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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09 Jan 17, Alan (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Cheap environmental way is mix Baking soda and flour 50/50 and sprinkle on. They die within 48 hrs. If it rains you need to repeat but the solution is cheap enough and won't poison you?
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02 Jan 17, Richard (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
The best way to protect from white butterfly caterpillar on brassicas is to cover with insect netting available form your hardware/garden store - I use a cloche system - very effective - no sprays no worries...
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26 Oct 16, Charles (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Have eight cabbages growing nicely, about two feet tall - but no heads are forming. Have been fertilized, get sun (when it comes - a very wet winter up here at 705m). Advice welcome!
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30 Sep 16, Riesl (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I'm in Limpopo valley close to Loskopdam. Can i plant drumhead from October to January.
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19 Sep 16, Max Kufer (Australia - temperate climate)
What type of cabbage do I need for making Sauerkraut and what time of the year is it available
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04 Oct 16, Michael (Australia - temperate climate)
I'm not sure if there is a preferred cabbage , but I just use the standard seedlings available from my local plant nursery. They work just fine.
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15 Sep 16, Lee Patterson (Australia - temperate climate)
I have planted five cabbage plants (my first ever) and they growing quite well. The outer leaves are spreading out. Do I have to tie them together or just leave them as is. Thank you.
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24 Sep 16, Bob Dobbs (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
No, do NOT tie the outer leaves together. Older leaves spreading out is their natural growth, and soon the 'drums' will form in the centre of the plant. We are now getting into warm weather which means your cabbages are likely to be attacked by the white Cabbage Butterfly OR grey Cabbage Moth or both. It is not the actual butterfly nor moth that do the damage but the caterpillars that emerge from the eggs that they lay - usually on the underside of the leaf. You will need to spray the plants or, better still, cover them with mosquito netting so that the butterfly/moth cannot sit on the leaves to lay their eggs. My cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli have already been attacked in Brisbane and I am spraying them. All the best. Bob
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23 Sep 16, Narelle (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi Lee, I had success with dwarf drum head cabbages recently (my first ever). I was very happy with the result. No need to tie leaves together, the outer leaves spread out and the centre formed by itself. I did need to spray with my home made garlic-chilli spray to keep grubs away. This worked a treat. Good luck with your cabbages.
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18 Sep 16, Jennifer Gelloway (Canada - Zone 3b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
I also grow cabbage but they are not growing well :( . i dont know what to do. But your article give so much information to me. Thanks.
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Showing 131 - 140 of 234 comments
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Are you direct sowing (into the garden), or are you sowing indoors in trays? I'll give you the germination temperatures. Germination temperatures vary from plant to plant (even among say tomatoes - the various varieties have different germination temperatures). These are OPTIMAL germination temperatures-- so higher or lower can work, but germination will not be as consistent or Good in non-optimal temps. The germination temperature must be sustained (over several days or more) -- this is the plant's indicator (sustained warm temperature), that spring/summer is here -- and it is time to wake up and get growing. If the germination temperatures are not met, the seeds will remain dormant (most of them), waiting for their ideal growing conditions to occur. Remember - varieties make a difference so I'm giving you GENERAL temperatures. PEPPERS: Soil temperature needs to be at least 75-85 degrees F (24-27 c) for good germination. Peppers won’t germinate in cold soil– with the higher end temps germination may be in 5 days, or may take up to 20 days in the lower temps. Don’t overwater seeds or they may rot. peppers don't like to be overly wet. Your max germination temp is 95F (35c) for peppers. TOMATO : optimum germination temps are : 65-85F (24-30c) days to germinate varies a lot by variety ... so maybe 1- 2 weeks ? Max temp is 95f (35c). Tomato seeds have been know to germinate at temp as low as 40f (4c) -- but expect germination to take a month or more and your germination rate (% of seeds that germinate) will probably be very low. GREENS: way to varied to give an answer -- example: KALE has an optimum germination temp of 65F (18c) and range of 45°F - 85°F (7-30c), while SWISS CHARD's optimum germination is 80°F (27c) with a range of 40°F - 95°F (4-32c). Days to germination vary based on variety and temp. I generally recommend starting peppers and tomatoes indoors -- and with greens it depends on the green -- kale and chard are both tough, and both have a very wide temp range for germination so outdoors is fine. You also have to consider insects... larger plants have a better chance (in general) of survival if you experience pest problems. OF course a lot depends on how long your growing season is-- in a really long and hot growing season, starting tomato seeds outdoors is no problem, in a shorter cooler growing season the optimum germination temps may never be met (sustained) so starting indoors is pretty much a given.

- Celeste Archer

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