Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Cabbage is a head-forming cool-season brassica that can be direct-sown or transplanted depending on schedule. Even moisture and steady cool growth produce firm heads, while wide spacing in the 30–60 cm range yields larger heads and closer planting favors smaller sizes. Hardy plants fit the outdoor window from several weeks before the last frost through the frost date.
Plant family Brassicaceae · Also called head cabbage
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Choose transplant or direct by season length.
Start seed indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost at 0.6 cm depth, or sow outdoors from four weeks before the frost through the frost date. Germination is usually 5–10 days.
Hardy plants tolerate frost once established. Transplant timing shifts the harvest clock: the 60–100 day maturity range is counted from transplanting when starts are used.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Use this range as a planning baseline and adjust for local conditions.
Size spacing to the head you want.
Plant spacing of 30–60 cm allows choice by desired head size; rows near 75 cm support access for cultivation and harvest. Head-forming types need room for outer wrapper leaves to expand.
Use at least 30 cm container depth and about 20 litres of medium per plant. Splitting heads often follows irregular watering, so root volume in pots should not be skimped.
Core measurements
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Crop-level planning range.
Allow for the mature form of the selected variety.
Install support early when it is required or useful.
Avoid drought stress during head fill.
Full sun with six hours of direct light minimum supports dense head formation. Heat spikes during heading can cause loose internal structure even when plants look leafy.
High water need lists 35–50 mm weekly with pH 6.0–7.5. Keep moisture even from transplant through heading to reduce splitting when heads suddenly take up water.
Sunlight
Full sun (6+ direct-sun hours/day)
Soil pH
A suitable acidity range for general growth.
Weekly water
High water need.
Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged, especially during establishment and harvest development.
Watch splitting as heads mature.
When transplanted, expect 60–100 days from that event. Direct-sown plants follow the same calendar logic once you note whether your variety is early or late within the band.
Succession at 21-day intervals suits regions with long cool seasons. Cut heads when they feel solid and before severe pest damage accumulates on outer leaves.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Read with the full crop profile.
Choose spacing by desired head size and keep growth even to reduce splitting.
Cabbage growing questions
Does spacing change cabbage head size?
Yes. The key tip notes choosing spacing by desired head size within the 30–60 cm plant range.
Is cabbage harvest time measured from sowing or transplanting?
The dataset uses transplanting as the harvest basis when starts are used, with a 60–100 day range from that point.
Can cabbage split before harvest?
Uneven moisture after heads form is a common cause of splitting. High water need reflects steady soil moisture through heading.
What frost tolerance does cabbage have?
It is classified hardy, allowing outdoor planting in the window from four weeks before the last frost through the frost date.
Profile values are crop-level planning ranges compiled from sources S1,S2,S3,S4. Local climate and variety can change actual results.
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