Overview
What cabbage needs, how long it takes, and which season’s types suit your plot.
With spring, summer, autumn and winter varieties, you can cut a fresh cabbage in almost every month, including the depths of winter when the rest of the plot is bare. Cabbages grow slowly and steadily in firm, rich soil. Keep the pigeons and caterpillars off with a net, and cut spring and summer heads with a cross scored in the stump: a second, smaller cabbage often follows.
Quick facts
- Botanical name
- Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group)
- Soil pH
- 6.0 – 7.0
- Feeding
- Heavy feeder
- Temperature
- 16 – 21 °C
- Hardiness
- Any zone, as an annual
- Time to harvest
- 60 – 100 days
- Propagation
- Seed
Optimal growth
Growing details
- Spacing
- 45 cm (18 in)
- Sowing depth
- 13 mm (½ in)
- Frost sensitivity
- Frost hardy
Growing calendar
- Start indoors: February, March, April
- Sow outdoors: February, March, April, May, June, July
- Transplant: April, May, June, July, August, September
- Harvest: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
In modules, about five weeks before planting out; check the packet for each type. Summer types Feb to Apr; autumn and winter types Apr to Jun; spring types in July. When plants are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) tall. All year with spring, summer, autumn and winter types in a cool temperate climate.
Is this plant right for you?
- Frost hardy
- Harvest all year
- Needs pest netting
- Heavy feeder
- Stores well
- Container possible
- Needs space and time
Good to know
It is a hungry plant, so feed it regularly right through the growing season. It stands frost, so it can go out earlier than tender crops.
Before You Grow
Choose types for the seasons you want to eat, and a sunny, firm, fertile bed where no brassicas have grown for at least two years.
Sow small batches of several types instead of one big sowing, to avoid a glut.
What you need
Seed of the right types
One or two varieties for each season you want to eat. See choose your cabbages.
Module trays and seed compost
Sturdy transplants start best. See growing from seed.
A firm, rich bed
Composted the autumn before, and brassica-free for a few years. See soil.
Fine insect mesh
On hoops, from planting day. See pests.
Brassica collars
Around each stem against cabbage root fly.
A sharp knife
For cutting heads, and scoring the stumps.
Choose your cabbages
Cabbages are grouped by the season they are harvested, and all are grown the same way. Sow a few of each type and you can cut cabbages almost all year.
Spring cabbages make small, dense, pointed heads, or can be cut young as loose spring greens.
Summer cabbages come in many shapes, are bred to stand summer heat, and are often compact: good for small plots.
Autumn cabbages often make large heads and need wider spacing; some store into winter.
Winter cabbages include crinkly savoys, smooth drumheads and red-tinged types. They are large and very hardy, and stand in the ground for months.
Head shape and size. Pointed, round or flattened, green, blue-green or red. Early varieties give heads of about 0.5 to 1.4 kg (1 to 3 lb), later ones 1.8 to 3.6 kg (4 to 8 lb) (Illinois).
Disease resistance. Some varieties resist clubroot, downy mildew, black rot or yellows (fusarium wilt): worth choosing if you have had these.
Cabbage types compared
-
Spring
- Sow (UK)
- July
- Harvest
- Mid-spring to midsummer
- Notes
- Overwinters; cut as greens or hearts
-
Summer
- Sow (UK)
- February to April
- Harvest
- Mid to late summer
- Notes
- Compact; bred for heat
-
Autumn
- Sow (UK)
- Mid-spring to early summer
- Harvest
- Autumn, before winter
- Notes
- Large heads; some store
-
Winter (savoy, drumhead, red)
- Sow (UK)
- Late spring to early summer
- Harvest
- Late autumn to early spring
- Notes
- Very hardy; stand for months
Sowing dates are for the UK (RHS); check each packet. US gardeners grow a spring crop and an autumn crop, like other cool-season brassicas.
Where cabbages grow best
Cabbage is a cool-season crop: it grows best at 16 to 21 °C (60 to 70 °F) (Iowa State) and dislikes temperatures over about 27 °C (80 °F) (Utah State).
Cold. Hardened plants are very frost tolerant. UMD finds cabbage survives -9 to -7 °C (15 to 20 °F); winter types stand in the ground through winter.
Time and space. Cabbages take four to six months from sowing, so grow them where you won’t need the ground for something else.
Rotation. Grow them with the other brassicas in your rotation, on ground brassica-free for at least two years (RHS), ideally three or four (Iowa State).
Drainage. Avoid ground that waterlogs, especially for overwintering types.
Sun. Full sun: at least six hours of direct sun a day (Iowa State); UMD prefers eight to ten.
Light and air go together. Plenty of space between plants gives each good light and airflow, which keeps fungal diseases down.
- Best growth
- 16 to 21 °C (60 to 70 °F)
- Frost
- Hardy to about -9 °C (15 °F)
- Sowing to harvest
- Four to six months
Soil
Cabbages want rich, fertile, free-draining soil that holds moisture, and firm ground.
Compost. Dig in about two bucketfuls of garden compost per square metre, ideally the autumn before, so the soil consolidates over winter. If you add it just before planting, shuffle across the bed on your heels to firm it.
pH. The sources vary slightly: 6 to 7 (Iowa State), above 6 (RHS), neutral to alkaline (Gardeners’ World). If your soil is acid, lime it the winter before: it also deters clubroot.
Planting
Sow little and often, plant deep and firm, and net the crop on planting day.
Firm planting helps keep cabbage root fly from laying eggs around the stem.
When to sow and plant cabbages
Each type has its own sowing time; the packet has the details.
In the UK (RHS): summer cabbages February to April, protecting early sowings with fleece; autumn and winter cabbages from mid-spring to early summer; spring cabbages in July.
In US gardens, a spring crop is started indoors four to six weeks before planting out, and planted two to three weeks before the last frost, or early to mid-April in central Iowa. An autumn crop is planted out from mid-June to early August; Iowa State recommends only early varieties for it.
Little and often. Several small sowings through spring and summer spread the harvest and avoid gluts.
Plant out when plants are 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) tall, with five or six true leaves.
How to grow cabbages from seed
Sow in modules under cover for a reliable start, or in a seedbed outdoors.
-
Sow two seeds per module
In damp peat-free seed compost, 1 cm (⅜ in) deep. Keep in a greenhouse or on a bright windowsill.
-
Thin to one
Remove the weaker seedling. Keep them in good light and water regularly.
-
Or sow in a seedbed
Outdoors, about 2 cm (¾ in) deep, 10 cm (4 in) apart, for lifting later. Protect from slugs and cover with mesh.
-
Or sow in the final spot
Three seeds every 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in), thinned to the strongest.
-
Grow on for about five weeks
Until 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) tall with a good root system.
How to plant cabbages
Deep, firm and protected.
-
Harden off indoor-sown plants
For a week or so, to avoid a check in growth.
-
Water the day before
Then lift plants or ease them from their modules without disturbing the roots.
-
Plant deep
With the lowest leaves at the soil surface.
-
Firm them in well
It anchors the roots and helps keep cabbage root fly from laying eggs by the stem. Fit a brassica collar.
-
Space for the head you want
Compact varieties 30 cm (1 ft) apart, larger ones up to 45 cm (18 in) (RHS); US extensions 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) in rows 60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) apart. Closer spacing gives smaller heads.
-
Water and cover
Water generously, protect from slugs, and cover with insect-proof mesh or fleece.
Care
Steady water, a nitrogen boost before hearts form, then no more feed.
Stop feeding once the heads start to form: late nitrogen gives loose, splitting heads.
Care by growth stage
Young plants
Water: regularly · Protect: mesh, collars, slug control
Small roots: water regularly and keep them netted. See watering.
Growing on
Feed: 3 to 4 weeks after planting · Weed: by hand or careful hoeing
Feed before hearts form, then stop. See feeding.
Heads forming
Water: evenly, more as heads swell · Feed: none now
Even watering prevents splitting. See common problems.
Winter
Remove: faded outer leaves
Winter types stand in the ground; keep them netted against pigeons.
Watering cabbages
Young cabbages have small roots, so water them regularly to keep them growing strongly.
Established plants need water mainly in dry spells. The RHS gives the ground a thorough soaking every 10 days; US extensions aim for about 2.5 cm (1 in) a week, and Utah State up to 5 cm (2 in), watering deeply and less often.
As heads form, extra water increases their size. But keep it even: big swings in moisture make maturing heads split.
Autumn crops started in summer heat need regular watering to establish.
Mulch with compost or straw to hold moisture and keep weeds down; water at the base, not over the leaves.
Feeding cabbages
Cabbages like rich soil, and a well-composted bed gets them most of the way.
At planting, a starter fertiliser helps (UMD, Illinois).
Three to four weeks later, side-dress with a nitrogen or general fertiliser, before the hearts begin to form. On poor soil, the RHS gives a nitrogen-rich feed at this point; spring cabbages get it in early spring.
Then stop. Utah State warns that nitrogen after heads start forming causes loose heads and splitting.
Cabbages in containers
Cabbages grow best in the ground, but a large, deep container works, and is useful if you have clubroot in your soil or little space (RHS).
Pot size. One compact variety in a 30 cm (12 in) pot, or up to three in a 50 cm (20 in) pot. Don’t crowd them: they need light and air. Growing bags are not suitable.
Compost. Peat-free multi-purpose, planting deep as in the ground.
Care. A sunny spot, and water regularly, especially in dry weather.
Problems
Split heads, caterpillars, pigeons, root fly and clubroot are the usual cabbage troubles.
Common cabbage problems
These are growing problems, not pests or diseases.
Heads splitting open
- Water surge
- Late harvest
Heavy rain or watering after dry weather, as heads mature, makes them take up water too fast and burst. Water evenly, cut heads promptly, and if you can’t, give the plant a twist or bend the stem to break some roots and slow uptake.
Loose, leafy heads
- Late nitrogen
- Heat
Too much nitrogen once heads form, or hot weather. See feeding.
Brown, dry leaves inside the head
- Tipburn
A nutrient deficiency in the heart, linked to water stress and excess fertiliser. Keep moisture even while heads develop (Utah State).
Small heads
- Close spacing
Close spacing gives smaller heads. Give large varieties more room.
Flower stalks instead of heads
- Bolting
- Cold
Plants bolt after long spells at 2 to 7 °C (35 to 45 °F), once their stems are as thick as a pencil: set out too early, or hit by an unseasonable cold snap (Illinois).
More problems with cabbage
Common pests
A cover of fine insect mesh from planting keeps off most of these.
Cabbage caterpillars
Cabbage white butterflies, loopers and diamondback moths lay eggs that hatch into green caterpillars, eating holes in leaves and into the heart. Net the crop, pick caterpillars off, or use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Wasps take many.
Pigeons
Strip leaves in winter. Taut netting is the reliable answer; scarers work only for a while.
Cabbage root fly
White maggots tunnel into the roots. Fit collars at planting, firm plants in well, and cover with mesh.
Flea beetles
Tiny black beetles that pepper seedlings with holes. Mesh keeps them off young plants.
Slugs and snails
Attack seedlings and young plants, especially in damp weather. Raising plants indoors in modules keeps them out of reach until they are sturdier (RHS).
Common diseases
Clubroot
Swollen, distorted roots and stunted plants. It lasts for years in the soil. Improve drainage, lime acid soil, raise plants in pots until well rooted, and choose resistant varieties. Destroy affected plants and don’t grow brassicas there for at least four years.
Yellows (fusarium wilt)
Lower leaves yellow and brown, plants stunt and wilt. Grow yellows-resistant (YR) varieties; most modern hybrids are.
Black rot and blackleg
Black rot makes V-shaped yellow patches from the leaf edge with blackened veins; blackleg makes black cankers on the stem. Both spread on seed, transplants and insects. Buy hot-water-treated seed and healthy plants, and bin, don’t compost, infected plants.
Leaf spot and damping off
Sooty spots in rings on leaves, and seedlings collapsing. Avoid overhead watering, keep things clean, rotate.
Harvest & Use
Cut firm heads at the size you want, and store winter types for months.
Harvesting cabbages
Cabbages take about four to six months from sowing, or 60 to 100 days from planting out, depending on type.
When. Cut once the head is firm, solid and heavy, at the size you want. Iowa State starts when heads are softball-sized. Cut before big heads crack.
How. Cut through the stem just above ground with a sharp knife, leaving the loose outer leaves on the stump.
A second crop. Score a 1 cm (⅜ in) cross in the stump of spring and summer cabbages: smaller heads, 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in) across, grow from the leaf joints.
Stagger it. Cut every other cabbage in a row first so the rest can grow larger. Mature heads hold on the plant for about two weeks in summer and three to four in autumn (UMD); winter types stand for months.
Clear up. Dig out finished stumps to stop brassica pests and diseases carrying over.
- Firm, solid, heavy: cut it.
- Score a cross in the stump for a second crop.
- Cut promptly before big heads split.
Storing and using cabbages
Fresh. Best eaten soon after cutting. In the fridge, unwashed and loosely wrapped in a perforated bag, heads keep one to four weeks; Savoys only about four days (Illinois).
Long term. Some winter cabbages store for months in a cool, frost-free place. Near 0 °C (32 °F) with high humidity, such as a root cellar, Iowa State keeps them three to four months and Utah State up to six. Leave two or three wrapper leaves on for protection.
Keep away from apples and pears, which give off ethylene and make cabbage bitter.
Using. Raw in coleslaw and salads, fermented as sauerkraut or kimchi, stir-fried, braised or in soups. Don’t overcook: it turns bitter and smelly.
More to Explore
Quick answers, guides that pair well with cabbage, and the sources behind this one.
Frequently asked questions
How long do cabbages take to grow?
About four to six months from sowing, or 60 to 100 days from planting out, depending on type.
Why are my cabbages splitting?
A surge of water as heads mature. Water evenly and cut promptly. See common problems.
Can I get a second crop from a cabbage?
Often, from spring and summer types: score a cross in the stump after cutting.
How far apart should cabbages be?
30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) for most; big winter types more. Closer spacing gives smaller heads.
How do I stop caterpillars eating my cabbages?
Cover the crop with fine insect mesh from planting day. See pests.
Can cabbages survive frost?
Yes: hardened plants take hard frosts, and winter types stand all winter.
Can I grow cabbage in a pot?
Yes, a compact variety in a large, deep pot. See cabbages in containers.
When should I plant winter cabbage?
Sow in late spring or early summer and plant out in summer, for cutting from late autumn.
How do I store cabbage?
In the fridge for weeks, or winter types in a cool, frost-free place for months. See storing and using cabbages.
Is cabbage safe for pets?
Gardeners’ World says small amounts, chopped and cooked, are safe for cats and dogs, though it can cause wind.
Related guides
Sources
- How to grow cabbages (opens in a new tab) Royal Horticultural Society
- Growing cabbage in the home garden (opens in a new tab) Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
- Growing cabbage in a home garden (opens in a new tab) University of Maryland Extension
- Cabbage (opens in a new tab) University of Illinois Extension
- How to grow cabbage in your garden (opens in a new tab) Utah State University Extension
- How to grow cabbages (opens in a new tab) BBC Gardeners’ World