iGrowVeg

Growing Cabbages

Cabbage growing in raised bed

This guide shows you how to sow cabbages in containers or in a raised vegetable bed. It guides you through the months to sow your Spring, Summer and Winter Cabbages.

What month do I sow Cabbages?:

• Summer Cabbages - Sow January to June in pots in the mini greenhouse or under cloche/fleece in raised beds. Harvest June to September,
• Autumn & Winter Cabbages including Savoy types – Sow June to August direct into your raised bed or in pots. Harvest October to February,
• Spring Cabbages - Sow July and August direct in your raised bed. Harvest April to May,
• All year round cabbages – Sow February to July for harvest June to November or Sow July to August for Harvest throughout Winter months.

Instructions:

1. Refer to your own seed packet or take these instructions as a guide only.
2. With your trowel or dibber, draw a row or line in the raised bed soil that is no more than 0.5cm or quarter inch deep.
3. Sow thinly so they have enough room to establish.
4. Then keep moist.
5. When the seedlings have two or more leaves thin them to 40cm apart and firm them in the ground with your fingers.
6. Water well until established.
7. If sowing summer cabbages between February and April, cover with a cloche or fleece to prevent frost.

How To Grow Cabbages from Seed – Video Slide-Show

Tips on Growing:
Think about covering the plot with a fine mesh netting to prevent root fly, aphids, caterpillars (cabbage white butterflies) and whitefly pests which could all destroy your crop.

Approx No of Weeks til Harvest:

• Summer Cabbages: 20 – 35 weeks,
• Autumn/Winter Cabbages: 28 – 32 weeks
• Spring Cabbages: 36 weeks.

How to Harvest:
Pull outer leaves off the stem of the plant or cut head off plant at the base of stem just underneath all the leaves or pull entire plant out of ground can cut stem and roots off plant.

Other How To Guides you may find interesting:

• Growing Kale.
• Growing Chard.