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

19 Dec 21, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Chinese cabbage is a cool weather crop. Same as cabbage.
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
11 Dec 21, (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Too late to plant now - check the planting guide here.
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.
24 Feb 21, Tami (USA - Zone 8a climate)
Can you plant cabbage with garlic?
25 Feb 21, Anonymous (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Go to the cabbage page and read what cabbage is compatible with. The green tick symbol.
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
02 Nov 20, (USA - Zone 10a climate)
Stake them.
26 Sep 20, Lesley (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
My red cabbages grow to a certain point then the top starts to split, why is that?, still tastes good and the inside is just like a bought one, am I watering too much, every day in Bundy or is it something else
06 Apr 21, Vincent (United Kingdom - cool/temperate climate)
I´m from a farm that grows a lot of cabbage and we observed this aswell in some parts of the arable. We explained it, that the cabbage defines its biggest state at an early point in its life. It seems to depend on how much water is avaiable in that state. So to prevent it from breaking you need to water it in the early stages more than in the later stages. If it has not enough water when it begins to grow it and to much later on it will break.
Showing 31 - 40 of 223 comments

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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