How to Grow Red Cabbages
On this page
Red cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra) — biennial grown as an annual.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Red Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra)
2 sources cited · Verified
At a Glance
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Soil texture | humus-rich, deep loamy soil (Plantura); fertile, free-draining (RHS) |
| Drainage | well-drained |
| Lifecycle | biennial grown as an annual |
| Edible parts | leaves, head |
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: consistent moisture, heavy feeder (Plantura)
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing | 0 | Sow 1cm deep indoors in modular trays or 2cm deep outdoors in a drill; timing depends on variety (late winter-mid spring for summer types, mid-spring to early summer for autumn/winter, July for spring cabbages) (RHS). |
| Transplanting | 3 | Move outdoors once seedlings are 10-15cm tall with a good root system; space 40-50cm apart for summer varieties, up to 70cm for autumn/winter varieties (RHS, Plantura). |
| Head formation | 4 | Heavy feeder in humus-rich, deep loamy soil at slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH; heads develop over the following months (Plantura). |
| Harvest | 8 | Ready 4-6 months after sowing; cut through the stem base once firm (RHS). |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: Ready 4-6 months after sowing; cut through the stem base once heads reach the desired firmness and size (RHS). Keep refrigerated at least a week; winter varieties store several months in cool, frost-free conditions.
Diseases
Pests
Red Cabbage, Seedling to Harvest
Plan your Red Cabbages planting
Timing for Red Cabbages follows soil temperature and frost, not the calendar date. The Global vegetable planting calendar explains the method. To work out where it fits in your beds, sketch your plot in the free Garden Layout Planner.
Growing Red Cabbage in another region
Sowing dates, frost timing and local advice differ by country. Use the guide for where you garden.
Sources
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A secondary gardening reference rather than a university or horticultural authority, used only for red-cabbage-specific detail (spacing by season, soil pH, the acid/alkaline colour-indicator property) not covered by the general RHS page, not contradicted by it. Sow depth 1cm. Timing by variety: summer types February-March (heated) or March-April, autumn/winter types spring, spring varieties July-August. Spacing: summer varieties 40-50cm apart with 50cm between rows; autumn/winter varieties need 70cm, needing extra space and a longer growing period. Thrives in humus-rich, deep loamy soil at a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline pH, full sun to partial shade; a heavy feeder needing nutrient-rich soil. Acts as a natural bioindicator: appears red in acidic soils, blue-hued in alkaline soils. Good companions: carrots, lettuce, onions, beans, tomatoes, thyme, sage; avoid other brassicas nearby. Allow 4+ years before replanting cruciferous vegetables to prevent club root. Can be container-grown, minimum 20cm diameter/depth pot, one plant per container.
These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plantura, Royal Horticultural Society) is in the references of our UK guide to red cabbages; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems affect red cabbages?
Our data links 1 disease and 3 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
This page gives you the thresholds; the planner turns them into your own calendar. It works from what you can observe and measure in your garden rather than from dates written for somebody else’s latitude.
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How this guide is put together
The growing data on this page — sowing windows, pests, diseases, soil and site requirements — comes from named horticultural sources, listed in References below, checked against international horticultural research and extension sources. An automated pipeline assembles that verified data into the page you're reading: it selects which facts to lead with and builds the surrounding prose and layout. It does not invent a date, a source or a number — where a verified value for a field isn't available, the page leaves it out rather than guessing. A person reviews and publishes each page; nothing goes live unverified.
Related Problem Guides
Last verified 2026-08-29
Related guides
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Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
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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.