The Best Time to Plant Cabbage

Spring Planting

• For spring planting, start the seeds indoors about four weeks prior to the last frost date in the area. Recommended spring planting time in the northern areas is mid-May; in the mid-Atlantic and the Midwest it is mid-April; in the southern states it is mid-March; and in the Sun Belt states, like California, it is the middle of winter, suggests Jeff Cox in "Jeff Cox's 100 Greatest Garden Ideas." Early planting ensures the cabbage heads mature prior to the heat of summer.

Summer Planting

• For a second harvest, cabbage may be planted during summer. The University of Illinois Extension recommends planting in mid-summer by either transplanting small plants or seeding directly. Planting at this time ensures that the main cabbage head develops during the cooler fall weather. Start the plants in seed beds in a site protected from full sun. Transplant seedlings during rainy or overcast weather.

Seed Starting Tips

• Since cabbage seeds have a 100 percent germination rate, sow only as many plants as you need, explains Nancy Bubel in "The New Seed-Starters Handbook." Sowing an excessive number of plants will lead to leggy and weak seedlings. Transplant seedlings 1 foot to 1 ½ feet apart in rows and 1 ½ feet to 3 feet between rows. Cabbage takes about 60 to 110 days from planting time to maturation. Seedlings with 1-inch-wide leaves are ready to transplant just at the end of the last freeze in spring. Seedlings with 2- to 3-inch-wide leaves are likely to go to seed when transplanted during cold spring weather.

Soil and Site

• Cabbage adapts well to a variety of soil types, including loam, muck, clay or sand, with a pH ranging between 6.0 and 6.8. If planting in muck soil, the preferred pH is 5.6. Light sandy soil that heats up quickly in spring is recommended for best growth. The vegetable, which thrives in sunny sites, requires a lot of water and fertilizer. Do not plant cole crops like cabbage in the same spot every year as this can lead to the accumulation of disease-causing microorganisms.