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  

(Best months for growing Cabbage in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • 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 5°C and 18°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 50 - 75 cm 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

05 Jul 22, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
If too much fertiliser especially nitrogen they will produce a lot of leaves, They don't need a big amount of potash. They need nitrogen to grow but too much and then all leaf.
11 Feb 22, Anonymous of Bundaberg (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Check the calendar planting guide in your climate zone, it tells you when you can plant them.
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?
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?
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 :)
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?
Showing 31 - 40 of 228 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. GardenGrow 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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