How to Grow Cabbage: The Complete Guide (2024)

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Choose a planting site that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day) in order to get the bestresults.

Cabbage is a heavy feeder; it quickly depletes the soil of nutrients and needs a steady supply of water and nutrients throughout its growth. Prepare the soil in advance by mixing in aged manure and/or compost. Soil should also be well-draining: roots that stand in water cause heads to split orrot.

When to PlantCabbage

• For a summer harvest, startseeds indoors, sowing about6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost. Consult our Planting Calendar for suggested dates.
• For a fall harvest, direct sow seeds outdoors (or plant transplants)in mid-to late summer. If your area is particularly hot and dry, hold off on planting until late summer. Make sure that the young plants don’t dry out in the summer sun’sheat!

How to PlantCabbage

• Sow cabbage seeds ¼ inchdeep.
• Before planting the seedlings outdoors,harden offthe plants over the course of aweek.
• Transplant seedlings outdoors on a cloudy afternoon 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frostdate.
• Plant seedlings 12 to 24 inches apart in rows, depending on the size of the head desired. (Closer spacing yields smallerheads.)

Check out this video to learn how to plantcabbages:

• When seedlings reach about 5 inches tall, thin to leave the desired space between them. If you wish, transplant the thinned seedlingselsewhere.
• Mulch thickly around the area to retain moisture and regulate soiltemperature.
• Water 2 inches per square foot perweek.
• Theoptimum soil temperature for growth is 60 to 65°F. Young plants exposed to temperatures below 45°F for a period of time may bolt or form loose heads. Cover plants if cold weather isexpected.
• Fertilize twoweeks after transplanting with a balanced(10-10-10)fertilizer.
• Three weeks later, add a nitrogen-rich fertilizer; cabbage needs nitrogen in the earlystages.
• Practice crop rotation with cabbages to avoid a buildup of soil-bornediseases.

Protect seedlings against pigeons with wire mesh, and use netting during the summer months to stop butterflies from laying their eggs on the leaves. It’s also worth growing nasturtiums nearby as a sacrificial crop for cabbageworms, which will be more likely to eat the nasturtiums instead of your cabbages. Mint can be used to help deter fleabeetles.

Keep cabbages watered, and weed between plants with a hoe or by hand. During exceptionally cold weather, winter cabbages may need to be protected with row covers or cloches. In very cold regions, growing cabbages in a greenhouse or cold frame will keep themsafe.

There’s a fantastic range of cabbage varieties to choose from, offering different shapes, colors, andtextures.

• For an early harvest, try ‘Primo’ or ‘Stonehead.’
• Quick-maturing‘Golden Acre’and‘Quick Start’yield 3-poundheads.
• For Savoy types, try ‘Alcosa’, an early variety, or ‘Wirosa’, a late variety that overwinters as-is in southern gardens but needs protection in theNorth.
• ‘Early Jersey Wakefield’ resists splitting. It’s an heirloom, slightly pointed, and 2- to 3-poundheads.
• ‘Gonzales’ produces softball-sized heads, making it good for smallgardens.
• Disease-resistant varieties include ‘Blue Vantage’ and ‘Cheers’.
• If you are planting for a fall harvest, try red or Chinese cabbage. Good varieties include ‘Integro’ and‘Ruby Perfection’(reds) and ‘Li Ren Choy’ (baby bokchoy).

Cabbage heads, or hearts, can be rounded or conical, with leaves that are light green, dark green, red or purple. Red cabbages are popular for braising orpickling.

Some types have a smooth, almost glossy appearance, while others, like the Savoy cabbage, produce deeply crinkled leaves that are perfect for mopping up sauces orgravy.

Cabbages are grouped according to when they’re harvested. Spring cabbages, which may also be harvested young as ‘spring greens,’ are ready from mid to late spring. Summer cabbages crop from summer into early autumn, while fall cabbages and winter varieties cover the remainder of theyear.

Savoy cabbages have a long harvest period stretching from autumn all the way through winter to earlyspring.

Our Garden Planner can show you recommended sowing, transplanting, and harvesting times for different types of cabbage in yourlocation.

• Harvest when heads reach the desired size and are firm. Mature heads left on the stem maysplit. Days to maturity is around70 days for most green cabbage varieties, and most produce 1- to 3-poundheads.
• To harvest, cut each cabbage head at its base with a sharp knife. Remove any yellow leaves (retain loose green leaves; they provide protection in storage) and immediately bring the head indoors or place it in the shade. Alternatively, pull up the plant (roots and all) and hang it in a moist cellar that reaches near-freezingtemperatures.
• Winter cabbages are sweeter after a light frost. Spring cabbages can be harvested young and loose as spring greens, or left to grow on to form a tight head ofleaves.
• To get two crops, cut the cabbage head out of the plant, leaving the outer leaves and roots in the garden. The plant will send up new heads; pinch off those until only four or so smaller heads remain. Harvest when tennis ball-size (perfect forsalads!).
• After harvesting, remove the entire stem and root system from the soil to prevent disease. Only compost healthy plants; destroy anywith maggotinfestation.

How to StoreCabbages

• Cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, wrapped lightly in plastic. Make sure it is dry before storing. In proper root cellar conditions, cabbage will keep for up to 3 months. See our article on root cellars.
• Follow this old-time technique to get the most out of your cabbage crop:
  1. In the fall, harvest the entire cabbage plant—stems, head, and roots—enjoying the head as usual and storing the roots in a root cellar throughwinter.
  2. As soon as the ground has thawed in spring, plant the rootsoutdoors.
  3. Soon, fresh sprouts will form, which can be eaten alone or added to soups, salads, or a dish of yourchoice.
  4. These replanted cabbages won’t produce full heads, but they should go to seed by the end of summer, providing next year’s round of cabbageseeds!
  • Note: This can also be done indoors on a windowsill in mid-to late winter; keep roots damp and sprouts shouldform.

Catherine Boeckmann