Scottish growing tool

Calabrese Variety Selector: Which One For Your Garden

Every recommendation below traces back to our full Calabrese varieties comparison — this page is the fast route to one answer for your specific situation, no clicking through required.

If: Small plot or an exposed, windy site

Kabuki

Compact, good where space is limited and particularly suited to autumn cropping: a reasonable match for a raised bed or a smaller plot where a sprawling variety would struggle, and its H3 hardiness rating gives it more margin than Marathon on a windier or more exposed site. It crops later, into autumn. Its AGM is not shown on its own RHS page, so treat it as unconfirmed rather than assume the general growing page's listing is correct.

If: Want the earliest possible cut, or to stagger the harvest

Green Magic

Early maturing, with dense heads followed by side-shoots, and good resistance to white rust, a trait Marathon doesn't have. Sowing it alongside Marathon, Green Magic for the first cut, Marathon for the long middle stretch, is the practical way to stretch a short Scottish season. Its AGM is not shown on its own RHS page, so treat it as unconfirmed.

If: Warm, sheltered spot and want the strongest heat tolerance

Fiesta

The only one of the four with an explicit heat-tolerance claim, excellent heat tolerance, perfect for summer cropping, and an August to October harvest window. It carries no AGM, so it's a specialist pick rather than a default, best reserved for a sheltered bed with good sun.

If: Not sure, just give me the safest all-round choice

MarathonAGM

One of the most reliable summer-cropping varieties, producing firm blue-green heads over a long season, with some disease resistance built in and a confirmed AGM: the safest default if you're only growing one variety and want a long cropping window rather than a single early or late hit.

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Calabrese growing guide →Full Calabrese varieties comparison →

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