Full sun

Consistent moisture

15"

Low head-forming cool-season leaf vegetable grown as an annual

Time the crop to cool weather — spring or fall — since heads grow poorly once daytime temperatures stay above 80 degrees F (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Keep plants consistently moist and mulch around them to protect the shallow roots and retain soil moisture.

Rotate where you plant cabbage each year to avoid soil-borne diseases like black rot and yellows.

Easily grown in organically rich, consistently moist, well-drained loams in full sun. Grow in the cool temperatures of spring or fall — cabbage needs cool temperatures to produce the best crop. For spring planting, sow seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost date or sow seed outdoors about 4 weeks prior to the last spring frost; seedlings/transplants may be planted outdoors 1-2 weeks prior to the last spring frost (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Set transplants (home-grown or from nurseries) about 12-18 inches apart in rows about 2 feet apart. For fall harvest, sow seed indoors about July 1 and plant the seedlings outdoors in mid-August, or sow seed directly in the garden in early to mid-July (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Keep plants consistently moist. Apply mulch around plants to protect the shallow roots, reduce weeds, and retain soil moisture. Plants generally grow poorly when daytime temperatures consistently exceed 80 degrees F (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Produces a dense 3-4 pound head in about 80 days during the first year of its biennial life; cabbages may be picked after the firm heads form. Rotate crops to avoid soil-borne diseases (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).

Grown from seed each season as an annual — sown indoors before the last spring frost or direct-sown, then transplanted. Although a true biennial that would flower and set seed in its second year, it is harvested as an annual before flowering (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).