Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Crops Vol. 003

Cabbage

in Zone 9, this week

Cabbage grows one big, round, solid head of tightly wrapped leaves at the center of the plant. There are green, red, and crinkly savoy types, some quick (about 2 months) and some late storage kinds (about 4 months). It likes cool weather, so it is grown in spring and again in fall, not in summer heat. Cabbage handles frost well, and late storage types keep for months somewhere cold. The main thing to watch is splitting: keep the watering even and pick the head as soon as it is firm so it does not crack. Cabbage is a cool-season brassica grown for the large, solid head of tightly wrapped leaves that forms at the center of the plant. It comes in early, mid, and late types maturing from about 60 to 120 days, in green, red, and crinkled savoy forms, and is grown as a spring crop and again as a fall crop in most regions, timed to head up in cool weather since heat gives loose heads and bolting. It is very cold-hardy, with mature heads tolerating frost down to about 20°F, and dense late storage types are among the best-keeping garden vegetables, holding for months in cold, humid storage. The crop's signature challenge is splitting: a solid head bursts if it takes up water too fast near maturity or is left standing too long.

Cabbage mature plant
Fig. 01 · Cabbage, mature Zone 9
Mature in
60-120d
from transplant
Sunlight
Full sun
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Regular
1.5 inches / week
Spacing
12 to 24 in
between plants
Soil pH
6-7
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Germination

Off-season for cabbage in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 9, cabbage can be planted February through May, then again September, skipping the summer heat. Harvest runs April through December.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
plant
too cold
plant
plant
plant
plant
too hot
too hot
too hot
plant
too late
too late
too early
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
indoors
plant out
harvest
Seasoned
Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Plant cabbage in spring and again in late summer for fall, in small batches a couple of weeks apart, instead of all at one time. Planting a few different varieties that ripen at different times also spreads out the harvest. Skip the hottest part of summer, since cabbage will not form good heads in the heat.Cabbage crops in the cool shoulders of the year, so plant in small batches within the spring window and again in late summer for fall, rather than all at once. Mixing early, mid, and late varieties in one planting also spreads the harvest, since they mature at different times. The spring window is short because heads must size up before summer heat, so most gardens fit only a sowing or two before the midsummer gap; the fall planting, heading into cooling weather, is often the more reliable crop and the one to grow for storage.

Every 3 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 12 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
sow
harvest
keep sowing
too hot
continuous harvest
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

You can grow cabbage from transplants or sow the seeds right in the garden, especially for a fall crop. For spring, start seeds indoors about a month before planting out and set the plants out a few weeks before your last frost, since young cabbage handles cold well. For fall, start them in early to mid summer. Let homegrown seedlings get used to the outdoors over a week before planting.Cabbage is usually transplanted but can also be direct sown, especially for the fall crop. For spring, start seeds indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before set-out and transplant sturdy young plants out 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost, since cabbage transplants are cold-hardy. For fall, sow indoors or direct seed in early-to-mid summer and set out in mid-to-late summer to mature in cool fall weather. Set out stocky plants with 4 to 6 true leaves and harden them off over 7 to 10 days. Avoid setting out overly large or root-bound transplants into a cold spell, which can trigger bolting.

  1. 01
    Sow outside
    Feb, Sep
  2. 02
    First harvest
    From Apr 1
    60-120 days from sowing
Start method
Both
Soil temp
45-85°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination
01
Germination
Days 5-14 · current stage
In about 5 to 10 days, your seeds sprout and push up their first two little leaves (the seed leaves).Seeds sprout in about 5 to 10 days, pushing up two seed leaves (cotyledons). Cabbage is usually started indoors for transplanting, though the fall crop can be direct sown.
Keep the starting mix damp. Once the first real leaves appear, give the seedlings strong light so they do not get leggy.Keep the starting mix evenly moist and give bright light from emergence to avoid stretch; thin or pot up once the first true leaves appear.
FROM PLANT · Start seeds indoors about a month before you plan to plant them out, or sow them right in the garden for a fall crop.Start seeds indoors about 4 to 6 weeks before set-out for spring; the fall crop can be started indoors or direct sown in early-to-mid summer.
FROM PLANT · Plant the seeds about a quarter to half an inch deep, keep them damp, and give them strong light so they do not get leggy.Sow about 0.25 to 0.5 inch deep into a moist starting mix and give bright light from emergence to keep seedlings stocky.
02
Seedling
Days 14-35
The seedlings grow their real leaves and a stronger stem. They are ready to plant out at about 4 to 6 weeks old, with several true leaves.Young plants build true leaves and a sturdy stem; transplants are ready at about 4 to 6 true leaves, roughly 4 to 6 weeks from sowing. Set out stocky young plants rather than oversized, root-bound ones.
Harden the seedlings off over about a week before planting out. Watch for flea beetle holes on the young leaves and use a row cover.Harden off over 7 to 10 days before setting out at 12-to-24-inch spacing; protect seedlings from flea beetles with row cover and from cabbage root maggot with stem collars. Avoid exposing large transplants to a prolonged cold spell, which can trigger bolting.
FROM PLANT · Space plants about 12 to 24 inches apart. Closer together gives smaller heads, farther apart gives bigger ones. Harden the seedlings off over about a week before planting out.Transplant stocky young plants with 4 to 6 true leaves at 12 to 24 inches apart (closer spacing gives smaller heads, wider spacing larger ones); harden off over 7 to 10 days first.
FROM PLANT · Cover young plants with a row cover to stop flea beetles, and put a collar around the stem to keep root maggots out.Protect transplants from flea beetles with row cover and from cabbage root maggot with stem collars, especially in cool, wet spring soil.
03
Established
Days 35-70
The plant grows a rosette of big, spreading leaves before it starts to form a head. This is when it builds the frame that wraps into the head.The plant builds a broad rosette of frame leaves over several weeks before cupping into a head. Steady, vigorous growth now sets the eventual head size.
Feed with nitrogen and keep it evenly watered so it grows steadily. Check for caterpillars and aphids, and keep the row cover on if you can.Side-dress with nitrogen, keep moisture even, and scout for cabbageworms, loopers, cabbage aphids, and (in the South) harlequin bugs as the frame fills out. Even watering from here on is the key to a solid, split-free head.
FROM PLANT · Feed with nitrogen and water steadily while the plant grows its big leaves. Even watering is the secret to a firm, crack-free head.Side-dress nitrogen as the rosette builds and keep moisture even at about 1 to 1.5 inches per week; steady water now is what builds a solid head later.
FROM PLANT · Check the leaves for green caterpillars and the new growth for aphids, and deal with them early before the head forms.Scout for cabbageworms and loopers on the leaves and cabbage aphids on the growing tips; getting ahead of them now keeps them out of the head later.
04
Head forming
Days 60-130
The center leaves start to cup and fold inward, forming a tight ball in the middle of the plant. The head firms up as it fills.The central leaves cup and wrap into a head that firms and fills from the inside; this is the crop forming. Even moisture now builds a solid head and prevents the late splitting a sudden flush of water causes.
Keep the watering steady and even now, because big swings from dry to wet make the head crack. Watch for caterpillars and aphids getting into the head.Hold moisture even and taper heavy nitrogen as the head fills; tighten caterpillar and aphid control, since damage inside the head is the costly kind. Pick varieties and timing so heads mature in cool weather, not summer heat.
FROM PLANT · Keep the watering steady as the head forms, and do not suddenly soak a nearly ripe head, or it will crack.Hold moisture as even as you can as the head fills, and taper heavy nitrogen; a sudden flush of water into a firm head is what splits it.
FROM PLANT · Watch closely for caterpillars and aphids getting into the head and treat them, because that is the part you eat.Tighten caterpillar and aphid control as the head cups, since damage inside the head is the expensive kind, and use Bt or spinosad for caterpillars.
05
Harvest
Days 95-155
The head is full size, firm, and solid when you squeeze it. That is the signal to cut it, before it sits too long and splits.Heads are ready when full-sized, firm, and solid to a squeeze (about 60 to 120 days from transplanting depending on type). A mature head left in the ground will split, especially after rain, so harvest on time.
Cut the head off at the base with a sharp knife once it is firm. If you are not ready to pick, give the plant a quarter turn or tug to slow it down so it does not split.Cut firm heads at the base with a sharp knife, leaving a few wrapper leaves for protection. To hold mature heads in the garden, give the plant a quarter turn or pull it up slightly to shear some roots and slow water uptake. Late storage types can be cut with the stem and cellar-stored cold and humid for months.
FROM PLANT · Cut the head when it feels firm and solid. Don't leave a ripe head sitting, or it may crack, especially after rain.Cut heads when full-sized, firm, and solid; a mature head left too long splits, especially after rain, so harvest on time.
FROM PLANT · If you can't pick a ripe head yet, give the plant a quarter turn or a gentle tug to slow it down so it does not split. Late storage cabbage keeps for months somewhere cold and damp.To hold mature heads in the garden, give the plant a quarter turn or pull it up slightly to break some roots and slow water uptake; cellar late storage types cold and humid for months.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Cabbage grows best in rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost mixed in, and it likes steady, even moisture. Keep the water consistent: a big swing from dry to soaking wet near harvest makes the heads split. Soil that holds moisture but drains well is ideal.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
Regular
Spacing
12 to 24 inches
Soil
loam, sandy loam
Days to maturity
60-120 days from transplant
Soil pH
6 to 7
Container OK?
Yes · 5+ gal pot
Germination temp
45-85°F
In a pot

Yes, 5 gallons and up

Cabbage grows fine in a large pot. Use a container of at least 5 gallons, one plant per pot, and keep it well watered and fed. Compact early varieties like Golden Acre are the best fit. The main trick is steady watering so the head does not crack.Cabbage is a workable container crop, especially the compact early varieties. Use a pot of at least 5 gallons (10 is better) at least 10 inches deep, one plant per pot, in a rich, well-drained mix, and keep moisture and feeding steady, since a small soil volume runs out and uneven watering splits the head. Choose small, fast types (Golden Acre, Early Jersey Wakefield, Stonehead) over the big late storage kinds. Container-specific figures are modeled on general container-vegetable guidance plus the plant's size.

Pot size
5 gallons and up; 10 gallons is comfortable
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Empty the saucer after watering so roots never sit in water; cabbage resents waterlogged soil.
Watering
Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check daily in warm weather and keep the water steady, since uneven watering cracks the heads.Containers dry faster than beds; check moisture daily in heat and water before the mix dries, keeping it even to avoid splitting the head.
Depth and shape
At least 10 inches deep. Cabbage has a shallow, wide root system and a broad leaf spread, so choose a wide pot of at least 5 gallons and about 10 inches deep for one plant; a broad, stable container holds moisture more evenly than a narrow one, which matters for split-free heads.
Self-watering pot
Yes. A self-watering container suits cabbage well, since it smooths out the even moisture that keeps the head solid and uncracked.
Mix
A rich, well-drained commercial potting mix high in organic matter. Blend in compost and a slow-release balanced fertilizer; a single cabbage in a pot is a heavy feeder in a small soil volume.
Feeding
Container plants need more frequent feeding than in-ground ones because watering leaches nutrients.
Plants per pot
Illinois Extension: 1 plant in a 1 gallon pot.
One to try

Golden AcreA classic early green variety (about 65 days) with small, round, solid 3-to-4-pound heads; quick and dependable for spring. Good for small gardens and early eating, but does not hold or store as long as late types.

2 more compact types

Early Jersey WakefieldAn heirloom early variety (about 63 days) with pointed, compact heads, cold-hardy and a longtime garden standard; open-pollinated and seed-saveable.

StoneheadAn early-mid hybrid (about 70 days) with very firm, dense 3-to-4-pound heads that resist splitting and hold well in the garden; carries Fusarium yellows resistance. A reliable all-around pick.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for cabbage

Preferred
6 to 7
Tolerated
5.5 to 7.5

Cabbage grows best in soil that is slightly acidic to neutral, about 6.0 to 7.0. A simple soil test tells you where you stand. If you have had clubroot, a soil disease, keeping the soil closer to neutral (up toward 7.0 or a bit above) helps hold it back.Aim for a soil pH of about 6.0 to 7.0 (UMN and Iowa State both give 6 to 7; Clemson lists 5.8 to 6.5). Cabbage tolerates a wider 5.5 to 7.5 band. Clubroot, the major brassica soil disease, is far more likely in acidic soil below about 6.5, so where it is a concern lime acidic ground well ahead of planting and hold the pH toward neutral or slightly above.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water regularly so the soil stays evenly moist, roughly 1 to 1.5 inches a week. Try to keep it steady, not dry-then-soaked.Give about 1 to 1.5 inches weekly, kept as even as possible, and ease off slightly right at maturity to avoid splitting.
Amount
Aim for roughly 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week.About 1 to 1.5 inches per week (UMN: roughly 1 inch of rainfall a week is enough), more in hot, dry spells while heads are sizing up.
Method
Water at the base of the plant rather than over the leaves.Water at the soil line with drip or a soaker hose where possible to keep foliage dry and discourage leaf disease.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
Lower leaves yellow and the plant looks soggy and limp.Yellowing lower leaves and limp growth; cabbage dislikes waterlogged soil, which invites root maggots, clubroot, and crown rot in cold, wet ground.
Too little water
Wilting leaves and small heads, and cracked, split heads if a dry spell is followed by a big drink of water.Wilting and stalled growth, then small, loose heads; and worst of all, a heavy watering or rain after a dry spell near maturity bursts the heads.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
once or twice during the season
Type
Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
When to start
starter at transplanting, then side-dress about 3 to 4 weeks later as heads begin to form

Cabbage needs rich soil and regular feeding to grow a big, solid head. Mix a balanced fertilizer into the soil before planting, then feed with a nitrogen fertilizer once the plants take off and again as the heads start to form. Keep the watering even, because a lot of fertilizer plus a sudden soaking can crack the heads.Cabbage is a heavy feeder that needs steady nitrogen to build a large, solid head. Work a balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 into the bed before planting (Clemson: 5-10-10 at 3 pounds per 100 square feet), then side-dress with nitrogen once the plants are established and again as heads begin to cup, using about 34-0-0 or calcium nitrate. Keep nitrogen steady through heading, but pair it with even moisture: a late surge of growth from heavy feeding plus a sudden drink of water is what splits heads.

N · P · K = 10-10-10

Use a balanced fertilizer like 10-10-10 at planting, then a nitrogen feed once the plants take off and again as heads form.High N to build a large, solid head: a 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 starter worked in before planting, then a nitrogen side-dress such as 34-0-0 or calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0) as the plants establish and begin to head.

Try Blood meal, 34-0-0, calcium nitrate (15.5-0-0), or a balanced 10-10-10 vegetable fertilizer
Who grows well together

Companion planting

Cabbage does well next to aromatic herbs, onions, and quick crops you can tuck in while the plants are small. The most important rule is to keep it away from other cabbage-family plants, which share the same pests and diseases. Most cabbage companion pairings are traditional rather than trial-tested. The ones worth acting on are practical: aromatic herbs and alliums as scent-based deterrents for cabbage pests, small flowering plants such as sweet alyssum and dill to draw the parasitic wasps and hoverflies that attack cabbage aphids and caterpillars (a habitat tactic Clemson recommends for cole crops), and quick crops like lettuce that use the open ground while the cabbage fills in. The well-grounded caution is to separate cabbage from other brassicas, which share clubroot and the whole cabbage-family pest complex, a rotation and disease principle more than a tested adjacency effect.

Other
Sweet alyssum
Sweet alyssum makes lots of tiny flowers that bring in helpful insects which eat aphids and caterpillars, two major cabbage pests.Sweet alyssum is one of the better-supported cabbage companions. Its low mats of tiny flowers are a classic insectary plant, drawing the hoverflies, lacewings, and parasitic wasps that prey on cabbage aphids and the cabbage-family caterpillars, and Clemson specifically advises small flowers like alyssum near cole crops for biological control. Let it self-sow along the bed edge. Research-backed
Dill
Dill's flowers attract helpful insects that hunt the aphids and caterpillars that bother cabbage.Dill works for cabbage mainly through beneficial insects. Its umbel flowers draw the parasitoid wasps and hoverflies that attack cabbage aphids and cabbageworms, and Clemson lists dill among the flowers to plant near cole crops for natural control. Let some flower, and keep it off to the side so it does not shade the heads. Research-backed
Onions
Onions are a traditional neighbor for cabbage; their strong smell is said to help confuse and deter cabbage pests.Alliums are a traditional brassica companion, their pungent scent thought to mask the crop from the cabbage pests that hunt partly by smell. Shallow-rooted and undemanding, onions tuck around young cabbage without competing for much. Treat it as a low-risk, scent-based aid rather than a proven control. Traditional
Leafy green
Lettuce
A quick, shallow cool-season crop that uses the open ground and light between young cabbage plants and is harvested long before they fill in. Space-driven and traditional, not a documented growth effect; the two share no serious pest. Traditional
interplant along edges
Trap crop
Nasturtiums
Often planted as a trap crop for cabbage aphids near brassicas. Trap cropping is a documented principle but is not a tested cabbage-nasturtium pairing, so treat it as a plausible aid rather than a proven control. Well-grounded
interplant nearby
Keep apart from
Other brassicas Keep cabbage away from other cabbage-family plants like broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, and cauliflower. They share the same pests and diseases, so grouping them makes problems worse.Planting cabbage shoulder to shoulder with its brassica relatives, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, concentrates the family's shared pests (cabbage aphids, cabbageworms, loopers, harlequin bugs, root maggots) and shared diseases in one spot, and repeated same-family planting lets soil-borne clubroot and Fusarium yellows build up. Spread brassicas out and rotate where they grow each year. Well-grounded
Strawberries A traditional caution that brassicas and strawberries inhibit each other. There is no documented mechanism or T1 support; it persists as folklore. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Your cabbage is ready when the head is full-sized and firm and solid when you squeeze it. Cut it off at the base with a sharp knife. Pick it as soon as it is firm, because a ripe head left sitting will crack, especially after rain. If you are not ready, give the plant a quarter turn to slow it down.Cut the head when it is full-sized, firm, and solid to a squeeze, about 60 to 120 days from transplanting depending on the type. Slice it off at the base with a sharp knife, leaving a few wrapper leaves for protection. Harvest promptly, since a mature head left in the ground will split, especially after rain; to hold a ripe head, give the plant a quarter turn or a slight lift to shear roots and slow water uptake.

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Yield

What to expect

Each plant gives you one head, usually about 2 to 5 pounds. Smaller, closer-spaced plants make smaller heads; bigger spacing and late varieties make bigger ones.One head per plant, typically about 2 to 5 pounds depending on variety and spacing (early types and close spacing give smaller 2-to-3-pound heads; late and widely spaced plants give larger ones). Some varieties resprout small secondary heads after the main head is cut.

Each cabbage makes its head over a few weeks and is cut once when firm. The best heads form in the cool weather of spring and fall.Heads mature over a few weeks in cool spring or fall weather; the crop is a one-time cut per plant rather than a long picking season. In hot regions the spring crop must beat the summer heat and the main crop is the fall planting. Here are the two tricks: water evenly so the head grows solid and does not crack, and plant so the head forms in cool spring or fall weather, not summer heat. Cut the head as soon as it is firm, and if you can't, give the plant a quarter turn to slow it down so it does not split.The two keys to good cabbage are even watering and timing. Steady moisture builds a solid head and prevents the splitting that a sudden drink of water causes near maturity, and timing the crop to head up in cool spring or fall weather avoids the heat that gives loose heads, bolting, and yellows. New growers most often lose heads to splitting (let it sit too long or watered unevenly) or to summer heat.

What changes yield
Even moisture: steady watering builds a solid head, while a dry spell followed by heavy water splits a nearly mature head.Timing and temperature: heads form best in cool weather (about 60°F to 65°F); heat gives loose heads, bolting, and Fusarium yellows.Spacing: closer spacing gives smaller heads, wider spacing larger ones, so space to the head size you want.Variety and purpose: early types for quick small heads, mid-season hybrids for uniform yellows-resistant heads, late storage types for big heads that keep for months.Nitrogen and soil fertility: cabbage is a heavy feeder, but excess late nitrogen plus uneven water worsens splitting.
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

Pick the type that fits your season. Early kinds like Golden Acre and Stonehead grow quickly for spring; later, denser kinds like Danish Ballhead are made to store for months in fall and winter. If you have had trouble with cabbage yellows (a soil disease), choose a yellows-resistant variety. Savoy cabbages have pretty crinkled leaves and are very cold-hardy, and red cabbages add color.Match the variety to the season and the purpose. Early types (Golden Acre, Early Jersey Wakefield, Stonehead) finish fast for spring and small heads; mid-season hybrids (Bravo, Market Prize, Rio Verde) give uniform, often yellows-resistant heads; late storage types (Danish Ballhead and late flat Dutch types) are the ones to grow for fall and long winter keeping. Where Fusarium yellows is a problem, choose a yellows-resistant (YR) variety, the main control for that disease. Savoy types are tender and cold-hardy for cooking; red types add color and hold well. Days-to-maturity figures are approximate and run from transplanting.

Golden Acre
A classic early green variety (about 65 days) with small, round, solid 3-to-4-pound heads; quick and dependable for spring. Good for small gardens and early eating, but does not hold or store as long as late types.
Early Jersey Wakefield
An heirloom early variety (about 63 days) with pointed, compact heads, cold-hardy and a longtime garden standard; open-pollinated and seed-saveable.
Stonehead
An early-mid hybrid (about 70 days) with very firm, dense 3-to-4-pound heads that resist splitting and hold well in the garden; carries Fusarium yellows resistance. A reliable all-around pick.
Bravo / Market Prize / Rio Verde
Mid-season hybrids (about 75 to 85 days) recommended by Clemson for the Southeast; productive, uniform, and yellows-resistant, useful where Fusarium yellows or warm-season disease is a concern. Days approximate.
Ruby Ball / Red Acre (red types)
Red or purple cabbages (about 70 to 80 days) with firm, colorful heads that hold well and add color to the garden and plate. Ruby Ball is an AAS-winning hybrid; Red Acre is an open-pollinated standard.
Savoy Ace / Savoy Express (savoy types)
Crinkle-leaved savoy cabbages (about 80 days; Savoy Express is earlier and an AAS winner) with tender, mild leaves prized for cooking; very cold-hardy and good for fall. Days approximate.
Danish Ballhead (late storage)
A late storage variety (about 100 days) with dense, heavy, round heads bred to keep for months in cold storage; the type to grow for a fall crop you want to hold through winter. Late and slow, so give it a long cool season.
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
A firm cabbage head will keep a week or two at room temperature, but it lasts far longer in the cold. Late storage types are made to keep for months.A solid cabbage head keeps for a week or two in a cool room, but quality is best cold. Cabbage is one of the great storage vegetables: late, dense storage types keep for months near freezing, which is the real advantage of the crop.
Fridge
Store whole, unwashed heads in the fridge crisper, where a firm head keeps for several weeks. In a very cold, humid spot (right around freezing) late storage cabbage keeps for months. Keep it away from apples and other ripening fruit, which make it go off sooner.Refrigerate whole, unwashed heads with the wrapper leaves on; a solid head holds for several weeks to a couple of months in the crisper. For long storage, hold at 32°F to 34°F and 95% to 98% humidity, where dense late types keep 2 to 6 months (USU; Clemson up to 5 months). Keep cabbage away from ethylene-producing fruit, which yellows the leaves faster.
Freezer
You can freeze cabbage if you blanch it first. Cut it up, boil it briefly (1 to 3 minutes), cool it in ice water, drain, and freeze; use it cooked. Cabbage is also great for making sauerkraut or kimchi, which keep a long time.Cabbage freezes after blanching: cut into wedges or shred, blanch about 1.5 minutes (shreds) to 3 minutes (wedges), cool quickly in ice water, drain, and freeze. Blanching halts the enzymes that cause off-flavors; frozen cabbage is best used cooked. Fresh cabbage is also the basis of fermented sauerkraut and kimchi for long keeping.
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When something goes wrong

Common problems

01 of 04
What happened Your cabbage head cracked open. This almost always means the head took up water too fast near maturity, usually a heavy rain or watering after a dry spell, or it simply sat ripe in the garden too long. People often blame the variety, but watering and timing are the cause. Next time, keep the water as even as you can, harvest heads as soon as they are firm, and if you can't pick a ripe one, give the plant a quarter turn to slow it down.Heads split from a rapid late surge in water uptake, classically a heavy rain or irrigation after a dry interval, or from leaving a mature head in the field past firmness. Excess late nitrogen compounds it by pushing fast interior growth. Next time hold moisture even through heading, taper late nitrogen, harvest promptly at firmness, and root-prune (quarter turn or a slight lift) to hold mature heads. Next season Water evenly, pick heads as soon as they are firm, and give a ripe head a quarter turn if you can't harvest it yet.Keep moisture even, taper late nitrogen, harvest at firmness, and root-prune to hold ripe heads.
02 of 04
What happened Your cabbage shot up a flower stalk instead of making a head. This usually happens when transplants get chilled by a long cold spell after they are set out, or when the plant runs into heat. Big, older transplants are most at risk. Next time, set out younger, stocky plants after the worst cold, and time the crop so it heads in cool (not cold, not hot) weather.The plant bolted rather than heading. Cabbage vernalizes: a prolonged cold period (Clemson: about 10 or more days between 35°F and 50°F) on a plant past the juvenile stage triggers flowering, and heat stress also pushes bolting. Oversized transplants exposed to spring cold are the classic cause. Next time set out younger, stocky transplants after hard cold, avoid stalling seedlings, and time maturity for mild weather. Next season Set out younger plants after hard cold passes, and time the crop to head in mild weather.Set out younger transplants after hard cold, avoid checks to growth, and time heading for mild weather.
03 of 04
What happened When you cut the head you found caterpillars and droppings, or clusters of gray-green aphids, tucked down inside. These pests love cabbage and hide right in the head, which is the part you eat. People often miss them until it is too late. Next time, cover plants with a row cover, scout the leaves and growing tips weekly, and treat caterpillars with Bt before heads form.Cabbageworms, loopers, or diamondback larvae bored into the head, or cabbage aphids colonized its folds, contaminating the product and very hard to clean. The window to act is before heading. Next time exclude egg-laying adults with row cover from transplanting, scout leaves and tips weekly, apply Bt or spinosad for caterpillars, and dislodge aphid colonies early; taper nitrogen, since soft growth favors aphids. Next season Use a row cover, scout weekly, and treat caterpillars with Bt before the head forms.Exclude adults with row cover, scout weekly, treat caterpillars early with Bt, and knock aphids back before heading.
04 of 04
What happened Your plants stayed small and yellowish, wilted in the afternoon, and when you dug one up the roots were swollen into lumps. That is clubroot, a soil disease that infects cabbage-family roots and lasts for years in the soil. It builds up when brassicas are grown in the same spot repeatedly and in acidic soil. Next time, rotate so cabbage-family crops do not return to that bed for several years, keep the soil pH near neutral, and improve drainage.Plants were stunted and chlorotic, wilted by day, and showed galled, clubbed roots, the signature of clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae). The soilborne organism persists for years and builds under repeated brassica cropping and acidic, poorly drained soil. (A one-sided yellowing with browned stem vessels but normal roots instead points to Fusarium yellows, a warm-soil wilt; grow resistant varieties.) Next time rotate cole crops out for at least 3 years (up to 7 where clubroot is known), lime toward a neutral pH, and improve drainage. Next season Rotate brassicas out of that bed for several years, keep soil pH near neutral, and improve drainage.Use a long brassica rotation, raise pH toward neutral, improve drainage, and grow yellows-resistant varieties for the Fusarium look-alike.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Cabbageworms, loopers, and diamondback moths
P · 01
Symptoms You'll see ragged holes chewed in the leaves, green caterpillars on the plant, and dark droppings, and worst of all, caterpillars and their mess tunneled down inside the head where they are hard to wash out.Ragged holes chewed in the wrapper leaves with green caterpillars and dark frass; as heads form, larvae bore inside and foul them, the costly damage. Imported cabbageworms are velvety green; cabbage loopers move in a looping arch; diamondback larvae are small and wriggle when disturbed (Clemson rates the diamondback the most numerous cole-crop caterpillar in home gardens). Cause These are caterpillars that hatch from eggs laid by white butterflies and small moths. They love cabbage-family plants, chew the leaves, and bore into the head you want to eat.The larvae of the imported cabbageworm, cabbage looper, and diamondback moth feed on brassica foliage and penetrate the head; the adults are white or brownish butterflies and moths that lay eggs on the leaves. Cabbage is a primary host for all three. Organic treatment Spray Bt, which is low in toxicity to people, pets and bees and acts on caterpillars rather than on insects in general, or spinosad. Bt cannot tell a pest caterpillar from a butterfly one, so treat only the plants that have a problem. Pick caterpillars and eggs off by hand from under the leaves. Spray again after rain, since it washes off.Spray Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki) or spinosad, which target caterpillars and spare beneficials, and hand-pick larvae and eggs from leaf undersides. Repeat after rain, since Bt breaks down. Tighten control as heads cup, when damage to the head is the expensive kind. Prevention Cover plants with a light fabric row cover after planting to keep the butterflies and moths from laying eggs, clear away old cabbage-family plants, and watch for the first white butterflies as your signal to act.Use floating row cover or fine mesh from transplanting to exclude the egg-laying adults, clean up brassica debris that shelters pupae, and scout for the first white butterflies as a spray cue.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Clear out old cabbage-family plants when a crop finishes. The pupae, the resting stage between caterpillar and adult, shelter in that leftover debris, so hauling it away leaves fewer moths and butterflies to start the next round.Removing spent brassica material takes out the debris that shelters pupae between crops, lowering the local carryover of the imported cabbageworm, looper and diamondback complex.

  2. Floating row cover

    Put a row cover, a light fabric sheet that lets in light and water while keeping insects out, over the plants right after planting. The white butterflies and small moths cannot lay eggs on leaves they cannot reach, and no eggs means no caterpillars.Floating row cover or fine mesh from transplanting excludes the egg-laying adults of all three species at once. It is preventive, so it goes on ahead of the first white butterflies rather than in response to them.

  3. Handpicking

    Look under the leaves and pick off caterpillars and their eggs. On a few plants this goes a long way, and it matters most as the head starts to cup, since caterpillars that get down inside are hard to wash out.Hand removal of larvae and eggs from leaf undersides is practical at garden scale, and the three are separable in hand: velvety green imported cabbageworms, loopers that move in a looping arch, and small diamondback larvae that wriggle when disturbed. Weight the passes toward head formation, when larvae bore in and foul the head, which is the costly damage rather than the ragged wrapper leaves.

  4. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

    Spray Bt, short for Bacillus thuringiensis, a caterpillar-specific control that is low in toxicity to people, pets and bees. It acts on caterpillars as a group rather than telling a pest apart from a butterfly's young, so treat only the plants that have a problem. It washes off, so spray again after rain.Bt kurstaki targets the larvae and spares beneficials; the first white butterflies on the wing are the cue to begin. It breaks down, so reapply after rain, and tighten control as heads cup, when damage moves from the wrappers into the part you harvest. Confine applications to infested plantings, since it acts on caterpillars as a group.

  5. Spinosad

    If Bt and handpicking are not keeping up, spinosad is a stronger organic caterpillar spray. Save it for real pressure, spray toward dusk when bees are not out foraging, and follow the label.Spinosad is the escalation once the softer rungs have not held; like Bt it targets caterpillars while sparing beneficials, and timing applications to dusk limits exposure to foraging bees.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Cabbage aphids
P · 02
Symptoms You'll see clusters of small gray-green insects with a dusty, waxy coating on the new growth and tucked into the folds of the head, where they are very hard to wash out. Leaves may curl and there can be a sticky film.The gray-green, waxy-coated cabbage aphid forms dense colonies on growing tips and leaf undersides and then lodges in the folds of the developing head, where it contaminates the marketable product with insects and honeydew and is very hard to clean at harvest. Curling and distortion of young leaves is common. Cause Cabbage aphids are tiny insects that suck the plant's juices and breed fast. They love cabbage and hide down in the head, which is the part you eat.Brevicoryne brassicae, a brassica-specialist aphid, sucks sap and reproduces rapidly; contamination of the harvested head with aphids and sticky honeydew is usually the real problem rather than plant stunting. Pressure is heaviest on the long-season fall crop. Organic treatment Knock colonies off with a strong spray of water and hit the undersides of leaves with insecticidal soap or neem oil, repeating every few days. Welcome ladybugs and lacewings, which eat aphids.Dislodge colonies with a strong jet of water and spray insecticidal soap, neem, or horticultural oil with thorough coverage of leaf undersides; repeat every few days. Conserve natural enemies (the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae, hoverflies, ladybugs) that suppress this aphid. Prevention Check the growing tips and the developing head often and act early. Go easy on nitrogen once heads form, since soft growth draws them, and clear away old cabbage-family plants after harvest.Scout growing tips and the head weekly and catch infestations before aphids colonize the head. Avoid excess nitrogen once heads set, use row cover on young plants, and destroy crop debris that carries them over.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on nitrogen fertilizer once the heads start to form. Heavy feeding pushes out soft new growth, and that is what draws these aphids.Hold nitrogen back once heads set; the succulent growth it produces is what this brassica specialist colonizes, and pressure runs heaviest on the long-season fall crop.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Pull out old cabbage-family plants after harvest instead of letting them stand. The aphids carry over on that leftover material and move onto your next planting.Destroy brassica crop debris promptly, since it is what carries the aphid across the gap between plantings.

  3. Floating row cover

    Keep young plants under a row cover, a light fabric sheet, so winged aphids cannot land and start colonies while the plants are small. Check the growing tips and the developing head every week even so.Cover young plants to block the winged colonizers, and scout growing tips and the developing head weekly; the aim is catching a colony before it lodges in the folds of the head, where it contaminates the part you harvest with insects and honeydew and is very hard to clean.

  4. Water spray

    Knock the clusters off with a strong jet of water from the hose, aiming at the growing tips and the undersides of the leaves, and repeat every few days while you keep finding them.A forceful jet dislodges colonies physically and leaves the natural enemies untouched; repeat every few days and work the growing tips and leaf undersides, where colonies are densest.

  5. Beneficial predators

    Ladybugs and lacewings eat aphids, so give them room to work and avoid broad sprays that would kill them along with the pests.Conserve the natural enemies that suppress this aphid, among them the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae, hoverflies and lady beetles; a broad-spectrum material removes them and leaves a rapidly reproducing pest a clear field.

  6. Insecticidal soap

    Spray insecticidal soap straight onto the aphids, coating the undersides of the leaves, and repeat every few days. It acts where it makes contact, so soak the clusters rather than misting the whole plant.Soap is a contact material, so thorough coverage of the leaf undersides decides the outcome; repeat at intervals of a few days, and spray only where the aphids are, since it also kills soft-bodied beneficials it wets.

  7. Neem oil

    Neem oil is another option for coating the colonies. Hit the leaf undersides, repeat every few days, and skip spraying in high heat or when the plants are dry and stressed.Neem is the coverage-dependent alternative to soap on these colonies; it spares beneficials once dry, and applications belong off flowering plants and weeds where bees forage, and off the hottest part of the day.

  8. Horticultural oil

    Horticultural oil, a light spray oil, is a third contact option that kills the aphids it coats. Cover the same leaf undersides, repeat as needed, and keep it off plants that are hot and thirsty.Horticultural oil rounds out the contact options alongside soap and neem; whichever you pick, coverage of the undersides and the leaf folds decides the result more than the product does. Keep it off water-stressed plants and out of hot weather.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Cabbage root maggot
P · 03
Symptoms New transplants wilt and grow badly or fall over. If you pull one up, you'll find small white maggots eating the roots. It is worst in cool, wet soil.Transplants wilt, grow poorly, and may collapse; pulling a plant reveals small white maggots tunneling in the roots and lower stem. Damage is worst in cool, wet soil at spring establishment. Cause A small fly lays eggs at the base of the plant, and the maggots that hatch burrow down and eat the roots. The fly is most active in cool, damp weather, so spring transplants are most at risk.The larvae of the cabbage root fly (Delia radicum) tunnel into brassica roots; the adult lays eggs at the stem base, and the maggots feed below, sometimes killing young plants and opening the door to rots. Organic treatment Once the maggots are in the roots you can't save that plant, so pull and throw away the badly damaged ones. Put your effort into protecting the rest from new eggs.There is no effective rescue once maggots are in the roots; remove and destroy badly affected plants and protect the rest from further egg-laying. Prevention Put a small collar or disk around the base of each transplant to stop the fly from laying eggs there, or use a row cover. Avoid planting into cold, soggy soil, and rotate away from where cabbage-family plants grew.Place a collar or disk around the stem base at transplanting to block egg-laying, or use row cover; avoid planting into cold, wet soil and rotate away from where brassicas grew.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Plant cabbage where cabbage-family crops have not grown recently. The fly works the ground that carried its host plants before.Rotating away from previous brassica ground separates new transplants from the carryover population, and it is a decision made before the crop goes in.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Once maggots are in the roots there is no saving that plant, so pull the badly damaged ones and get them out of the garden. Your effort is better spent keeping the fly from laying more eggs on the rest.There is no rescue once larvae are feeding in the roots; rogue out the wilting and collapsing plants, which are also an opening for rots, and shift the effort to blocking further egg-laying on the survivors.

  3. Floating row cover

    A row cover, a light fabric sheet laid over the bed, keeps the fly from reaching the base of the plants to lay eggs in the first place. Lay it on a bed that did not grow cabbage-family crops last year. Over old brassica ground the flies come up underneath it and are held in with the plants.Exclusion through cool, wet spring establishment covers the period of heaviest fly activity and protects the stage root feeding can kill outright, the new transplant. Set it over ground that did not carry brassicas last season, or the cover can hold emerging flies in with the crop.

  4. Stem collars

    Set a small collar or disk flat on the soil around the base of each transplant. It blocks the fly from laying eggs against the stem, which is where the maggots start their trip down to the roots.A basal collar or disk fitted at transplanting denies the adult its egg-laying site at the stem base; it is the per-plant option where covering the whole bed is impractical.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Harlequin bug
P · 04
Symptoms Shield-shaped black-and-orange (or black-and-red) bugs on the leaves, which develop white or yellow spots, then brown and look tattered. It is mostly a warm-region problem and loves cabbage-family plants.Shield-shaped bugs up to about 3/8 inch, brightly black-and-yellow or black-and-red, feeding with piercing-sucking mouthparts that leave white stipples; affected leaves brown and look tattered, and heavy feeding wilts and deforms plants. A warm-region brassica specialist. Cause The harlequin bug is a colorful stink-bug relative that pierces the leaves and sucks the juices, leaving pale blotches. It strongly prefers cabbage-family plants, especially in the South.The harlequin bug (Murgantia histrionica) is a true bug that specializes on cole crops, most damaging in the southern United States, where it completes several generations a year and overwinters as an adult in debris and weeds. Organic treatment Search out and crush the bugs, their barrel-shaped eggs laid in rows, and the young ones by hand. Use a row cover to keep them off, pull badly infested plants, and clear away weeds and old plants where they hide over winter.Hand-pick and crush adults, nymphs, and the barrel-shaped egg rows; exclude with floating row cover; remove heavily infested plants. Insecticidal soap, pyrethrum, or neem help where pressure is severe. Prevention Clean up garden debris and cabbage-family weeds where the adults overwinter, use row cover, and consider a trap crop of mustard to lure them away from the main crop, then destroy it.Eliminate overwintering sites by removing crop debris and crucifer weeds, use row cover, and deploy an early trap crop of mustard to divert overwintering adults, then destroy it before the main crop is set out.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Garden sanitation

    Clear away garden debris, spent cabbage-family plants and cabbage-family weeds at season's end. The adults spend the winter in that cover, so taking it out cuts into next year's bugs. During the season, pull a plant that is overrun rather than trying to defend it.Adults overwinter in debris and crucifer weeds, so removing both is the main preventive lever against an insect that runs several generations a year in the southern United States. Roguing heavily infested plants belongs in the same pass.

  2. Trap cropping

    Put an early mustard patch in ahead of the main planting so the overwintered bugs settle there first, then destroy that patch before the crop goes out. Removing it is the step that counts, because bugs left sitting on it will move across to the crop.An early mustard stand draws overwintered adults away from the transplants, and this crop's guidance takes the action through to the removal, destroying the stand before the main crop is set out. Leave it standing and the patch holds a breeding population beside the bed; this method's cautions carry the deadline.

  3. Floating row cover

    A row cover, a light fabric sheet over the plants, keeps the bugs from reaching them. Put it on early, before you start seeing them.Row cover excludes colonizing adults and earns the most early, when overwintered adults move onto the first cabbage-family plants available to them.

  4. Handpicking

    Walk the plants and crush the bugs, their young, and the barrel-shaped eggs laid in neat rows. They are easy to spot, shield-shaped and marked black with orange or red.Hand destruction of adults, nymphs and the barrel-shaped egg rows is workable at garden scale on an insect this conspicuous: shield-shaped, up to about 3/8 inch, marked black with yellow or red.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    Where the bugs are severe, insecticidal soap sprayed straight onto them can help. It acts on what it wets, so aim at the insects rather than misting the plant.Soap helps where pressure is severe; it is strictly a contact material, so direct it onto the insects, and spray only where they are, since it also kills soft-bodied beneficials it wets.

  6. Neem oil

    Neem oil is the other spray listed for severe pressure. Coat the bugs directly, and avoid spraying in high heat or on dry, stressed plants.Neem is the alternative contact option under severe pressure; coverage decides the result, and it belongs off flowering plants and weeds where bees are foraging.

  7. Pyrethrin (botanical)

    Where the bugs get severe, a pyrethrin spray, the botanical one pressed from chrysanthemum flowers, knocks them down on contact. It breaks apart in sunlight within about a day, so expect to repeat it. Keep it off anything in flower: pyrethrin sits in UC IPM's strictest bee band, which allows no evening exception.Pyrethrin gives fast contact knockdown where pressure is severe, then degrades in sunlight within roughly a day, so residual control is short and repeat applications are likely. Being organically acceptable does not soften the bee precaution: UC IPM places it in the strictest band, so keep it off blooming plants and weeds entirely rather than timing it to dusk.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Flea beetles
P · 05
Symptoms Lots of tiny round holes in the leaves of young plants, made by small dark beetles that jump away like fleas when you get close. Bad damage can stunt seedlings.Tiny round shot-hole pits chewed in the leaves of young plants; the small dark beetles jump like fleas when disturbed. Heavy feeding stunts or kills seedlings and slows establishment. Cause Flea beetles are small jumping beetles that chew on young cabbage-family leaves. They hurt seedlings most, because a tiny plant can't grow fast enough to recover.Flea beetles chew the foliage of young brassicas and are most damaging at the seedling stage; a vigorous transplant generally outgrows them, but a stalled seedling can be set back badly. Organic treatment Cover young plants with a row cover, and if there are a lot of beetles, use a spray such as spinosad. The main goal is to get the seedlings big enough to handle the damage.Protect seedlings with row cover and spray spinosad if pressure is high; the goal is getting plants past the vulnerable seedling stage. Prevention Cover seedlings with row cover from the start, keep them strong with steady water and food so they grow past the damage, and pull nearby weeds in the cabbage family.Use row cover from transplanting, keep seedlings vigorous with even water and feeding so they grow through the damage, and clean up weedy brassica relatives nearby.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Pull cabbage-family weeds growing near the bed. They feed the same beetles, so clearing them means fewer waiting to move onto your seedlings.Weedy brassica relatives nearby sustain the beetles between crops; clearing them and keeping the bed edges clear removes a standing host bridge to a young planting.

  2. Floating row cover

    Cover young plants with a row cover, a light fabric sheet that lets in light and water but keeps insects out, from the start. Along with steady water and feeding, the point is to get the seedlings big enough to handle the tiny shot holes.Exclusion from transplanting is the core step, since the seedling stage is where this pest does its real harm. A vigorous transplant generally grows through the feeding, so even water and feeding sit alongside the cover; a stalled seedling can be set back badly.

  3. Spinosad

    If there are a lot of beetles despite the cover, a spinosad spray can knock them back while the seedlings get established. Spray toward dusk when bees are not foraging, and follow the label.Spinosad supplements exclusion where pressure is high; the objective stays the same, getting the stand past the vulnerable seedling stage, so use it as a bridge rather than a season-long program, and time it to dusk to spare bees.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Diseases
Clubroot
D · 01
Symptoms Plants wilt in the afternoon, stay small and yellowish, and don't bounce back. If you dig one up, the roots are swollen into lumpy, club-shaped knobs.Plants wilt in the heat of the day, grow stunted and yellowed, and recover poorly; roots are swollen into distorted clubs and galls instead of normal fine roots. Cause A germ that lives in the soil infects the roots of cabbage-family plants and makes them swell, which stops the plant from taking up water and food. It stays in the soil for years.A soilborne organism (Plasmodiophora brassicae) infects brassica roots and forms the galls, which block water and nutrient uptake. It persists in soil for many years, spreads in contaminated soil and water, and infects most readily in acidic soils below pH 6.5. Organic treatment There's no cure once a plant has it, so pull and destroy infected plants. Keeping the soil from being too acidic (closer to neutral) helps hold it back, and growing cabbage-family plants only rarely in that spot starves the germ out.There is no cure once plants are infected; remove and destroy them. Raising soil pH toward neutral with lime suppresses the disease, and long rotations starve it out over time. Prevention Don't grow cabbage or other cabbage-family plants in the same spot more than once every few years, longer if you've had clubroot. Keep the soil from being too acidic, improve drainage, and clean soil off your tools.Rotate brassicas out of affected ground on a long cycle (UMN advises up to 7 years where clubroot is known), keep soil pH up, improve drainage, and avoid moving infested soil on tools and boots.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Once clubroot turns up, keep cabbage and its cabbage-family relatives out of that bed for several years, longer if the disease has been bad. The organism lives on in the soil, and it slowly starves when there is nothing there for it to infect.The pathogen persists in soil for many years; where clubroot is known, UMN advises rotating brassicas out on a cycle of up to 7 years, which draws the soil population down over time.

  2. Raise soil pH (liming)

    Lime the bed to keep the soil from being too acidic, closer to neutral. The disease takes hold most easily in acidic soil, so this holds it back rather than curing it. Keep the liming to the affected bed, since most vegetables prefer soil a little on the acid side of neutral.Infection proceeds most readily in acidic soil below about pH 6.5, so liming toward neutral suppresses it. Pair it with the long rotation, since neither clears established ground on its own, and confine the treatment to the affected bed.

  3. Improve drainage

    Fix the spots where water sits in the bed. The disease moves in soil and water, so better drainage works against it.The pathogen spreads in contaminated soil and water, so correcting drainage on heavy or low-lying ground lowers the infection pressure reaching the roots.

  4. Garden sanitation

    There is no cure once a plant has it, so pull it up with its lumpy roots and get it out of the garden. Knock the soil off your tools afterward, since the disease rides on dirt carried out of an infested bed.Infected plants cannot be treated; remove them with the galls intact and destroy them, then clean soil off tools and boots, since infested soil moved around the garden is one of the ways it reaches clean ground.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Black rot
D · 02
Symptoms Yellow patches shaped like the letter V appear at the leaf edges, pointing inward, with black veins inside them. It can spread through the plant and rot the head.Yellow, V-shaped lesions spread inward from the leaf margins, with the veins inside the V turning black; the disease moves through the vascular system and can blacken and rot the head. Often the most serious cabbage disease in warm, wet weather. Cause A bacteria that often comes in on infected seeds or transplants. It gets into the leaves and travels through the plant's veins, spreading fastest in warm, wet weather.A seedborne bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris) that enters through leaf pores and wounds and moves through the veins; it spreads in warm, wet conditions and on infected seed or transplants. Organic treatment There's no real cure, so remove and destroy infected plants to keep it from spreading. Don't handle or brush against the plants while they're wet, because that spreads the bacteria.There is no effective cure; remove and destroy infected plants. Avoid working among plants when foliage is wet, since that moves the bacteria. Prevention Begin with clean, certified seed and healthy transplants, don't plant where cabbage-family crops grew recently, space plants for good airflow, and avoid overhead watering.Start with clean, certified seed and healthy transplants (a hot-water seed treatment helps), rotate 2 to 3 years away from brassicas, give plants room for airflow, and avoid overhead watering and handling wet foliage.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with clean, certified seed and healthy transplants. This disease often comes in on the seed or the young plants themselves, so a clean start is the main defense.The bacterium is seedborne, so certified seed and disease-free transplants close the main entry route; a hot-water seed treatment adds a margin where black rot has shown up before.

  2. Crop rotation

    Do not plant where cabbage-family crops grew recently. Give the ground a couple of years before brassicas come back to it.Rotate 2 to 3 years away from brassicas, so what survives locally between crops is gone before a susceptible planting returns to that ground.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants so air moves between them and the leaves dry quickly. Warm, wet weather is when this disease does the most damage.Open spacing shortens the warm, wet leaf conditions the bacterium spreads fastest in; in that weather it is often the most serious disease cabbage faces.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil instead of over the tops of the plants, so you are not splashing bacteria from leaf to leaf.Skip overhead irrigation; it wets foliage and splashes the bacterium between plants, and the pathogen enters through leaf pores and wounds.

  5. Staying out of wet foliage

    Stay out of the bed while the leaves are wet. Brushing past wet plants carries the bacteria from a sick one to a healthy one.Work the planting only when foliage is dry; handling wet plants moves the bacterium efficiently, and the rule holds after rain and dew, not only after watering. It lowers the rate of spread rather than stopping an infection already underway.

  6. Garden sanitation

    There is no real cure, so remove infected plants and get them out of the garden before the disease reaches their neighbors. The tell is a yellow V-shaped patch at the leaf edge with blackened veins inside it.With no effective cure, roguing symptomatic plants is the in-season control; the V-shaped marginal lesions with blackened veins make cases identifiable early, before the pathogen moves through the vascular system and rots the head.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Blackleg
D · 03
Symptoms Pale, sunken spots dotted with tiny black specks appear on the stem and leaves, and the base of the stem darkens and rots, so the plant may girdle and topple. It often arrives on infected seed.Pale, sunken lesions peppered with small black fruiting bodies (pycnidia) form on stems and leaves, and a dark, girdling canker at the stem base can rot the crown and lodge the plant; cankers may extend into the head. Cause A fungus that comes in on infected seed or plants and attacks the stem and leaves of cabbage-family crops. It spreads in wet weather and lingers in old plant debris.The fungus Phoma lingam (Leptosphaeria maculans) is chiefly seedborne and also survives in brassica debris; it spreads in cool, wet weather by splashing water and infects through wounds and pores. Organic treatment There's no cure, so pull and destroy infected plants. The real fix is prevention: clean seed, rotation, and clearing away old cabbage-family debris.There is no effective cure; remove and destroy infected plants. Management is preventive, since the pathogen is carried on seed and in residue. Prevention Start with clean, certified seed and healthy transplants, rotate away from cabbage-family crops for a few years, and clear away old brassica plants where the fungus survives.Use clean, certified, hot-water-treated seed and disease-free transplants, rotate 3 years away from brassicas, and bury or remove crop debris that carries the fungus over.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Buy certified seed and pick out healthy transplants. This fungus mostly arrives on infected seed, so what you plant with decides most of the outcome.The pathogen is chiefly seedborne, so hot-water-treated certified seed, plus transplants you know are clean, carries the program; management stays preventive here because there is no effective cure to fall back on.

  2. Crop rotation

    Keep cabbage-family crops out of the bed for a few years after an outbreak. The fungus lingers where those plants grew.Rotate 3 years away from brassicas; the fungus survives in brassica residue as well as on seed, so rotation covers the half that clean seed does not.

  3. Garden sanitation

    There is no cure, so pull and destroy infected plants, and clear away old cabbage-family plants where the fungus survives. Watch for pale sunken spots dotted with tiny black specks, and a darkened, rotting stem base.Rogue and destroy affected plants, and get the brassica debris that carries the fungus over out of the bed. The tells are pale, sunken lesions dotted with pycnidia, the fungus's tiny black fruiting bodies, and a dark girdling canker at the stem base that can rot the crown and lodge the plant.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Fusarium yellows
D · 04
Symptoms Whole plants turn a dull yellow-green, often more on one side, with leaves curling and dropping from the bottom up. Cut a stem and the water-carrying tissue inside is browned. It is worst in warm soil.A warm-season wilt: plants turn dull yellow-green (often one-sided), leaves curl, cup, and drop from the base up, and the vascular tissue in the stem browns. Stunting and death follow in susceptible varieties; symptoms resemble black rot but without the V-shaped marginal lesions. Cause A soil fungus that gets into the roots and plugs the plant's plumbing, so it yellows and wilts. It lives in the soil for years and is most active when the soil is warm, so it hits summer-grown cabbage hardest.The soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans invades the roots and vascular system; it persists in soil for years and is most active in warm soil (roughly 80°F and up), so it most damages spring cabbage maturing into summer heat. Organic treatment There's no cure once a plant is infected, so pull and destroy it. The reliable answer is to plant resistant (yellows-resistant) varieties.There is no cure for infected plants; remove and destroy them. Resistant varieties are the practical control, since the fungus is long-lived in soil. Prevention Plant yellows-resistant varieties, which are widely available and the main control. Rotate away from cabbage-family crops, and avoid planting cabbage to mature in the hottest soil.Grow yellows-resistant (YR) varieties, which provide durable, effective resistance and are the standard control; rotate away from brassicas and avoid timing the crop to mature in the hottest soil.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Resistant varieties

    Plant a yellows-resistant variety. They are widely available, and since there is no cure once a plant is infected, this is the main control for this disease.Yellows-resistant (YR) cultivars are the standard control, and the resistance they carry holds up well over time. That is what makes them the practical answer: the fungus persists in soil for years, and an infected plant cannot be treated.

  2. Crop rotation

    Rotate away from cabbage-family crops. It also helps to avoid setting the crop up to mature in the hottest soil, since that is when this fungus is most active.Rotate away from brassicas, and where the schedule allows, avoid timing the crop to mature in the hottest soil; the fungus is most active in warm soil, roughly 80°F and up, which is why spring cabbage running into summer heat is hit hardest.

  3. Garden sanitation

    There is no cure for an infected plant, so pull it and get it out of the garden. Cut a stem and you will see browned tissue inside, which is how it is told apart from black rot, whose mark is the yellow V-shaped patch at the leaf edge.Remove and destroy infected plants. The browned vascular tissue and the dull yellow-green cast, often heavier on one side, separate it from black rot, which produces V-shaped marginal lesions this disease does not.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Downy mildew
D · 05
Symptoms Pale yellow blotches on top of the leaves, with fuzzy grayish growth on the underside, mostly in cool, damp weather. Bad cases discolor the leaves and can spot the head.Pale yellow patches form on the upper leaf surface with a fuzzy gray-white growth underneath, mainly in cool, damp weather; severe infection discolors the wrapper leaves and can blemish the head. Cabbage's cool, humid season overlaps the weather it likes. Cause A mold-like disease that loves cool, wet, humid weather and spreads through the air and water. Wet leaves and crowded plants make it worse.A fungus-like organism (Hyaloperonospora parasitica) that thrives in cool, wet, humid conditions and spreads by spores in water and air; long leaf wetness and crowded plantings favor it. Organic treatment Open up the airflow so leaves can dry, remove the worst leaves, and use a copper spray if it's spreading. It's hard to stop once the weather stays damp.Improve airflow and let foliage dry, remove badly affected leaves, and apply a copper-based fungicide if pressure is high; the disease is hard to stop once humidity stays high. Prevention Space plants so air moves between them, water at the soil instead of from above, and pick resistant varieties if downy mildew is common where you live.Space plants for good air movement, water at the soil line rather than overhead, and choose resistant varieties where downy mildew is common.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants so air moves between them and dries the leaves. This disease needs cool, damp leaves, and that is the weather cabbage grows in.Spacing for airflow shortens the leaf wetness infection depends on; cabbage's cool, humid season overlaps the conditions the pathogen prefers, so the layout has to do the drying.

  2. Water at the base

    Water at the soil instead of over the leaves. Wet foliage and splashing water are how it gets around.Basal irrigation removes the overhead wetting and splash that carry spores and lengthen the wet periods the pathogen needs.

  3. Resistant varieties

    If downy mildew is common where you live, pick a resistant variety at seed-buying time.Where downy mildew recurs regionally, a resistant cultivar is the seed-time decision that lowers the pressure the in-season steps have to carry.

  4. Garden sanitation

    Take off the worst-affected leaves, the ones with pale yellow blotches on top and fuzzy grayish growth underneath, so there is less disease to spread.Removing badly affected foliage lowers the spore load, but the disease is hard to stop once the humidity stays high, so treat removal as a supplement to the preventive steps rather than a replacement for them.

  5. Copper fungicide

    If it keeps spreading despite all that, a copper spray can help. It does the most applied early rather than once the disease is everywhere, and keep the spray out of ponds and drains, since copper is very harmful to fish and other water life.Copper is the escalation when the cultural steps are not holding under high pressure. It is preventive in action, so it belongs at the first sign rather than partway into an established outbreak, and repeat use accumulates in surface soil; keep spray and runoff away from water, copper being highly toxic to aquatic life.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

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Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Don't plant cabbage or other cabbage-family crops in the same spot year after year. Waiting at least 3 years between them, and longer if you have had clubroot, helps avoid soil diseases.Rotate so cabbage and its brassica relatives do not return to the same ground for at least 3 years, and longer where clubroot is present (UMN advises a 7-year break where clubroot is known). Repeated same-family cropping builds soil-borne clubroot and Fusarium yellows, and holding soil pH near neutral also helps suppress clubroot.

Family
Brassica family (Brassicaceae), the cole crops
Years between
3 years
in the same bed
Avoid following
Other cabbage-family crops like broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and turnips.Other brassicas (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, kohlrabi, turnip, radish, mustard), which share clubroot and the cabbage-family pests.
Plant after
Legumes such as beans and peas, or unrelated crops like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, or onions.
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In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your cabbage season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Water steadily now so heads don't crack Keep watering even as heads form
Your cabbage is starting to form a head. Keep the watering steady, not dry-then-soaked, so the head does not crack, and watch for caterpillars and aphids getting inside. Your cabbage is cupping into a head. Keep moisture as even as possible from here on and taper heavy nitrogen: a sudden flush of water into a firming head is exactly what splits it. Tighten caterpillar and aphid control, since damage inside the head is the costly kind.
p
plant
Your cabbage looks ready to cut Time to harvest firm heads
Your cabbage head should be firm and solid. Cut it off at the base with a sharp knife. Don't leave a ripe head sitting too long, or it may crack. The head should be full-sized, firm, and solid to a squeeze. Cut it at the base with a sharp knife, leaving a few wrapper leaves. A mature head left in the ground will split, especially after rain, so harvest on time.
p
plant
Not ready to pick? Slow the head down Hold a ripe head to prevent splitting
If your cabbage is ripe but you are not ready to use it, give the plant a quarter turn or a gentle tug to break some roots. That slows it down so the head does not split. If a head is mature but you are not ready to use it, give the plant a quarter turn or pull it up slightly to shear some roots and slow water uptake. This buys you a week or two before splitting; storage types can be cut and cellar-stored cold and humid for months.
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How we built this guide

Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
June 29, 2026
Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
16 publications
Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
See all sources cited on this page
  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
  • NC State Extension ncsu_ext
  • Penn State Extension psu_ext
  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Cabbage · plant.lifestyle