Variety field guide
What to expect from Aichi Chinese Cabbage
Aichi is a traditional cabbage from Japan's Aichi Prefecture.
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Aichi is a traditional cabbage from Japan's Aichi Prefecture. Broad pale green leaves wrap around juicy white midribs to form a barrel-shaped head. The mild, sweet flavor works in slaws, soups, quick stir-fries and pickles, and the leaves soften readily in a hot pan. Plan for cool weather as the heads develop, and keep the plants growing steadily with fertile soil and regular water for tender, useful harvests.
Minimum seeds per packet: 100 seeds.
Juicy white ribs and tender leaves for cool-season cooking.
Variety and background
Allow 12-18 inches between Aichi plants for full heads; 8-inch spacing is for smaller harvests.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Brassica rapa L. Pekinensis Group |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity / harvest basis | 70-79 Days |
| Seed depth | 1/4-1/2 in |
| Germination | 6-10 days |
| Germination temperature | 50-65 F |
| Plant height / spread | 13–18 in |
| Habit | Rosette |
| Plant spacing | 12-18 in |
| Row spacing | 18-24 in |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Pollination type | Open-Pollinated (OP) |
Starting from seed
Sow for spring or fall harvest, 1/4-1/2 in. deep. At 50-65 F allow 6-10 days. Thin to 12-18 in. apart, rows 18-24 in. apart. Give fertile soil and even water. Avoid prolonged cold on young plants, which can trigger bolting.
Planting and care
Sow for spring or fall harvest, 1/4-1/2 in. deep. At 50-65 F allow 6-10 days. Thin to 12-18 in. apart, rows 18-24 in. apart. Give fertile soil and even water. Avoid prolonged cold on young plants, which can trigger bolting. Allow 12-18 inches between Aichi plants for full heads; 8-inch spacing is for smaller harvests.
Harvest and use
Cut heads when firm and full; refrigerate promptly. Use tested recipes for fermentation or pickling. For seed, retain selected plants through flowering; isolate other B. rapa crops and collect dry pods before seeds begin to scatter.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Aichi plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica rapa. Crop groups within Brassica rapa can cross with one another. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Aichi is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Flea beetles, imported cabbageworm, cabbage loopers, aphids, slugs, root maggots, and clubroot risk where the pathogen is present. Management: Use rotation, insect netting before pests arrive, regular leaf inspection, sanitation, and well-drained soil. Do not plant the same brassica family repeatedly in one bed. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
What distinguishes this selection?
Allow 12-18 inches between Aichi plants for full heads; 8-inch spacing is for smaller harvests.
How should I start it?
Sow for spring or fall harvest, 1/4-1/2 in. deep. At 50-65 F allow 6-10 days. Thin to 12-18 in. apart, rows 18-24 in. apart. Give fertile soil and even water. Avoid prolonged cold on young plants, which can trigger bolting.
When and how should I harvest?
Cut heads when firm and full; refrigerate promptly. Use tested recipes for fermentation or pickling. For seed, retain selected plants through flowering; isolate other B. rapa crops and collect dry pods before seeds begin to scatter.
Can I save seed?
Select several healthy, true-to-type Aichi plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated Brassica rapa. Crop groups within Brassica rapa can cross with one another. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Aichi is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
