Growing Cabbage

Brassica sp. : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S     S S S        
      T     T T T      
      P     P P P      

(Best months for growing Cabbage in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 41°F and 64°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 20 - 30 inches apart
  • Harvest in 11-15 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile, thyme)
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chili, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard, parsnip

Your comments and tips

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10 Feb 22, Theresa (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Live in zone 8A Midlands SC but right next to coastal , It's Feb 10, I'm confused about when to plant Cabbage, If Cabbage does well over winter why not now before it gets too hot? . I'm going to try. I put just 12 seeds in pots for transplants, AND going to try seeds in ground today or tomorrow. Any midlands of SC out there?
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25 Jun 22, Julie (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Also Midland's area (30 minutes north east of Columbia). Here it is late June and I just considered cabbage my garden. I guess I'm going to start some seeds inside late next month then more in late August before moving to the garden in late September. I'll call it an experiment. BTW, how did yours do?
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15 Dec 21, Gen (Australia - temperate climate)
Are there ideal growing situations for chinese cabbage? (Ie wombok... is it the same as savoy cabbage?) Thanks in advance :)
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19 Dec 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Chinese cabbage is a cool weather crop. Same as cabbage.
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07 Dec 21, Ben (USA - Zone 8b climate)
I live in the Midlands of South Carolina. I think it's agricultural zone 8. Looking for cabbage I can plant right now
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11 Dec 21, (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Too late to plant now - check the planting guide here.
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28 Dec 21, Elisabeth (USA - Zone 7b climate)
Well, not entirely true. I got some cabbage seedlings from a nursery that was tossing them. We put them in to the ground on December 3. Then we have them covered with a small hoop house. We also have some incandescent lights to add just enough heat when the temps dip down into the twenties.(F.) You can grow them and they are a challenge, but brassicas like cabbage, kale and broccoli are pretty frost hardy if you give them cover.
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24 Feb 21, Tami (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Can you plant cabbage with garlic?
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25 Feb 21, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Go to the cabbage page and read what cabbage is compatible with. The green tick symbol.
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01 Nov 20, Martin (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Growing cabbage for seed. What is the best way to hold plants so they don’t fall over
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Showing 31 - 40 of 226 comments
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Hello Rhonda. I have some suggestions: (i) patience (haha), (ii) think about the varieties of cabbages and caulies that might be suitable for your area (meaning choose quick growing varieties), (iii) plan your autumn planting and growing around your first frost and your spring planting around your last frost, (iv) buy a max/min thermometer for use in the poly tunnel, and (v) think about the effectiveness of a "double skin" poly tunnel. By suggestion (iii) above, I mean try to calculate how many weeks/months into autumn and winter you would like to keep growing your brassicas. Ditto for spring plantings. Hope that this helps. Kevin Tasmania

- Kevin Anderson

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