has played an important role in the kitchen. Savoy King F1 was originally bred by Reed’s Seeds Cabbage genetics, which was then acquired by Sakata Vegetables.

The term ‘Savoy’ also has an interesting history and comes from the land of Savoy (House of Savoy) between the 11th to 14th centuries. The historical territory is shared between the modern countries of France, Italy, and Switzerland. There is a fascinating article here on Wikipedia about the House of Savoy. Clearly, you’ve reached new heights of wealth when you have the power to name a variety cabbage after your family.

Growing cabbages are incredibly easy, I’ve started mine off in a cold-frame by planting two seeds per cell, in a tray of six cells. In about five weeks or so, or when the seedlings are large enough to move, I’ll look to transplant these seedlings into pots of their own. When it comes to planting outside, I will plant these with my Brussels sprouts and my broccoli to keep down the amount of pests that may otherwise attack the plants.