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Growing cabbage

Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group). A cool-season leafy crop grown for its firm head, usually raised from seed in trays and planted out. It needs firm, rich soil, steady water and netting against caterpillars, and it takes frost far better than heat. These steps work anywhere: they go by soil and weather, not by month.

How a cabbage grows

1. 
   SowTwo seeds to each moduleUp in about a week
2. 
   SeedlingTrue leaves form in the tray2–4 weeks
3. 
   Plant outDeep, lowest leaves at soil level4–6 weeks from sowing
4. 
   NetFine mesh on hoops, compost belowFirst week after planting
5. 
   GrowLeaves spread; check under them2–5 weeks after planting
6. 
   HeartCentre leaves fold into a ball5–8 weeks after planting
7. 
   FirmHead swells and feels solid8–14 weeks after planting
8. 
   CutKnife through the stem above the soilOver 2–4 weeks

Times vary with the variety and the weather. Small, quick summer kinds are ready first; big winter kinds, and spring kinds that stand through the winter, take months longer.

Growing it, step by step

1. Is it right for you?

   • Cabbage likes cool, steady weather: days around 15–18°C (60–65°F). Quick kinds are ready about two months after planting out; big winter kinds take much longer.
   • It takes frost, and hardy winter kinds stand through cold winters. Heat is the problem: above about 24°C (75°F) the heads stay loose. A long cold spell, ten days or more at 2–10°C (35–50°F), can make it bolt instead of heading.
   • Each plant needs about 45 cm (18 in) of room, compact kinds 30 cm (12 in). One compact cabbage grows well in a pot 30 cm (12 in) across.

2. When to plant

   Sow in modules or small pots about four to six weeks before planting out, or in a seedbed outdoors once the soil is at least 7°C (45°F). Plant out when seedlings are 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall. Hardened-off seedlings take light frost, so they can go out around the time of your last frost. Aim for the heads to form in cool weather, not in the hottest weeks.

   Cold winters: start seedlings indoors in spring for a summer crop, and sow again in early summer for heads before the hard frosts. Mild climates: sow from late winter to early summer for heads from summer into winter. Spring kinds sown in late summer stand the winter and head in spring. Hot or subtropical places: plant from late summer into winter, so the heads form in cool weather. Tropics: the cool, dry season only. In warm weather the heads stay loose, so cut them young.

3. Prepare the bed

   • A sunny, open spot with fertile soil that drains well but holds moisture. Dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure, ideally a few months ahead.
   • Slightly acid to neutral soil suits it, pH 6.0–7.0. Club root is worse in acid soil: if yours is below 6, lime it a few months before planting. See soil pH.
   • Firm the soil after digging, then rake the surface fine. Cabbages want firm ground.
   • Avoid beds that grew any of the cabbage family in the last four years: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, swedes or radishes. They share club root and other soil-borne problems.

4. Sow and plant

   • Sow 1 cm (½ in) deep, two seeds to a module or small pot, and pull out the weaker seedling. Or sow thinly in a seedbed outdoors and move them later.
   • Plant out when seedlings are 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall with five or six true leaves. Harden them off for a week or so first: outside by day, in at night.
   • Plant deeper than they sat in the tray, with the lowest leaves at soil level, and firm the soil well around them. Space them 45 cm (18 in) apart, in rows 60 cm (24 in) apart; compact kinds 30 cm (12 in).
   • For a steady supply, sow a few every three to four weeks rather than all at once.

5. Get it started

   • Water in well, then water daily for the first week or so until the plants settle.
   • On planting day, cover them with fine insect mesh on hoops, tucked in at the edges. It keeps out cabbage white caterpillars, pigeons and, in cool climates, cabbage root fly. Leave it on all season.
   • Guard young plants against slugs and snails, especially after rain.

6. Keep it growing

   • Water: a deep soak at the base about once or twice a week in dry weather, more often in sandy soil. Keep it steady, and give more as the heads form: a big soak after a dry spell splits the heads.
   • Mulch: about a week after planting, spread compost about 5 cm (2 in) deep on moist soil. It keeps moisture even and smothers weeds.
   • Feed: good soil needs little. On poorer soil, a light scatter of nitrogen-rich feed three to four weeks after planting out, and a second on slow kinds. Stop once the heads start to firm: late feeding splits them. Spring cabbage planted before winter gets one feed in early spring instead. In pots, a liquid feed every two weeks until the heads firm.
   • Check: every week, look under the leaves for yellow eggs, laid singly or in clusters, and for caterpillars, even under the net. Pull off yellowing outer leaves.
   • Weed: hoe shallowly or pull weeds by hand: the roots run near the surface.

7. Watch for problems

   The common ones, with a Garden help page each where there is one:

   Cabbage white caterpillarsLoopers and other caterpillarsAphidsWhiteflyFlea beetlesCabbage root flySlugs and snailsBirdsClub rootBlack rotDowny mildewDamping-offSplit headsBolting

8. Harvest

   • Cut when the head feels firm and solid when you press it, at whatever size suits you. Cut through the stem just above the soil with a sharp knife.
   • For a longer harvest, cut every other plant first and let the rest grow on.
   • Firm heads split if left standing too long, especially after heavy rain. To hold one a little longer, give the head a quarter turn or cut down one side of the roots with a spade: less water reaches the head.
   • Spring and summer kinds: after cutting, score a cross about 1 cm (½ in) deep in the top of the stump. It sprouts a few small heads for a second picking.

9. After harvest

   • Keep cut heads in the fridge, where they last a week or more. Dense winter kinds keep for months somewhere cool and frost-free.
   • Dig out the stumps and roots once you finish, unless you are growing a second crop from them: left in, they carry cabbage-family diseases on. Bin any with swollen, distorted roots rather than composting them.
   • Next in that bed: anything outside the cabbage family, such as potatoes, onions, carrots, beans or peas. Keep cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnips, swedes and radishes out for four years.

All vegetables

Sources

• RHS: How to grow cabbages
• University of Minnesota Extension: Growing cabbage in home gardens
• Ohio State University Extension: Growing cabbage in the home garden
• Northern Territory Government: Growing cabbages in the Top End
• Alabama Cooperative Extension: Soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination

Facts checked Wednesday 21 October 2026. General guidance only: local advice comes first.