Cabbage

Sun

Full sun, ideally at least 6 hours daily; light afternoon shade can help in warm climates.

Water

Keep evenly moist, supplying about 1-1.5 in (25-38 mm) of water weekly, including rain; adjust for heat and soil drainage.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil, ideally pH 6.5-7.5.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m)

Spread

1.5-3 ft (0.45-0.9 m)

Foliage

Broad, waxy outer leaves surround a dense head; leaves may be smooth or deeply crinkled, in green, blue-green or red-purple.

Growth

Fast; many varieties mature about 60-120 days after transplanting, though overwintering crops take longer.

Care needed

Medium

• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.5 ft (0.45 m)

   full size

Full size in one season.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Fast

• Space plants 12-24 in (30-60 cm) apart, following the variety's recommendations; large storage types need more room.
• Water at soil level and avoid cycles of drought followed by heavy watering, which encourage heads to split.
• Work compost into the bed before planting and apply a balanced vegetable fertiliser as directed; feed again during early leafy growth if needed.
• Mulch once the soil has warmed to conserve moisture and suppress weeds, keeping mulch clear of the stem.
• Cover plants with insect mesh from planting, sealing the edges and allowing room for growth.
• Rotate cabbage and other brassicas away from the same bed for at least three years.

Pruning. No routine pruning is needed; keep healthy outer leaves because they feed the developing head. Remove diseased leaves promptly, and harvest by cutting the firm head from its stalk with a clean knife.

Harvest the leafy heads when they feel firm and solid when gently squeezed, before they split; most varieties are ready about 2–4 months after transplanting, while overwintered crops take longer. Depending on variety and local climate, harvesting can run from spring through autumn, or into winter in milder areas. Cut the head off at its base with a sharp knife and remove damaged outer leaves.

Late winter

In suitable climates, sow early varieties indoors about 6-8 weeks before the intended outdoor planting date.

Spring

Harden off seedlings and transplant when soil is workable; protect young plants from severe freezes and cover against pests.

Late spring

Check beneath leaves for caterpillars and aphids; weed, mulch and maintain steady watering.

Summer

Harvest firm spring-sown heads before they split; sow autumn crops early enough to mature before severe winter weather.

Autumn

Harvest maincrop heads; in mild-winter regions, plant locally recommended varieties for winter or spring harvest.

Winter

Harvest standing winter varieties during unfrozen weather; remove diseased crop remains and plan next season's rotation.

• Plant in orderly rows or blocks in a kitchen garden for repeated rounded shapes.
• Use red-purple varieties among green lettuces and herbs for contrasting foliage in a potager.
• Edge raised vegetable beds with compact varieties, leaving enough room for their outer leaves.
• Grow a compact variety in a large container with drainage holes on a sunny patio.

Garden styles it suits: Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Homestead, Cottage garden, Formal and Family-friendly.

Plant it with: Onions, Leeks, Lettuce, Beetroot, Dill and Calendula.

Wildlife: Leaves feed cabbage white butterfly caterpillars and other insects. If allowed to flower in its second year, the yellow flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and hoverflies.

• Cabbage caterpillars chew holes and foul heads: use fine insect mesh from planting, inspect leaf undersides and hand-pick eggs and caterpillars.
• Cabbage aphids form grey, waxy colonies: inspect growing points, wash off small colonies and remove badly infested leaves; protect ladybirds and other predators.
• Clubroot causes swollen roots and wilting: improve drainage, test and correct acidic soil, use resistant varieties and avoid moving contaminated soil; ordinary short rotations will not eliminate it.
• Heads split after delayed harvest or sudden heavy watering: maintain even moisture and harvest promptly when heads become firm.

Cabbage is not known to be toxic to people, cats or dogs in normal food amounts; the leaves and heads are edible. Large servings may cause gas or digestive upset in pets. Do not feed large quantities to horses: brassicas can cause digestive problems and, with substantial intake, blood or thyroid disorders.

• Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis)

  Usually forms an elongated head with pale, prominent leaf ribs and softer, less waxy leaves.

• Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)

  Produces open leaves along a stem rather than a firm, closed head.

• Ornamental cabbage (Brassica oleracea)

  Selected for open, colourful rosettes with pink, purple or white centres rather than dense culinary heads.

The epithet capitata means 'headed', referring to the tightly packed leaves that form the cabbage head.

Propagation. Grow from seed, sown about 0.25-0.5 in (0.6-1.3 cm) deep in modules or a prepared seedbed. Transplant sturdy seedlings with several true leaves after hardening off. Saved seed may cross with other flowering Brassica oleracea crops, and hybrids do not reliably come true.

Accepted botanical name

Brassica oleracea Brassica oleracea var. capitata is an older name for Brassica oleracea.

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

France, Great Britain and Spain.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 7.5. Average height 50 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.