Growing Cabbage

Brassica sp. : Brassicaceae / the mustard or cabbage family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S S S S S S S S    
        T T   T T T T  

(Best months for growing Cabbage in Australia - sub-tropical regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • Easy to grow. Grow in seed trays, and plant out in 4 weeks. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 5°C and 18°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: 50 - 75 cm apart
  • Harvest in 11-15 weeks.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dwarf (bush) beans, beets, celery, cucumber, onions, marigold, nasturtium, rhubarb, aromatic herbs (sage, dill, chamomile, thyme)
  • Avoid growing close to: Climbing (pole) beans, tomato, peppers (chili, capsicum), eggplant (aubergine), strawberry, mustard, parsnip

Your comments and tips

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07 Mar 09, Tricia (Australia - temperate climate)
Kaye, I also remember eating what was called 'greens', I asked my Mother and she said they were the outer leaves of cauliflower and cabbage and were also sold as loose leaves in bunches we had them a lot because they were cheap, this was in England though so it might be called something different here, I can remember them being a strong flavour, I havnt had them for years, Im growing cauliflowers and cabbages so I might give them a try and see if its what I remember. Mum said to strip the stem from the leaves and boil them in salted water until soft, drain and using a knife cut vigourously into the leaves while still in the pot. Good luck
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24 Jan 09, Harsha (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Is chinese brocalee fallen to cabage familly? when to saw ?
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20 Dec 08, slatter (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
igrew the cabbages but they took long to form the head could it be too much Nitrogen that allows leafy growth?.
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29 Oct 08, Nat (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted my cabbages a few months back and now the heads have come large enough to harvest. However when i cut them open i find that actual cabbage leaves are few and it actually looks like that flowers have began developing within the head. I cut a younger head and it wasn't that dense. Have i done something wrong or am i just cutting at the wrong time?
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19 Oct 08, John (Australia - temperate climate)
Planted mini cabbages in Blackheath about 8 weeks ago, they are comining along beautifully but about 20% of them appear to be going to seed, as above. They were grown from punnets, not seed, and are all the same variety. Do I break off the seed or leave them to develop? Rainfall, watering and fertilising are good. When are they ready to harvest?
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17 Oct 08, Carl (Australia - temperate climate)
I also planted mini cabbages a few months ago and had the same problems. They were getting tall stems with like clusters of seeds appearing off the stems. I also had never tried them before. I thought maybe the seeds were mixed up at Bunnings (they seemed like they were broccolli). I have since take them out and will try to grow a different cabbage.
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13 Oct 08, Trevor Stewart (Australia - temperate climate)
I planted a dozen cabbages at the end of May, they have come along fine, now being october they do not seem to want to hearten up. would this be a lack of water [ rainfall ] or is there another reason.
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29 Sep 08, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Sue, it sounds like you might have brussel sprouts, not cabbages... Perhaps the wrong seed was in the packet?
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28 Sep 08, Sue (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I planted mini cabbages a few months ago. They have grown very strange. They are getting tall stems with like clusters of seeds appearing off the stems. Is this normal? I have never tried them before.
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04 Sep 08, Chris (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Sandra, derris (rotenone) is an organic treatment for cabbage white butterfly, but it has some possible toxicity in humans (see http://www.organicnz.org/page/derris-dust) and is lethal to worms. An alternative is placing netting over the cabbages, so the pests can't get in to lay their eggs. Maybe you could pick off the current pests and net to prevent any more?
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Showing 141 - 150 of 153 comments
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Are you direct sowing (into the garden), or are you sowing indoors in trays? I'll give you the germination temperatures. Germination temperatures vary from plant to plant (even among say tomatoes - the various varieties have different germination temperatures). These are OPTIMAL germination temperatures-- so higher or lower can work, but germination will not be as consistent or Good in non-optimal temps. The germination temperature must be sustained (over several days or more) -- this is the plant's indicator (sustained warm temperature), that spring/summer is here -- and it is time to wake up and get growing. If the germination temperatures are not met, the seeds will remain dormant (most of them), waiting for their ideal growing conditions to occur. Remember - varieties make a difference so I'm giving you GENERAL temperatures. PEPPERS: Soil temperature needs to be at least 75-85 degrees F (24-27 c) for good germination. Peppers won’t germinate in cold soil– with the higher end temps germination may be in 5 days, or may take up to 20 days in the lower temps. Don’t overwater seeds or they may rot. peppers don't like to be overly wet. Your max germination temp is 95F (35c) for peppers. TOMATO : optimum germination temps are : 65-85F (24-30c) days to germinate varies a lot by variety ... so maybe 1- 2 weeks ? Max temp is 95f (35c). Tomato seeds have been know to germinate at temp as low as 40f (4c) -- but expect germination to take a month or more and your germination rate (% of seeds that germinate) will probably be very low. GREENS: way to varied to give an answer -- example: KALE has an optimum germination temp of 65F (18c) and range of 45°F - 85°F (7-30c), while SWISS CHARD's optimum germination is 80°F (27c) with a range of 40°F - 95°F (4-32c). Days to germination vary based on variety and temp. I generally recommend starting peppers and tomatoes indoors -- and with greens it depends on the green -- kale and chard are both tough, and both have a very wide temp range for germination so outdoors is fine. You also have to consider insects... larger plants have a better chance (in general) of survival if you experience pest problems. OF course a lot depends on how long your growing season is-- in a really long and hot growing season, starting tomato seeds outdoors is no problem, in a shorter cooler growing season the optimum germination temps may never be met (sustained) so starting indoors is pretty much a given.

- Celeste Archer

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