How to Raise Cabbage

Select a planting site that is not close to green peas or beans because small levels of boron present toxicity to these plants. Cabbage grows best in full sun and well-drained, sandy loam soil that has a neutral pH. Till 2 to 4 inches of well-composted organic matter into the soil with a shovel or spade in the late autumn of early winter. Apply 4 to 6 cups of an all-purpose fertilizer per 100 square feet. Mix the compost and fertilizer into the top 6 to 8 inches of soil.

Pour potting soil to the brim in a nursery flat that has bottom drainage holes. Plant a few seeds, about 1/2 to 3/4 inches deep in the soil, per cell. The best time to start seeds indoors is six to eight weeks before the average last spring frost date. Put the nursery flat in direct sun. Keep the temperature of the potting soil about 75 degrees Fahrenheit and the soil evenly moist.

Keep the temperature of the soil at 60 F when the seedlings germinate. Harden the seedlings off two to three weeks before the average last spring frost date by gradually exposing them to an increasing amount of hours of outside conditions. Transplant the cabbage seedlings on a cloudy afternoon, handling them by the root ball.

Space the seedlings 12 to 24 inches apart depending on the variety and desired size. On average, closer spacing is best for small, early varieties, and wider spacing is best for large, late-season varieties Also, the closer the cabbage is spaced, the smaller the heads will grow. Space the rows 36 to 44 inches apart.

Apply a 2-to 4-inch layer of straw, grass clippings, pine straw or shredded dried leaves around the cabbage. Mulch will help smother weeds, hold in moisture and keep the soil warm. Keep the soil evenly moist with about 2 inches of water per week.

Side-dress the cabbage with 1/2 cup of a nitrogen-rich fertilizer (composition rating of 21-0-0) per every every 10 feet of row two to three weeks after transplanting. Fertilize with the nitrogen again three weeks later. Side-dress the fertilizer about 6 inches to the side of each plant.

Irrigate the cabbage deeply and infrequently, with about 1 to 2 inches of water per week, as it grows. Harvest cabbage when the heads feel firm to the touch before they crack or split. Most cabbage will be ready for harvest 70 days after planting, but it depends on the variety. Cut the cabbage below the head, leaving two or three wrapper leaves, with a sharp knife.

Put the cabbage in the shade immediately. Cabbage can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic for no more than two weeks. Leftover leaves will grow into cabbage sprouts, which can be harvested when they are about the size of a tennis ball. Pull the entire root system out of the soil if disease is a concern.