How to grow cabbage
Family Brassicaceae. Hardy to USDA hardiness zone 3a+ (U.S. Department of Agriculture). Full sun. Ready in 70-100 days.
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
12-18 in
Days to harvest
70-100 days
Hardiness
Zone 3a+
What growers actually recorded
Loading zone 7b results…
When to plant cabbage
- Start indoors: ~6 weeks before last frost.
- Transplant out: ~-2 weeks after last frost.
Companion plants for cabbage
Plant with: Dill, Onion, Beet, Thyme.
Avoid near: Tomato, Strawberry, Pole bean.
Common pests & problems
Cabbage worm, cabbage looper, aphid, cabbage root maggot.
Feeding & fertilizer
N-P-K ratio: High N (10-5-5): heavy feeders
Organic options: Aged manure or compost worked in deep · Blood meal or feather meal side-dress at 3 wks · Fish emulsion every 2 wks
When to feed: Feed heavily every 2-3 weeks. Brassicas want steady nitrogen for tight heads.
Watch for: Pale/yellow leaves = needs N. Loose heads = feed harder next round.
N = nitrogen (leaves), P = phosphorus (roots and flowers), K = potassium (fruit and disease resistance). How to read a fertilizer label →
Grower's tip
Firm heads need steady water and steady nitrogen. Once a head feels solid, cut it: leaving it in summer heat splits it open overnight.
When to plant cabbage in your zone
Free month-by-month sowing and transplanting lists, built from frost dates for your USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) hardiness zone.
Soil & water for cabbage
Soil & pH
6.5-7.5: near neutral (raises club-root resistance)
Fertile loam with strong drainage. Firm soil beats fluffy for heading brassicas.
Compost 2 in + 1 cup of alfalfa or feather meal per 10 sq ft. Lime if pH is under 6.5. It also blocks club-root.
Watering
1-1.5 in / week, consistent
Ground-level drip. Uneven water during heading = split heads or bolting.
Lift an edge of the row and check soil at 3 inches. If it clings in a damp ball, hold off. If it crumbles, water until the top 6 inches are evenly moist.
Knowing when to harvest
- Head feels solid when squeezed, not springy or hollow-sounding.
- Outer leaves stay glossy green; a dulling, papery outer leaf signals it has sat too long.
- Harvest before heads split; a hard rain after maturity is the usual trigger.
Storing & keeping
Trim loose leaves, wrap in plastic, and hold at 32-40°F, 95% humidity. Sound heads keep 3-4 months in a root cellar or fridge crisper. Shred and ferment (sauerkraut, kimchi) for a shelf-stable route.
What to expect
Per plant: 1 head, 2-8 lb depending on variety
Per sq ft: 1 head per sq ft at tight spacing
Troubleshooting cabbage
Heads split open
Likely cause: Heavy rain or irrigation right after maturity
What to do: Harvest promptly at maturity; twisting the plant a quarter-turn to snap some roots slows water uptake if harvest must wait.
Small, swollen, distorted roots and wilting in heat
Likely cause: Club root fungus
What to do: Raise soil pH to 7.2+ with lime, rotate brassicas out of that bed for 4-7 years.
Ragged holes in leaves, green droppings
Likely cause: Cabbage worms or loopers
What to do: Row cover from transplant, or Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray weekly.
Varieties worth growing
Early Jersey Wakefield
Compact, pointed head, one of the fastest cabbages to mature.
Copenhagen Market
Reliable round head for small gardens, holds well without splitting.
Late Flat Dutch
Large storage cabbage bred for cellaring and kraut.
Growing cabbage in containers
5-gallon pot minimum, one plant per pot; heavy feeder so container plants need supplemental feeding every 2-3 weeks.
Nutrition
Sulforaphane, glucosinolates, vitamin K, calcium. Brassicas are the vegetable powerhouse.
Common questions
Why did my cabbage bolt without heading?
A cold snap below 45°F for a week or more after transplanting can vernalize young plants, causing them to flower instead of head. Delay transplanting until soil and air have warmed.
Can I harvest a second head after cutting the first?
Yes. Leave the stump and outer leaves in the ground; several smaller secondary heads often form within weeks.
Where these numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023 revision). Zone assignment and the 30-year normals behind every cold-hardiness figure.
- NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Frost dates, growing-season length, and the probability bands on both.
- Cornell, UMN, and UC Davis Cooperative Extension crop guides. Spacing, days to maturity, soil pH targets, and per-plant yield ranges.
- USDA FSIS / FDA Produce Safety guidance. Wash, cure, and cold-storage handling numbers.
Ranges are regional guidance, not a promise for your yard. Your own logged results always override the published range.