How to grow Cabbage
Updated October 2026
Cabbage is one of the hardiest and most dependable cool season vegetables, with green, red and crinkled savoy types for slaw, sauerkraut, kimchi and cooking. It grows best below about 80°F (27°C) and shrugs off frosts down to the mid 20s °F, so it is a fall to winter crop in the South and a spring and fall crop in the North. Steady water and well timed feeding give firm heads that do not split.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Cabbage
Not to be confused with: Napa cabbage and bok choy are Chinese cabbages, a different species with different growing needs.
Where to plant
Give cabbage full sun and fertile, well drained soil rich in organic matter. Utah State notes it grows best when temperatures stay below about 80°F and is not seriously damaged down to about 25°F (minus 4°C). Hot weather slows growth, lowers quality and can cause internal tipburn, where the inner leaf edges turn brown.
In Florida, the Gulf South, Texas, the desert and Southern California, plant from late summer through winter. In the Mid-South and Mid-Atlantic, plant in late winter to early spring and again in midsummer for fall. Across the North, the Midwest, the Mountain West and Alaska, set transplants out 2 to 3 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant early varieties again in midsummer so heads mature a week or two after the first fall frost.
Choosing a variety
Early types such as Golden Acre (about 65 days) and Copenhagen Market suit spring crops and short seasons. Red Acre and Ruby Ball (about 55 days) are compact red cabbages, Savoy Ace (about 80 days) has crinkled leaves, and Danish Ball Head (about 100 days) is a late cabbage that stores for months. In Florida, UF/IFAS lists Bravo, Bronco, Rio Verde, Flat Dutch, Round Dutch, Wakefield types, Copenhagen Market and Red Acre.
How to plant
- Start seed indoors 6 to 7 weeks before your planting date, a quarter to half an inch (6 to 12 mm) deep, or sow directly and thin at 3 to 4 true leaves.
- Plant out transplants with 4 to 6 leaves and a good root system.
- Space plants 12 to 18 inches (30 to 45 cm) apart in rows 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm) apart. UF/IFAS gives 9 to 16 inches in rows 24 inches apart in Florida.
- Cover young plants with fabric row cover against frost and against cabbage worms and flea beetles.
- For fall crops, choose an early variety and plant it 50 to 75 days before the date you want to harvest.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply and evenly, about 1 to 2 inches a week, ideally by drip. Swings in soil moisture while the heads are forming make them split open, so keep watering steady and mulch the bed.
Work compost and a complete fertilizer into the bed before planting. Side dress with nitrogen about four weeks after planting, then stop feeding once heads begin to form; extra nitrogen then gives loose heads that split.
Pruning and care through the year
- Mulch with straw or grass clippings once the weather warms above about 80°F to keep the soil cool.
- Weed while plants are small, without hoeing deeply near the roots.
- If a mature head looks ready to split before you can use it, pull up on the head to break some of the side roots, as Utah State suggests; it slows the flow of water into the head.
- In Florida, cold will not kill cabbage, but frost can damage the leaves; frost cloth protects them on cold nights.
- Rotate cabbage family crops to a new bed each year to reduce clubroot and black rot.
Harvesting
Harvest when the heads are full sized, firm and compact, before they crack. Cut the stem just below the head and leave 2 or 3 wrapper leaves on to protect it.
Cabbage stores for 2 to 6 months at about 32°F (0°C) with high humidity. Keep it away from apples and pears, whose ethylene makes it taste bitter.
Companion planting
Aromatic herbs and flowers around cabbage draw the predators and parasitic wasps that attack its pests.
Good companions
- Beet A low, quick crop for the space between heads.
- Onion Narrow and low, so it fits between rows.
- Dill Its flowers feed small wasps that parasitize caterpillars and aphids.
- Celery Likes the same rich, moist soil and cool season.
- Rosemary A sun loving herb for the bed edge.
- Sage Another aromatic herb for the edge of the bed.
- Thyme A low herb for the bed edge that flowers for bees.
- Chamomile Small flowers that draw hoverflies and other beneficial insects.
- Nasturtium Flowers for pollinators; it can draw aphids away.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to cabbage.
- Tomato A summer crop with different timing; traditional charts keep it apart.
- Strawberry Traditionally kept apart from cabbage family crops.
- Climbing beans Tall pole beans shade the cabbage and are traditionally grown elsewhere.
Pests and diseases
Caterpillars are the main pests. Row cover from planting day keeps most of them out.
Pests to watch for
- Cabbage worms Green caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly and cabbage loopers chewing holes in leaves and boring into heads.
- Aphids Gray green colonies under leaves, with crinkled, curled growth.
- Flea beetles Tiny holes in seedlings and young leaves.
Diseases to watch for
- Black rot Yellow, V or wedge shaped areas at the leaf edges with blackened veins and stunted plants.
- Clubroot Stunted plants that wilt on warm days, with swollen, distorted roots.
- Downy mildew Yellow patches on the upper leaf with gray fuzz underneath in cool, wet weather.
Common questions
Why is my cabbage splitting?
Usually a sudden surge of growth after a dry spell, or too much nitrogen once heads have formed. Keep watering even, stop feeding when heads start to form and harvest mature heads promptly.
When is cabbage ready to harvest?
When the head is full sized and feels firm and solid when squeezed. Cut it below the head, leaving a few wrapper leaves on.
Why are the inside leaves of my cabbage brown at the edges?
That is tipburn, a shortage of calcium in the young inner leaves caused by uneven growth, often in hot weather. Even watering, moderate feeding and mulch help prevent it.
When do I plant cabbage in Florida?
From late summer through winter, so the heads form in cool weather. Cold will not kill it, but frost cloth helps protect the leaves from frost damage.
How long does cabbage keep?
Two to six months at about 32°F with high humidity. Store it away from apples and pears, which make it taste bitter.
Can I grow cabbage in a container?
Full sized cabbage needs a lot of room and steady water, so it is best in the ground. Compact early varieties can be tried in a large pot.
Sources we checked: Utah State University Extension: How to Grow Cabbage in Your Garden; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Cabbage.
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