Cabbage Grow Guide & Cultivar Selection

How To Grow Cabbage From Seed To Harvest
Step-By-Step Garden Guide

Did you know that cabbage is one of the oldest cultivated vegetables in the world? This guide will teach you how to grow cabbage from seed to harvest. I also explain the differences between cabbage varieties so you select the best seed for your garden.

Watch the YouTube video version of this guide here:



Differences Between Cabbage Cultivars

It is important to understand the differences across cabbage cultivars so you pick the best seed to grow in your garden.

• Standard Green Cabbage - This is the typical green cabbage seen at the grocery store. Leaves are pretty stiff, making it a great choice for soups, pan frying, coleslaw recipes, and making sauerkraut. Cultivars: Brunswick, and Golden Acre.
• Savoy Cabbage - Is almost the same as a standard cabbage, except that the leaves have a crinkled appearance. Savoy cabbage doesn't contain as much of that "sulfur" smell or flavor like regular green cabbage, so it is said to be sweeter in flavor. It can be used in the same kind of recipes as standard cabbage but its not the best for coleslaw or sauerkraut because the leaves are softer so they don't hold up as well. But they are really delicious when making stuffed cabbage recipes or adding into soups and stir fries. Cultivars: Savoy Perfection, Purple Savoy, Chieftain Savoy, and Winter King Savoy.
• Shape - There are differences in shape. The standard cabbage is round, but some cultivars are more pointed or conical in shape called "oxheart" shaped cabbage. Cultivars: Early Jersey Wakefield, Kalibos, and Cour de Bue. There are also some cultivars that are flat like Jaroma.
• Color - The most common cabbage is a medium green color but called "red" like Mammoth Red Rock.There are also "white" cultivars like Promise F1 and Typhoon F1. The white cultivars are more "dry" so they make the best kind of sauerkraut and store for a long time. Some cultivars are a mix of green with purple tinged leaves like January King and Purple Savoy.
• Heat tolerance - If your in a warm climate, choose cultivars that have a higher heat resistance than most. If cabbage is exposed to too much heat, it triggers the plant to stop focusing energy on producing more leaves and layers onto the head forming in the center, and instead it will start bolting or going to the flowering stage. Cultivars: Mammoth Red Rock, All Seasons, Charleston Wakefield, and Brunswick.
• Storage Capability - Some cabbages like Storage #4 and Typhoon F1 were bred to last longer in storage. They have tight layers of leaves and/or are low in moisture which help them last for many months without refrigeration.
• Size - There are differences in weight or size of the harvestable head.A standard grocery store sized cabbage is 2-3lbs. There are some giant cultivars like Late Flat Dutch, Sapporo Giant, OS Cross, and Megaton F1 that produce heads over 25lbs.

Cabbage Days To Maturity

Cabbage cultivars are described as early, mid, and late season based on how many days it takes to be ready for harvest from transplanting. If your in a cold climate, it is advantageous to choose cultivars in each category to stagger out the harvest. If your in a warm winter climate, focus on planting early maturing cultivars since you don't have a lot of cold months in a row to grow them.

• Early season - 60-70 days: All Seasons (65 days), Golden Acre (65 days), Early Jersey Wakefield (63 days), Red Express (55 days), Purple Savoy (61 days), Cour de Bue (70 days)
• Mid season - 70-90 days: Ruby Perfection F1 (85 days), Charleston Wakefield (75 days), Copenhagen Market (75 days), Brunswick (70 days), Kalibos (85 days)
• Late season - anything over 90 days: Storage #4 F1 (95 days), Megaton F1 (90 days), Savoy Perfection (90 days), Mammoth Red Rock (90 days), Late Flat Dutch (100 days)

When To Sow Cabbage Seeds

• Cold Climates - If your area gets snow or the ground freezes - sow cabbage seeds indoors, 12 weeks before your last average spring frost date and then plant them outside.
• Hot Climates - If you don't get any snow and have mild winters (most likely Southern parts of the USA zones 8 and up), it is best to plant them in fall so they grow during the coolest parts of the year. The target date for transplanting cabbage into the garden is the first month in fall where the average maximum high temperature is at 85F or below. Back track 10-12 weeks prior to this month to know when to sow seeds indoors. Check out this website: www.plantmaps.com to find your monthly average high temperature.

How To Sow Cabbage Seeds

• Sow seeds indoors because it will either be too hot or too cold.
• Fill some 4 inch pots (find HERE) with sterile seed starting mix.
• Sow 3 seeds per 4 inch pot, and cover with 1/4 inch of soil. Water in.
• Once the seeds germinate they will require light. Setup supplemental light by using 5000K or higher shop lights or grow lights. I really like Mars Hydro 3x3 grow lights (find it HERE). Zip tie the lights to a mini greenhouse (find the greenhouse I like to use HERE), or shelving unit. Turn the lights on when you wake up in the morning and turn them off in the evening.
• Start fertilizing once the seedlings grow their first set of true leaves. Use a liquid fertilizer and mix at half strength of whatever the directions say. I really like Fox Farms Grow Big (find it HERE). Fertilize weekly to grow big and healthy transplants.
• In about 10-12 weeks, they should be ready to transplant.

Ideal Growing Conditions For Cabbage

Let's discuss locating the perfect spot to grow cabbage in your garden.

• Sun - Cabbage plants needs full sun. In Florida, it is best to plant them in a spot that gets a lot of direct morning sun with some afternoon shade.
• Soil - Cabbage plants are very nutrient hungry. Plant is soil rich with organic matter.
• Water - Cabbage plants need moderate amounts of water but not too much water that the roots stay wet. This will cause root rot.

How To Plant Cabbage

• Plant cabbages at least 2FT apart. If your growing one of the giant cultivars, give them even more space like 4FT apart.
• If growing cabbages in a grow bag - plant 1 cabbage plant for every 10 gallons of grow bag. I like these grow bags from Amazon HERE.
• Add fertilizer into the planting hole to give seedlings an extra boost. I really like Espoma Garden Tone (find it HERE).
• If your in nematode prone areas, add a handful of crab meal. Find crab meal HERE.
• Anything that is grown to eat its leaves benefits from adding some blood meal (high nitrogen) into the planting hole too. Find blood meal HERE.
• Mix these amendments into the soil a little but before inserting the cabbage seedling.
• Fill and pat down the soil. Water it in.

How To Fertilize Cabbage Plants

In a few weeks, you should notice new growth on your cabbage seedlings. Now it is time to start fertilizing. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of an organic granular fertilizer like Espoma Garden Tone (find it HERE) at the base of each plant every 7 to 10 days to keep the nutrient supply consistent. Follow the package directions if using a synthetic fertilizer.

How To Treat For Aphids & Worms On Cabbage Plants

The most common pest that I see on my cabbage plants are aphids. Spray with neem oil or organic insecticidal soap. The second most common pest I get with anything in the brassicas family is worms or caterpillars. If you notice chewed up leaves, and small orange, green, or black balls, its some sort of worm. If its a small infestation you can easily hand pick them off, but for larger infestations spray with BT. Find the BT spray I use HERE. 

Pruning & Watering Your Cabbage Plants
Remove any old, dead, dying, yellowing, diseased or pest infested leaves.Also, water at the base of the plants to avoid wetting the leaves. Pruning and watering at the base will help slow down the spread of the pathogens that cause disease. Spray with one cup hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water to clean and disinfect the leaves if they get some sort of disease.

How To Harvest Cabbage
Mark the maturity date of the cabbage cultivar you are growing so you know when it is getting close to harvest time. Allow the head to remain as long as possible to size up. But harvest if its getting too hot, like consistently at 85F or above, because this will cause the plants to bolt. Cut the head off the stem with scissors. I like to dip the stem in some water to help the head of cabbage last longer on my kitchen counter.