Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra 'Red Drumhead' is a Hardy Biennial grown as an annual — a large, dense drumhead red cabbage of traditional heritage breeding, selected over many generations for the depth of its purple-red colour, the density of its heads, and its exceptional cold hardiness. It is a maincrop and late-season variety, reaching its full quality in autumn and standing through early winter.

The Drumhead Form: 'Red Drumhead' belongs to the drumhead group of cabbages — characterised by very large, flat-topped or round heads of exceptional density, with tightly packed inner leaves that make the head feel almost solid when lifted. The density of a properly grown Red Drumhead is one of its most satisfying qualities — a head that weighs 1.5–2.5kg is entirely typical, and the tightly packed structure means it stores exceptionally well both in the ground and in a cool larder once cut.

Why Frost Improves the Flavour: The deep purple pigmentation of 'Red Drumhead' — from anthocyanin compounds concentrated in the leaf cells — increases markedly after the first autumn frosts. Cold temperatures trigger the plant to convert starches to sugars as a natural antifreeze response, simultaneously deepening the colour and sweetening the flavour. A head harvested in October will be good; the same variety harvested in November after several hard frosts will be noticeably deeper in colour, sweeter, and more complex in flavour. This is not sentiment — it is plant physiology, and it is the reason that red cabbage has been a staple of the British autumn and winter table for centuries.

'Red Drumhead' alongside 'Greyhound': The Bishy Barnabee's cabbage range now covers two very different varieties for two very different purposes. 'Greyhound' is the pointed, early, sweet, quick-maturing spring and summer cabbage — tender, mild, and eaten fresh within weeks of maturity. 'Red Drumhead' is the large, dense, late, frost-hardy autumn and winter cabbage — substantial, flavourful, and at its best after the first frosts. Together they provide a complete year-round cabbage harvest from the same kitchen garden, with barely any overlap in season or use.

'Red Drumhead' is a straightforward, unfussy cabbage to grow from seed, asking only for adequate space, consistent moisture, and protection from the cabbage white butterfly during the growing season.

How to Sow:
Sow indoors or in a seedbed from April to May for a maincrop autumn and winter harvest. Sow seeds approximately 1–2cm deep in trays or a prepared seedbed. Maintain a temperature of 16–20°C for germination, which typically occurs within 7–10 days. Cabbage seedlings are robust and grow quickly — prick out or thin to prevent overcrowding, which produces drawn, weak plants.

Transplanting:
Transplant into their final growing position from June to July, once plants have four to six true leaves and are approximately 10–15cm tall. Space plants 45–50cm apart in rows 60cm apart — Red Drumhead is a large, spreading plant and needs generous spacing to develop its characteristic large, dense heads. Firm the soil well around the transplant and water in thoroughly. Planting in the evening or on a cloudy day reduces transplant stress.

Ongoing Care:
Water consistently through dry spells during the establishment and head-forming periods — irregular watering can cause heads to split. Earth up around the base of plants as they grow to provide stability for the large heads and to exclude light from the stem, which can cause bolting in dry, hot conditions. Apply a balanced fertiliser at transplanting and a nitrogen-rich feed in July to support leafy growth during head development.

Pest Management:
The cabbage white butterfly and its caterpillars are the primary pest of all brassicas — inspect leaves regularly from June onwards and remove egg clusters and caterpillars by hand. Fine mesh netting over the plants from transplanting onwards is the most effective preventive measure. Cabbage root fly can affect young transplants — collars of cardboard or proprietary brassica collars placed around the stem at planting time prevent the fly from laying eggs at the soil surface.

Harvesting:
Harvest from September to December when heads feel firm and solid when pressed. Cut at the base with a sharp knife, leaving the outer leaves as a frost buffer if leaving in the ground. Heads can be left standing through autumn frosts — the flavour improves with each cold night — and harvested as needed through the season rather than all at once. Cut heads store well in a cool, frost-free shed or garage for several weeks.

Brassicas benefit enormously from well-chosen companions — these plants from the range help deter the pests that cause most damage to 'Red Drumhead' while making the most of the space around the large plants:

• 🌼 Calendula 'Art Shades Mixed': The Whitefly Trap. Calendula is the most broadly useful companion for all brassicas — its sticky stems trap aphids and whitefly before they can establish on the cabbage leaves, its strong scent disrupts the host-finding behaviour of the cabbage white butterfly, and its open flowers sustain a population of hoverflies and parasitic wasps whose larvae and adults consume aphid colonies and cabbage white eggs with considerable efficiency. The warm amber and apricot tones of Art Shades Mixed alongside the deep purple-crimson of Red Drumhead leaves creates one of the most visually dramatic warm-cool colour contrasts in the autumn kitchen garden — a combination that is as ornamental as it is functional.
• 🌟 Borage: The Caterpillar Deterrent. Borage has a long traditional association with brassica growing — its aromatic foliage is said to deter the cabbage white butterfly from landing to lay eggs, and its sustained flowering from June to October keeps beneficial insects present throughout the most critical period of the cabbage growing season. The blue of Borage flowers alongside the deep purple of Red Drumhead foliage creates a colour combination of considerable visual impact in the summer and early autumn kitchen garden — the cool electric blue of the Borage stars intensified by the rich warmth of the purple-crimson cabbage leaves around them.
• 🌿 Basil Classic Italian: The Aromatic Barrier. Basil's volatile aromatic oils have a specific deterrent effect on the aphids and whitefly that target brassicas, and its strong scent is said to confuse the cabbage white butterfly's ability to locate its host plants by smell. Planted in a row at the edge of the brassica bed or interplanted among the cabbages, it creates an aromatic barrier that is particularly effective at reducing pest pressure in the early part of the season when plants are most vulnerable. The culinary bonus — fresh basil available at the same time as Red Drumhead leaves are being harvested for early autumn coleslaw — is an additional domestic pleasure.
• 🥬 Cabbage 'Greyhound': The Year-Round Pairing. Growing 'Red Drumhead' alongside 'Greyhound' in the same brassica bed is the simplest way to extend the cabbage harvest across the full year — 'Greyhound' maturing in spring and early summer when 'Red Drumhead' is still a small transplant, and 'Red Drumhead' coming into its own in autumn and winter when 'Greyhound' is long finished. The two varieties share the same growing requirements, the same companion plants, and the same crop rotation needs, making them the most natural of bedfellows in the kitchen garden. Together they provide a complete cabbage harvest that covers every season and every use from the lightest spring coleslaw to the richest Christmas braised red cabbage.

Sow indoors from April and transplant in June or July for large, deeply coloured heads ready from September — then leave them standing through the autumn frosts as the flavour deepens and the colour intensifies to its richest, most vivid purple-crimson.