How Long Does It Take Cabbage To Grow? (A Complete Answer)

How Long Does It Take Cabbage To Grow? If you are planning to grow cabbage one of the first question you might ask is how long does it take to grow. At first glance this might seem to be a simple question however, there is a very wide variety of species that are classified by harvest time which significantly affect how long cabbages take to grow.

The time a Cabbage takes to grow varies from 70 days to 150 days depending upon the type of Cabbage. Cabbages are grouped as Spring, Summer or Winter. Spring Cabbages, also known as Late Varieties, are the slowest growing taking 135 to 150 days. Whereas, Summer Cabbages are fast-growing varieties that only take 70 to 100 days and Winter Cabbages are midseason varieties that typically take 100 to 135 days.

The broad variation in growing times is advantageous as it allows a gardener to produce cabbages year-round provided that the winter weather is not too extreme. Cabbage can withstand temperatures of 10°F (-12°C).

In addition to harvest times, cabbages are also divided up based on their physical appearance. There are four main groupings, Green, Red, Savoy, and Napa (Chinese). The harvest times within these groupings varies, which allows for most types of Cabbage to be available throughout the year.

Green and Red Cabbages would be the most familiar forms for most people as they are commonly found in the grocery store. Green Cabbage generally have a size and form that is reminiscent of iceberg lettuce with smooth leaves. Red cabbages are normally similar in shape and texture to the green cabbage only red,

Napa Cabbage, which is more commonly referred to as Chinese cabbage are also commonly sold in grocery stores. These varieties are generally paler in colour and have an oblong shape rather than a round one. They tend to be used in Asian dishes such as spring rolls.

Savoy Cabbages are normally the least common variety of cabbage and a sold mainly in farmers markets. Savoy cabbages have a similar shape, size and color to green cabbages, except that they have a crinkled texture similar to Tuscan kale. A picture of a Savoy cabbage is shown below. To read more about the different types of Cabbages click here.

How And When To Grow The Different Types Of Cabbage

When growing cabbages most gardeners tend to focus on the type of cabbage they want to grow (Green, Red, Savoy or Napa) and they rely upon the information on the seed packet to determine when to plant. The trouble with this is that often the guidance on many seed packets is not reliable as seed companies often underestimate to time to harvest. To read more about this click here.

This makes it extremely difficult to identify whether you are planting an early, mid or late season variety to make sure that you have cabbage year round. To make this alittle easier to identify the timing of sowing for Summer, Winter and Spring Cabbages is given below along with a list of varieties by cabbage type (Green, Red, Savoy and Napa) sorted based on days to harvest. This appears at the end of the article for reference.

Summer Cabbages: The group of varieties known as ‘Summer” Cabbages, because of the time year they are harvested, are early varieties, ie the shortest maturing time. These varieties are usually sown in the spring and harvested in the latter part of summer though they can also be planted in Summer for an Autumn harvest.

Winter Cabbages: Winter Cabbages, also known as Mid-Season varieties show a moderate rate of growth and are typically allow sown in Spring for an Autumn to Winter harvest.

Spring Cabbages: Spring Cabbages unlike the other two categories of cabbages is generally sown in mid-summer at the latest. Due to their slow rate of growth they will generally grow through the Autumn and Winter before being harvested in Spring. This group of cabbages are particularly important in terms of filling the ‘hungry’ gap which occurs in mid to late spring.

How to Plant Seeds

Cabbage is generally considered a cool-weather crop though it is often grown in summer as well. It is a hardy plant and will tolerate frost. As mentioned above the time of year to plant seedlings will depend upon the type being grown. 

Cabbage seeds can be sown directly into soil however, I generally recommend that you plant seeds into trays as it allows you to better control the growing conditions. For early and mid season varieties which are normally sown in spring it is best to start seeds indoors 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. 

Seeds should be planted at a depth of around 0.5 inch (1 cm) with two seeds per cell. If both seeds germinate the weakest seedling should be removed. The seedling will reach a size 3 to 4 inches tall after 4 to 6 weeks. After that period of time the seedlings will be large enough to plant out into the garden.

When planting them out into the garden seedlings should be spaced 15 inches apart at least. In terms of soil conditions Cabbages prefer a rich soil with plenty of organic matter, that is well drained and has a slightly acidic to neutral pH of 6.2 to 7.

The easiest way to achieve these conditions is to use the No-Dig method. To do this apply a thick layer, 2 to 4 inches thick, of compost on the surface of the bed. This layer will improve the soil over time and also act as a mulch minimizing the formation of weeds.

Once established Cabbages require regular watering to ensure that the soil does not dry out as this can lead the formation of stunted or cracked heads. Many traditional garden books recommended that Cabbages be fed with a High Nitrogen Fertilizer and a dilute solution of Fish Emulsion every two weeks. However, I have found that this is unnecessary, if the soil has been prepared adequately or the no-dig method has been applied.

How to Store Cabbage

Cabbages store best in winter however for those living in temperate climates, Winter and Spring Cabbages can be left in the ground to grow and be picked as required. 

If the cabbage needs to be brought inside they can be left in a cardboard boxes in a cool location. Cabbages are best stored at a temperature of 0° to 4°C (32° to 40°F), in a relatively high humidity environment. The use of the straw or newspaper to insulate the cabbages will help to maintain the higher humidity.

For Summer Cabbages, they can be stored in a refrigerator by wrapping the head in a damp paper towel in the vegetable crisper section. The Cabbage will keep for three to four weeks, however, it is not uncommon to notice a strong cabbage odour in the refrigerator over time.

Green Cabbage Varieties

Red Cabbage Varieties

Savoy Cabbage Varieties

Napa (Chinese) Cabbage Varieties

Paul Smart