Germination temperature
Optimum soil temperature about 29°C (85°F); germinates from about 4.5°C (40°F) up to 35°C (95°F).
Vegetable growing guide
Cabbage is a cool-season crop that is easy to raise from seed in a nursery bed or tray and transplant at four to six weeks. Timing matters most: sow so that heads form in cool weather, and keep young plants growing without a check.
Optimum soil temperature about 29°C (85°F); germinates from about 4.5°C (40°F) up to 35°C (95°F).
1-2 cm (about 1/2-3/4 inch).
About 4-6 days at 20-25°C (68-77°F); about 15 days at 10°C (50°F).
Seed does not need light to germinate; seedlings and plants need full sun.
None needed. Sow dry seed.
Usually transplanted at 4-6 weeks old with 4-6 true leaves.
Cabbage seed germinates readily without treatment. Sow it thinly so seedlings do not stretch. Indian nursery practice is to treat seed with a biological such as Trichoderma viride (4 g per kg of seed) before sowing to reduce damping-off.
Not needed. The seed coat is thin and absorbs water quickly.
Not needed. Cabbage seed has no cold-dormancy requirement.
Not needed. Seed sown into moist soil at 20-25°C (68-77°F) emerges in under a week without soaking.
Harrington's soil-temperature data give a minimum of 4.5°C (40°F), an optimum range of 7-35°C (45-95°F) and an optimum near 29°C (85°F). Ohio State recommends about 24°C (75°F) for indoor starts. After emergence, grow seedlings cooler, around 16°C (60°F), to keep them stocky.
Sow 1-2 cm (1/2-3/4 inch) deep in lines 5-7 cm (2-3 inches) apart in a nursery bed, or one to two seeds per cell in trays.
Use a fine, well-drained seed mix or a raised nursery bed 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) high with well-rotted compost. Raised beds prevent waterlogging during the rains.
Keep the surface evenly moist but never waterlogged. In Indian nurseries the bed is covered with dry straw or grass until the seedlings appear, then the cover is removed.
Seed germinates in darkness under its soil cover. Give seedlings full light as soon as they emerge to prevent leggy growth.
Typical emergence is 3-6 days in warm conditions. Harrington's data: about 15 days at 10°C (50°F), 9 days at 15°C (59°F), 6 days at 20°C (68°F), 4 days at 25°C (77°F) and 3 days at 30°C (86°F).
Transplant seedlings at 4-6 weeks, when they have 4-6 true leaves. Do not hold them longer: older seedlings establish poorly and yield less. Harden them off, then set them about 40 cm (16 inches) apart in rows 75 cm (30 inches) apart.
Cabbage grows best at 15-20°C (59-68°F), ideally with a day-night difference of at least 5°C. Young plants still grow above 25°C (77°F), but heading slows. Water about 25 mm (1 inch) per week and keep the supply even.
In the Indian plains cabbage is grown through the cool rabi season: nurseries are sown from July to November, depending on the variety and district, so heads form in the cool months. In the hills, sow from April to August. In the tropics generally, the best heads come from elevations above about 800 m.
Cause: cabbage is a biennial that flowers after a long cold spell (vernalization). Ohio State reports that 2-10°C (35-50°F) for 10 days or more can cause premature flowering. PROSEA puts the requirement for most types at roughly 6-8 weeks below 10°C (50°F). Fix: do not set transplants out into a prolonged cold spell, and in cold-winter areas time spring planting after the long cold period.
Cause: diamondback moth larvae (small, green, wriggle and drop on a thread when touched) and cabbage butterfly caterpillars. Diamondback moth is the key cabbage pest in South and South-East Asia and resists many insecticides. Fix: check plants twice a week, use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sprays, protect natural enemies, and consider rows of Indian mustard as a trap crop between cabbage rows.
Cause: clubroot (Plasmodiophora brassicae), favoured by acid, wet soil. Its spores survive in soil for up to 20 years. Fix: rotate brassicas, lime acid soil (Ohio State suggests raising pH to about 7.2 where clubroot has appeared), improve drainage with raised beds, raise transplants in clean compost to a larger size (pots at least 9 cm) and grow clubroot-resistant varieties where the disease is present. There is no chemical cure for gardeners.
Cause: a surge of growth after heavy rain or irrigation late in the season, or late feeding. Fix: water evenly, avoid late fertilizer, harvest as soon as heads are firm, or cut part of the roots with a spade to slow growth.
Cause: damping-off in wet, crowded nursery beds. Fix: sow thinly in raised, well-drained beds, thin overcrowded seedlings, and use seed treatment as described above.
This range suits cabbage and reduces clubroot risk; below pH 6.0 clubroot is more likely.
Do not plant cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, mustard or radish in the same bed for several years.
Early, quick-heading types suit a short cool window; red cabbage and larger types need a longer cool season. In hot lowland conditions, aim for the coolest months available.
Cut heads when they are firm and full size. Cabbage stores for months at about 0°C (32°F) and high humidity.
Choose from our early, Indian and red cabbage varieties to grow your own cool-season heads.
Four to six weeks, at the 4-6 true leaf stage. Older, overgrown seedlings establish poorly and give lower yields.
In the plains, sow the nursery between July and November so the crop heads in the cool rabi months; early varieties go first. In hill areas, sow from April to August.
The plants were exposed to a long cold spell before or after transplanting, which triggers flowering in this biennial crop. Sources give from about 10 days at 2-10°C to 6-8 weeks below 10°C, depending on variety.
Yes, but transplants give a more even crop, are easier to protect from pests and flea beetles while small, and let you choose the strongest seedlings.