How to Grow Cabbage — Any Climate
How to grow cabbage anywhere in the world, without a calendar: wait for a soil temperature, not a date. Cabbage is a cool-season crop. Start indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date; a second sowing timed to mature in cooling conditions often stores best. Give them full sun, space them 30-60 cm (12-24 in) apart, and allow 60-100 days to maturity. These thresholds hold in any climate and either hemisphere.
When to plant cabbage — the conditions to wait for
There is no universal date for cabbage, because the same calendar month means completely different things at different latitudes and in opposite hemispheres. What does not change is the set of conditions the plant responds to.
| Condition | What this crop needs |
|---|---|
| Temperature class | Cool-season |
| When conditions are right | Start indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date; a second sowing timed to mature in cooling conditions often stores best |
| Light | Full sun |
| Spacing | 30-60 cm (12-24 in) apart |
| Germination time | 5-10 days |
| Days to maturity | 60-100 days to maturity |
Observe, measure, decide
- Observe. Watch what your own garden does, not what a calendar says. When does standing water disappear in spring? Where does frost linger longest? Which corner warms first? A season of notes beats any regional average.
- Measure. Two instruments settle almost every timing question: a soil thermometer pushed 5-10cm (2-4in) into the bed at the same time each morning, and your own records of first and last frost. Soil temperature is the number that actually governs germination.
- Decide. Match the measurement to the crop's temperature class, then count backwards from your frost date using days-to-maturity. If the arithmetic does not fit your season, change the cultivar or the crop — not the date.
💡 The one instrument worth owning
A soil thermometer pushed 5-10 cm (2-4 in) into the bed, read at the same time each morning, answers more timing questions than any calendar. Soil temperature — not air temperature — governs whether seed germinates or rots.
Soil and site
Fertile soil, pH 7.0-7.2 — measurably suppresses clubroot spore germination.
Watering
Even watering — inconsistent moisture causes heads to split.
Spacing and layout
Space cabbage 30-60 cm (12-24 in) apart. Crowding is the most common cause of disappointing yields — plants compete for light and water, and poor airflow between them raises disease pressure sharply.
Companion planting
Rosemary, thyme, chamomile, mint.
Common problems
Rotate 4+ years where clubroot is present; its resting spores persist in soil for many years and liming manages rather than eliminates it.
Turn growing cabbage into a written plan. The Global Vegetable Garden Planner (printable PDF) has the soil-temperature reference, crop rotation planner, sowing log and harvest tracker — 73 pages, no calendar required.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I plant cabbage?
Wait for conditions rather than a date. Start indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost date; a second sowing timed to mature in cooling conditions often stores best. This works identically in either hemisphere.
What temperature do cabbage need?
They are a cool-season crop. Germination takes 5-10 days once conditions are right.
How far apart should cabbage be planted?
Space them 30-60 cm (12-24 in) apart.
What usually goes wrong with cabbage?
Rotate 4+ years where clubroot is present; its resting spores persist in soil for many years and liming manages rather than eliminates it.
Last updated 25 August 2026
Tools That Help With This Crop
Use these links when the guide moves from reading into sowing, planting, watering, and keeping the crop healthy.
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.