How to grow cabbages

Easy to grow, nutritious and tasty, cabbages are veg plot favourites. There are many types, of various shapes, sizes and colours, for harvesting across the seasons. You can use them raw in salads and cooked in many ways, from hearty soups to traditional bubble-and-squeak.

Grow cabbages in a sunny spot with firm, rich soil, and allow plenty of space between them

• Spring cabbages – usually form small, dense, pointed heads. Sow in late summer for overwintering. Pick either as loose spring greens or leave to mature and form heads from mid-spring to mid-summer   

• Summer cabbages – available in many shapes and sizes. Sow from late winter to mid-spring and harvest in mid- to late summer. These have been bred to withstand summer heat 

• Autumn cabbages – often form large heads, so need wider spacing. Sow in mid-spring to early summer and harvest before winter. Some varieties can be stored for use in winter 

• Winter cabbages – provide fresh harvests when little else is available. They include crinkly Savoy types and smooth drumheads, as well as attractive red-tinged or purple varieties. They usually form large heads, so need plenty of space. Sow in late spring or early summer. Once mature, they often stand in good condition for months until needed. Alternatively, store in a cool, frost-free place 

Like most brassicas, cabbages are prone to caterpillar and pigeon damage, so it’s best to cover the crop with fine-mesh netting. They should also be grown in a different spot each year to reduce any build-up of soil-borne diseases. For more on protecting cabbages, see Problems below. 

Choose a sunny growing site with fertile, free-draining soil, where you haven’t grown cabbages or other brassicas in the previous couple of years. Avoid ground that gets waterlogged, especially during winter if growing an overwintering variety. If your soil is very acidic, apply lime the winter before sowing, to raise the pH above 6 and deter club root disease – you can carry out a simple pH test to check if this is necessary. Cabbages should be positioned alongside their fellow brassicas in crop rotations, to reduce the potential build-up of problems in the soil. ​

As cabbages like rich, fertile soil, add two buckets of garden compost per square metre/yard. This is best done the previous autumn, so you can leave it over winter to consolidate, as cabbages also like firm ground. If you add the compost just before sowing or planting, take care to firm the soil by shuffling across the surface on your heels. Remove any weeds then rake the surface level, creating a fine, crumbly texture ready for sowing/planting. Alternatively, if you're practicing no-dig, mulch the soil with organic matter ahead of sowing or planting directly into the mulch.

Cabbages are easy to grow from seed sown indoors or outside. Avoid sowing too many seeds at one time though – instead sow several small batches through spring and summer to spread out your harvests and avoid gluts.

Cabbages are ready to transplant outside once they’re at least 10cm (4in) tall

Choose and prepare your planting site as detailed above and water the plants well the day before moving. Carefully lift them or remove them from their modules or pots without disturbing the roots, then set them in their new planting hole more deeply, with their lowest leaves at the soil surface. Firm them in well and water generously.

The spacing between plants depends on the type and ultimate size of the cabbages, so check seed packets for details. But as a general rule, space compact varieties 30cm (1ft) apart and larger varieties up to 45cm (18in) apart. With spring cabbages, space them initially 10cm (4in) apart, then thin out in late February or March to 30cm (1ft), using the thinnings as spring greens. Protect young plants from slugs and snails and cover with insect-proof mesh or biodegradable fleece to avoid insect damage.

Cabbages generally grow slowly and steadily, as long as they’re protected from insect and bird damage and given consistent moisture. Remove any faded outer leaves regularly, to maintain good airflow around the plants, which helps to deter fungal diseases. 

Although cabbages are generally hardy and vigorous plants, they can be damaged by several brassica-loving creatures and are susceptible to various brassica diseases – for prevention tactics and more details, see Common problems, below.