Eating Garden

How to Grow Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata

A cool-season leaf crop that wraps its inner leaves into a firm head.

At a glance

  • Difficulty

    Takes some care

  • Sunlight

    Full sun

  • Water

    Thirsty

  • Plant spacing

    15 to 18 in apart

More about this plant

Give cabbage cool weather, steady water and plenty of space. Cut a firm head before it splits, then cool it or store it in a cold, humid place.

  • Grows over two seasons.
  • Can grow in raised beds, the open ground.
  • A good one to grow together with children.

Optional local dates

Planting dates where you live

The growing guide above works anywhere. This section adds local frost dates when we have them.

Optional local dates

Get planting dates for where you live

Save a city or a U.S. ZIP so we can turn local frost records into useful dates. Every crop guide still works without this.

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Helpful gardening guides

When to plant

Match these relative steps to your local seasons. Where frost applies, use the last freezing night in spring and the first in fall. In frost-free climates, follow trusted local seasonal guidance.

  • Start indoors 0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing seasonStart a spring crop four to six weeks before your local transplant time.
  • Sow outdoors 12 to 16 weeks before your first fall frostFor fall cabbage, count back from the first frost using the variety's maturity time and extra time for direct sowing.

What you need

  • How to start itFrom seed or a young plantYou can sow it straight into the ground, or start it indoors first.
  • How deep to plant0.25 to 0.5 in
    Planting depth: 0.25 to 0.5 in below the soil surface. Drawing is not to scale.
  • How far apart15 to 18 inLeave 24 to 30 in between rows.
    Leave 15 to 18 in between plants and 24 to 30 in between rows. View from above; drawing is not to scale.

Step by step

  1. Plan a cool seasonGrow spring cabbage before hard summer heat or plant a fall crop that matures in cool weather.
  2. Sow shallowlyCover seed a quarter to half an inch and keep young roots moist.
  3. Leave head roomThin or transplant to 15 to 18 inches apart with wider paths between rows.
  4. Keep water steadyGive about an inch a week and avoid big dry-to-wet swings as heads fill.
  5. Protect the centerHandle seedlings gently because damage to the growing point can stop a head from forming.
  6. Cut before splittingHarvest when the head feels firm and before heavy rain cracks it.

Common mistakes

  • Crowding plantsCabbage needs room for a full head. Leave about 15 to 18 inches.
  • Damaging the growing pointCold, insects or rough handling at the center can stop the head from forming.
  • Leaving a mature head in heavy rainA full head can split after a sudden rush of water. Harvest firm heads promptly.

Water

Thirsty

Keep soil steadily moist for firm heads. About one inch a week is a useful start, with more checks in sandy soil.

  • Too dry
  • About right
  • Too wet
  • If it goes drySuffers quickly when dryHeads stay loose or fail to form, and outer leaves can brown or taste bitter.
  • If it stays wetDislikes sitting wetHeavy water after a head is mature can make it split.

Looking after it

  • FeedingAn occasional feed helpsFollow a soil test and, if needed, feed lightly once plants are about four inches tall.
  • ThinningThin seedlings to 16 in apartCrowded seedlings stay small. Pull the weaker ones and keep the strongest.
  • MulchMulch keeps the soil cool and moist and reduces weeds around shallow roots.

Harvest

You will know it is ready when: The head feels firm when gently pressed and has reached a useful size. Harvest before the outer leaves crack and the head splits.

Cut the head above the loose outer leaves with a clean knife. Handle it gently to avoid bruising.

  • Keeping itKeep sound heads cold and humid, such as in a suitable root cellar. Use split or damaged heads first, or preserve extra cabbage as sauerkraut or kimchi.

Is this right for you?

Cool spring or fall weather. Mature fall cabbage tolerates freezing weather, while summer heat can reduce head quality.

  • LightFull sun
  • ShadeCopes with a little shade
  • SeasonA cool season cropUsually grown in spring or fall.
  • FrostSurvives a hard freeze
  • HeatStruggles in heat

Soil

  • Soil pH6.0 to 7.0A cheap test kit from a garden centre will tell you yours.
  • Soil it likesLoam, Silt
  • DrainageLikes ground that holds moisture
  • RichnessWants rich ground

Use fertile soil that holds moisture but drains well. Add finished compost or well-rotted manure.

Use a soil test. Do not add fresh manure or weed-and-feed products.

The year at a glance

Measured from your first fall frost, because seasons differ from garden to garden. In frost-free climates, use trusted local seasonal guidance alongside these relative steps.

  1. Sow outdoors

    12 to 16 weeks before your first fall frost

  2. Start seeds indoors

    0 to 2 weeks after the start of your growing season

Questions people ask

Why did my cabbage not form a head?

Heat, dry soil, crowding or damage to the center of a young plant can stop head formation.

Can cabbage handle frost?

Mature fall cabbage tolerates freezing weather, but cover heads when nights may fall below about 25F.

Why did the head split?

A mature head can split after heavy rain or a large watering. Cut firm heads before that happens.

When is cabbage ready?

Harvest when the head is firm when gently pressed and is large enough for your kitchen.

Also filed under: Vegetables

Where this came from

Advice varies with your climate and variety. Check the sources behind each section.

Sources & review dates
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