Cabbage Growing Masterclass: The Secret to Year-Round Harvests

11 August 2025, written by Benedict Vanheems

Cabbages are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can grow, and a freshly cut garden cabbage has to be one of the most satisfying things you can enjoy! So let me share what I’ve learnt over years of growing cabbages, including when and how to start them, the best way to protect them from pests, and my secrets to growing the biggest and best cabbages every time.

Types of Cabbage

Like so many vegetables we grow ourselves, there’s a mind-boggling range of types and varieties to choose from. There’s the richly puckered leaves of Savoy cabbages, the warming cuddle-in-the-mouth joy of red cabbages, super-prolific drumhead cabbages, quick-and-nimble spring and pointed types, and even cabbages that’ll store for months.

But what I especially love about cabbages is the fact that, by choosing the right varieties and sowing from late winter right through till late summer, we can enjoy cabbages literally all year round. Not many crops can claim that!

Cabbage seedlings — Cabbages are very keen to germinate and grow

How to Sow Cabbages

It’s possible to sow cabbages where they are to grow, but as they take up a fair amount of space (worth every square inch by the way!) I like to start them off away from my beds. That way, I can make the most of my garden space by growing something else in the ground while my cabbages are getting underway. My cabbages will only go into beds once they’re a bit bigger and really need that extra room.

Use an ordinary, multi-purpose potting mix to fill a plug tray. Press the potting mix down into each plug, and then plant two seeds per plug. Cabbages belong to the brassica family of crops, which produce seeds that are very eager to germinate, so both seeds will probably come up, but sowing two seeds per plug serves as an insurance policy. If both do sprout, thin to leave just one in each. Alternatively, sow several seeds into a small pot.

Water to set them on their way. Keep the watering can moving to avoid unsettling the potting mix, and pass over it a few times to thoroughly wet it. Move the trays into a spot that’s bright, but out of direct sunshine, to germinate.

The seedlings will usually sprout within a week. For multiple seedlings started together in a pot, as soon as they’re big enough to handle they can be carefully jiggled out of their pot, gently teased apart (taking care not to damage the delicate roots), then potted on into their own individual plugs or pots. This is a great way to sow if you’re short on space, but make sure to transplant the seedlings while they’re still young so they settle in without so much as a hiccup.

Planting cabbages — Firm the soil down well to give cabbages the support they need to grow well

How to Plant Cabbages

Cabbages are hungry plants, so add some well-rotted manure or compost to the growing area before planting. Choose a spot that’s free-draining, because they won’t want to sit in saturated soil over the wetter winter months. They like it moist, but not boggy.

Add a balanced organic fertiliser (I use blood, fish, and bone), then give the whole area a thorough drench of water to prime the soil in preparation for your young plants. To finish, shuffle back and forth over the planting area on your heels to firm up the ground, because cabbages love a good, firm soil.

Plant your cabbages about 18in (45cm) apart each way, or a bit further apart for the very biggest heads. Personally I prefer medium-sized heads as they’re more manageable for my family of three.

Plant right up to the first leaves, then re-firm the soil really well around the rootball. Don’t be shy in firming them in! It will help them to form more solid heads, also known as hearts, later on.

Protecting cabbages from pests — In many areas barriers are essential to protect against pests

Caring for Cabbages

Keep cabbages well watered in dry weather, especially while they’re still young, as this is quite a thirsty crop. In summer, check the soil at least once a week, and water really well when it gets dry.

Weeds can establish undetected beneath the developing heads, so check from time to time, and pull out any you come across to minimise competition. I also like to pull off any dead or yellowed leaves as I pass through to keep the soil nice and clean so there’s less risk of disease, and to remove potential hiding places for slugs and snails.

The biggest challenges when growing cabbages are probably pigeons and caterpillars of the cabbage white butterfly. Other caterpillars can also be a nuisance, including the tiny caterpillars of the diamondback moth.

The best way to keep any of these butterflies or moths off your cabbages is to set up physical barriers. A frame draped with butterfly netting or fine mesh (which will also protect from cabbage aphids and flea beetles) is ideal. You can make your own frame for a fraction of the cost of purpose-made cages using bamboo canes with plastic bottles over the top.

Secure the netting at the bottom with small rocks, bricks or boards so that no butterflies can crawl in at ground level.

The best bit about butterfly netting or insect mesh is that it also keeps birds off. Pigeons are so persistent in my garden that at no point can I get away with leaving anything in the cabbage family uncovered. They are my arch nemesis, but netting is my defender!

Harvesting Cabbages – and How to Get a Bonus Extra Crop!

In theory cabbages can be harvested at any point, so you may want to harvest a few quite early on, while the leaves are still loose and open.

But the best time to harvest cabbages is when heads are good and tight, with a firm and solid feel in the hands. Use a sharp pair of pruners or a knife to cut the head at the base, then lift it free. Make the cut high enough on the stem to leave a decent-sized stump and you may just get a secondary crop of smaller, looser leaves. Remember that this cabbage will have developed an extensive root system over its life, which means it should readily resprout. You’ve put in all that effort, so a bonus second crop of leaves (albeit smaller ones) within a month of harvesting the first is definitely worth having!

To help with this, score a cross one half inch (1 cm) deep in the stump. Give the plant a good water to set it back on track, and continue to remove any tattered or yellowed leaves to make way for the fresh.

Store harvested cabbages in a cool, dark place such as a fridge or garage. Many winter varieties will keep for several weeks, even months, ensuring there’ll always be something to tuck into. Or, of course, you can freeze, pickle or even ferment sliced cabbage into delicious preserves.