When to plant Cabbage
Calendar windows
Dates shift with your latitude — they are calculated from your local last-spring-frost date, not from a fixed calendar.
At a glance
Overwinters outdoors in a temperate garden.
Practical notes
A heavy feeder that wants firm, limed soil — clubroot thrives below pH 6.5. Net from planting day: cabbage white butterflies find unprotected plants within days.
Knowing when to pick
Squeeze the head — cut when it is solid and heavy for its size. Leave a cross cut in the stump and small secondary heads will follow.
Storing the crop
Firm winter heads keep for months at 0–4°C with the outer leaves left on. Otherwise ferment it into sauerkraut.
Crop rotation
Rotate on a 4-year cycle: clubroot spores survive in soil for up to 20 years.
Grows well with
Keep apart from
Watch for
Full guide: cabbage diseases and pests (6) → with spread routes, compost verdicts and the prevention this list justifies.