How to Grow Cabbage:
The Complete Guide from Seed to Harvest

Learning how to grow cabbage rewards you with one of the prettiest and most useful crops in the vegetable garden. A bed of firm heads, from pale green to deep purple, is a satisfying sight, and cabbage is endlessly useful in the kitchen, from fresh slaw and stir-fries to winter storage and homemade sauerkraut.

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Healthy young cabbage plant growing in a raised bed garden.

Cabbage takes a little more patience than quick leafy greens, about 60 to 100 days to mature depending on the variety, but it is easy for a first-time grower once you understand one thing: cabbage loves cool weather. It grows best in spring and fall, and it can take frost late in the season.

This guide covers choosing green, red, and savoy types, getting spring and fall timing right, preventing split heads, and harvesting and storing a crop that can keep for months. For more, see University of Minnesota Extension's Growing Cabbage in Home Gardens.

The Main Types of Cabbage

Cabbage plants growing alongside orange and yellow marigold flowers — Cabbage growing in the garden, companion planted with marigolds.

Green cabbage is the classic round head from the grocery store, with tight, smooth leaves and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. It includes many of the best storage varieties, so it's a natural first choice.
Red (purple) cabbage grows the same way, with bright red-purple leaves and a slightly peppery flavor. It adds beautiful color to salads, slaw, and pickles.
Savoy cabbage has crinkled, ruffled leaves and a looser head. It is more tender and mild, and many gardeners think it has the best flavor for fresh eating and light cooking, though it doesn't store as long.
Napa (Chinese) cabbage is a different species, with a tall, open head and tender, mild leaves. It grows faster than round cabbage and is a favorite for stir-fries and kimchi.

Type	Head	Flavor	Storage
Green	Smooth, tightly packed	Mild, slightly sweet	Excellent; several months
Red	Smooth, tightly packed	Slightly peppery	Very good
Savoy	Crinkled, looser head	Mild, sweet, tender	Shorter
Napa	Tall, open, tender	Mild and tender	Short; best fresh

Best Cabbage Varieties for Home Gardens

Choosing varieties is a big part of how to grow cabbage well. Varieties are grouped by how long they take to mature. Plant a mix of early, mid-season, and late types, and your harvest spreads out naturally over several weeks.

Round, dense head of green cabbage nearly ready for harvest — A beautifully formed head of cabbage growing in the garden.

Variety	Type	Days to harvest*	Why grow it
Golden Acre	Green	60 to 65	Reliable early variety; great for beginners
Early Jersey Wakefield	Green, pointed	60 to 65	Heirloom; compact; resists splitting
Stonehead	Green	65 to 70	Dense, uniform heads; disease resistant
Ruby Ball	Red	about 70	Popular red; good color
Savoy Ace	Savoy	about 80	Crinkled leaves; excellent flavor
Danish Ball Head	Green	about 100	Outstanding for winter storage
Premium Late Flat Dutch	Green	about 100	Huge flat heads, often 10 pounds or more; stores well

*Days from transplanting to harvest.

Look for resistance codes on the seed packet, such as "Y" for yellows or "F" for fusarium, if those diseases are a problem in your area. Varieties described as split-resistant are a good choice where rain comes and goes.

When to Plant Cabbage: Spring and Fall

Timing is the most important part of how to grow cabbage. It struggles and may bolt in long stretches of heat above about 80°F, but it handles cold well once established.

Purple cabbage head forming in the garden bed — Head of purple cabbage forming in the vegetable garden.

Spring crop: start seeds indoors about 6 weeks before you plan to set them out, and transplant them into the garden 2 to 3 weeks before your last frost. Young plants handle a light frost. Planting too late in spring is a common mistake, since heads that mature in summer heat are small and loose.
Fall crop: sow seeds in the garden in early to mid summer, so the heads mature in cool fall weather. Many gardeners find the fall crop easier and more reliable, and a light frost makes the heads sweeter.
A steady supply: set out a few transplants every 3 to 4 weeks, or plant early, mid-season, and late varieties at the same time.

Cabbage planting calendar by region (approximate)

Region	Start seeds indoors	Transplant outside	Fall crop: sow seeds
Northern US (zones 3 to 5)	Late February to March	Mid to late April	Early July
Mid-Atlantic and Midwest (zones 5 to 6)	February	March to early April	Mid to late July
Pacific Northwest (zones 7 to 8)	January to February	March	July to August
Southern US (zones 8 to 10)	December	January	August to September

Your own dates depend on your frost dates. Find them with our free Zone Finder, or get dates for your zip code from the personalized planting calendar.

Soil and Site

Good soil is the foundation of how to grow cabbage with big, firm heads. Cabbage is a hungry crop.

Gardener in gloves working the soil in a garden bed — Soil preparation is the foundation for growing cabbage.

Sun: full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours a day.
Soil: fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Cabbage doesn't like soggy ground, especially in wet winters.
Compost: work 2 to 3 inches of compost or well-rotted manure into the bed before planting. A soil test tells you if you need to add anything else.
Firm soil: cabbage likes firm ground rather than fluffy soil, which helps anchor the heavy heads.

How to Grow Cabbage: Planting and Spacing

Small cabbage seedling growing in the garden — Baby cabbage plant starting to grow in the garden.

Sow seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. Indoors, ordinary room temperature (60 to 70°F) is fine; no heat mat is needed. Seeds sprout in about a week.
Grow strong transplants. They are ready to go outside when they have 4 to 6 true leaves, usually at about 5 to 7 weeks old. Harden them off for a week first.
Plant a little deep. Set transplants slightly deeper than they grew in the pot, up to the first leaves, and firm the soil well around them.
Space them well: 12 to 18 inches apart, in rows 2 to 3 feet apart. Crowded cabbage makes small heads.
Protect young stems with a cardboard collar around each transplant to stop cutworms.

Cabbage spacing	At a glance
Seed depth	1/4 to 1/2 inch
Between plants	12 to 18 inches
Between rows	2 to 3 feet
Transplant size	4 to 6 true leaves, about 5 to 7 weeks old

Watering and Feeding Cabbage

Even watering is the most important job in how to grow cabbage. Uneven moisture is the main cause of split heads. Give cabbage 1 to 2 inches of water a week in deep, thorough soakings rather than frequent sprinkles.

Rows of different cabbage varieties growing side by side in the garden — Varieties of cabbage plants growing in the garden.

Mulch with 2 inches of straw or shredded leaves to hold moisture steady and keep weeds down.

Feed early, then stop. Side-dress with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer or compost about 4 weeks after transplanting, to build the leafy growth that makes the head. Once heads begin to form, stop feeding. Extra nitrogen at that stage makes leafy growth and more split heads.

Preventing Split Cabbage Heads

A head splits when the inner leaves take in water and grow faster than the outer leaves can stretch. It usually happens after a heavy rain or soaking that follows a dry spell, or when a mature head is left in the garden too long.

Purple cabbage plants growing in an in-ground garden bed — Purple cabbage plants growing in an in-ground vegetable garden.

Water evenly all season, and keep the soil mulched.
Harvest promptly once heads feel firm and full-size.
The old twist method: if rain is coming and you can't pick a ready head yet, grab it and give it a firm quarter turn. This breaks some of the roots and slows water uptake, buying you a few extra days.

How to Harvest Cabbage

A head is ready when it feels solid and firm when you press it with your palm, no matter what the calendar says. A head that still gives a little may keep firming up; one that feels soft or spongy is past its best.

Freshly harvested cabbage heads along with other brassica vegetables — Harvest of brassica vegetables, including cabbage.

Cut the head at its base with a sharp knife, leaving two or three loose outer leaves on it to protect it.
Get it out of the sun right away. Cut cabbage loses quality quickly in the heat.
Get a bonus crop: leave the stem and root in the ground after cutting the main head. The stem often sends up several small heads over the next few weeks. Pinch off all but about four, and let those grow into a second, smaller harvest.

Storing Cabbage

Cabbage is one of the best keepers in the garden, so knowing how to grow cabbage means fresh slaw well into winter.

Halved purple cabbage on a plate with celery and small onions — Purple cabbage in the kitchen, ready for a meal.

In the refrigerator: wrap dry heads loosely in plastic. They keep for a couple of weeks or more.
For long storage: cabbage keeps best at about 32°F with high humidity. A root cellar, cold basement, or spare refrigerator works. Late storage varieties can keep for several months this way.
Keep it away from apples and pears. The ethylene gas they give off can make cabbage taste bitter.
Preserve it: turn extra cabbage into sauerkraut or kimchi, or blanch and freeze it. See how to freeze vegetables.

Common Cabbage Problems

Row of cabbage plants bordered by colorful flowering plants — Row of cabbage plants next to a colorful border of flowers.

Clubroot is the most serious soil disease of cabbage and its relatives. Plants are stunted and wilt on hot days, and the roots are swollen and twisted. It can live in the soil for many years, and there is no cure. The best defense is crop rotation: keep cabbage-family crops out of the same bed for at least 3 to 4 years. Clubroot is less of a problem in soil that is close to neutral, so working lime into acidic soil before planting also helps.

Cabbage worms and loopers chew holes in the leaves. Cover young plants with floating row cover from the start to keep the moths and white butterflies from laying eggs. Hand-pick any caterpillars, or use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), an organic spray that only affects caterpillars.

Root maggots: a flat disc of tar paper or cardboard, fitted snugly around the stem at soil level, keeps the flies from laying eggs at the base of the plant.

Tipburn (brown edges on young inner leaves) comes from the plant not moving calcium to new leaves fast enough, usually during uneven growth. Steady watering helps.

Aphids can be knocked off with a strong spray of water. Planting dill, yarrow, or alyssum nearby draws ladybugs and lacewings that eat them.

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
Stunted, wilting plants; swollen roots	Clubroot	Rotate crops 3 to 4+ years; lime acidic soil; resistant varieties
Heads splitting open	Uneven watering; head left too long	Water evenly; mulch; harvest promptly; twist the head
Holes in leaves	Cabbage worms, loopers	Row cover; hand-pick; Bt
Brown edges on inner leaves	Tipburn	Water evenly
Small insects on leaves	Aphids	Spray with water; attract helpful insects
Small, loose heads	Summer heat; crowding	Time plantings for cool weather; space properly

Companion Planting for Cabbage

Cabbage plants growing in a mixed vegetable garden bed — Cabbage plants growing in a vegetable garden.

Fragrant herbs like dill, rosemary, sage, thyme, and hyssop may help confuse the cabbage moths and butterflies looking for a place to lay eggs.
Onions, garlic, and chives make good neighbors.
Flowers like marigolds, nasturtiums, and alyssum add color and draw helpful insects.

See our companion planting chart for more pairings.

Growing Cabbage in Containers

No garden bed? Here is how to grow cabbage in pots. Compact varieties grow well in containers.

Cabbage and other vegetables growing in a large container garden — Cabbage plants growing in a container vegetable garden.

Pot: at least 5 gallons and 12 inches across, with drainage holes, filled with potting mix and compost.
Variety: choose small-headed, compact types.
Sun and water: 6 or more hours of sun, and water daily in warm weather, since pots dry out fast.
Feeding: a diluted liquid fertilizer like fish emulsion every 10 days or so once true leaves appear, stopping once heads begin to form.

See our container vegetable gardening guide and raised bed vegetable garden guide for more.

Growing Chinese Cabbage

Napa Chinese cabbage growing in a garden row — Chinese cabbage growing in the garden.

Chinese cabbage is easy to grow if you get the timing right. Learning how to grow cabbage of the Chinese kinds is mostly about avoiding heat. If the plants mature in hot weather or long summer days, they bolt and go to seed instead of forming a head.

There are two main kinds:

Napa (heading) types, also called Wong Bok, Michihli, or celery cabbage, form a tall, football-shaped or romaine-like head with crisp white ribs. Michihli is tall and slender; Wong Bok is broad at the base.
Bok choy (pak choi), forms no head at all. It grows in a loose cluster of thick white or green stalks and dark green leaves, a little like Swiss chard. Baby types are ready in about 30 to 45 days.

Slow-bolting varieties like Minuet and Bilko (napa) and Joi Choi and Toy Choy (bok choy) are good choices for home gardens.

When to plant: sow in early spring for an early summer harvest, or, better yet, from mid-July to mid-August for a fall harvest. Fall is the easiest season, because the heads mature as the weather cools. Chinese cabbage grows fastest and sweetest between 60°F and 75°F.

Soil: rich, moist soil high in organic matter and close to neutral pH. Dig in at least 2 inches of compost before planting.
Sow directly if you can: Chinese cabbage, especially the heading types, often bolts after transplant shock. Drop a pinch of seed every 12 inches and thin to the strongest plant. If you start seeds indoors, allow about 4 weeks before spring transplanting and 3 weeks for fall, and disturb the roots as little as possible.
Spacing: 8 to 12 inches apart for full heads. For baby greens, sow as close as 2 inches and harvest the thinnings.
Water and feed: keep the soil evenly moist so the plants grow quickly. Side-dress every few weeks with a little balanced fertilizer or compost.
Pests: cabbage worms and flea beetles love Chinese cabbage. Cover young plants with floating row cover, and use Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) if caterpillars show up.
Harvest: cut napa heads when they feel firm. Pick bok choy whole, or take outer leaves as needed. Both can be eaten at any stage.

Fresh bok choy on a table — Fresh bok choy from the garden.

In the kitchen: Chinese cabbage is milder than round cabbage and doesn't have the strong cabbage smell when cooked. Use tender inner leaves raw in salads or slaw, slice the stalks into stir-fries like celery, and use napa cabbage for kimchi. If your garden is small, bok choy is an easy way to start learning how to grow cabbage, because it grows tall and slender and takes up very little space.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Grow Cabbage

Raised bed garden with cabbage plants and marigold flowers planted together — Raised bed garden with cabbage plants and companion marigolds.

How long does it take to grow cabbage?

Most varieties take 60 to 100 days from transplanting to harvest, depending on whether they are early, mid-season, or late types. Add about 5 to 7 weeks if you start your own seeds indoors.

Why did my cabbage heads split open?

Almost always from uneven watering, usually a dry spell followed by heavy rain or watering. Keep the soil evenly moist and harvest promptly once heads feel firm.

Can I get a second harvest from one cabbage plant?

Yes. Cut the main head and leave the stem and roots in the ground. The plant often sends up several small heads. Keep about four of them, and let them grow into a second harvest.

Why are my cabbage heads small or loose?

Usually the plants matured in hot weather, were crowded, or didn't get enough nitrogen while they were growing leaves. Time your plantings for cool weather, space them well, and feed early in the season.

Is cabbage easy for beginners?

Yes, as long as you pay attention to timing and watering. Start with an early, disease-resistant variety like Golden Acre or Stonehead, plant it for cool weather, and keep the soil evenly moist.

More Vegetable Growing Guides

Square foot garden bed with cabbage plants covered by protective chicken wire — Square foot garden with cabbage plants covered with chicken wire to keep out little garden thieves.

How to Grow Broccoli How to Grow Kale Growing Collard Greens Cold Hardy Vegetables Fall Vegetable Garden Guide Companion Planting Chart Organic Vegetable Garden Succession Planting Making Sauerkraut Free Garden Planner

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