Early Jersey Wakefield - Cabbage Seeds

Start seeds indoors about 5–7 weeks before transplanting. Set hardened spring plants outdoors roughly 2–4 weeks before the expected last frost.

Cabbage grows best in cool weather, generally around 60–65°F. For a fall harvest, count backward from the variety’s days to maturity and allow additional time for slower growth as days shorten. 

Sow seeds about ¼–½ inch deep in moist seed-starting mix. Provide bright light and cool, steady conditions after emergence to produce compact, sturdy seedlings.

Harden plants gradually before transplanting. Space compact varieties about 12–15 inches apart and larger storage types 18–24 inches apart. Wider spacing generally produces larger heads.

Choose a site with full sun and fertile, well-drained soil enriched with finished compost. Cabbage benefits from steady fertility, but excessive nitrogen can produce loose growth and delay firm head formation.

Keep the soil evenly moist, especially as heads begin to form. Mulch with straw, shredded leaves, or another organic material to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and moderate soil temperature. Avoid deep cultivation around the shallow roots.

Harvest when heads feel firm and have reached a useful size for the variety. Cut through the stem just below the head, leaving a few outer wrapper leaves attached for protection.

Do not leave mature heads standing too long, especially after heavy rain, because they may split. Some plants will produce several small secondary heads if the lower stem and outer leaves remain in place.

Cabbage provides fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and naturally occurring glucosinolates. Red and purple varieties also contain anthocyanin pigments.

Use cabbage raw in slaws and salads, sauté it, roast it, add it to soups and stews, or preserve it through fermentation. Different varieties range from tender and mild to dense and well suited for storage.

Cabbageworms, loopers, and other caterpillars may chew leaves and hide within forming heads. Inspect plants regularly, remove eggs and caterpillars by hand, and use insect netting from transplanting onward where these pests are common.

Flea beetles, aphids, slugs, and cutworms may also damage young plants. Crop rotation, clean beds, good airflow, soil-level watering, and nearby flowers that support beneficial insects help reduce pressure. Remove plants showing severe black rot symptoms and avoid working among wet foliage, since moisture can help spread disease.

Cabbage is an insect-pollinated biennial and usually flowers after winter cold. It crosses with other Brassica oleraceacrops, including broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, European kale, and kohlrabi.

Save seed from several healthy, true-to-type plants and grow only one flowering B. oleracea variety nearby, or provide generous isolation. In cold climates, lift selected heads before hard freezes and store them cool and humid with the roots attached. Replant in spring and cut an X into the top of firm heads if needed to help the flower stalk emerge.

Harvest the seed stalks when most pods have turned tan but before they shatter. Finish drying them under cover, then thresh, clean, and store the fully dry seed in a cool, dark place.

• Fall cabbage often forms sweeter, denser heads than spring cabbage.
• Use insect netting before caterpillar damage begins.
• Keep moisture steady to reduce splitting.
• Harvest promptly once heads become firm.
• Rotate cabbage with crops outside the brassica family.