When to Plant Cabbage
Cabbage is a hardy cool-season vegetable. It can take a hard frost.
Start seeds indoors 7 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out 2 to 4 weeks before the last frost. For a fall crop, set out transplants 10 to 14 weeks before the first fall frost. The first harvest comes about 60 to 90 days after transplanting.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Jan 4 – 25 | Feb 4 – 25 | Mar 6 – 27 |
| Harden off | Feb 8 – 14 | Mar 11 – 17 | Apr 10 – 16 |
| Plant out | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 17 – May 1 |
| Harvest | Apr 16 – May 7 | May 17 – Jun 7 | Jun 16 – Jul 7 |
| Fall: Start seeds indoors | Jun 28 – Jul 19 | Jun 7 – 28 | May 13 – Jun 3 |
| Fall: Plant out | Aug 9 – Sep 6 | Jul 19 – Aug 16 | Jun 24 – Jul 22 |
| Fall: Harvest | Oct 8 – 29 | Sep 17 – Oct 8 | Aug 23 – Sep 13 |
Growing cabbage
Harvest when heads feel solid; heavy rain on mature heads can make them split.
- Spacing: 18 in apart, in rows 30 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 60 to 90 from transplanting, then about 3 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: cabbage is in the cabbage family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: beet, bush bean, calendula, celery, chamomile (german), chives, collards, cucumber, edamame, fava bean, garlic, green onion, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, leek, mint, mustard greens, onion (bulb), potato, radish, romaine lettuce, rosemary, sage, shallot, spinach, swiss chard, thyme. See companion plants for cabbage.
- Usually kept apart from: cherry tomato, strawberry, tomato.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant cabbage and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start cabbage indoors?
7 to 10 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Feb 4 – 25. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can cabbage go in before the last frost?
Yes. Cabbage is hardy: plant it out 2 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long does cabbage take to grow?
About 60 to 90 days from transplanting to the first harvest, which then lasts about 3 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
Can I grow cabbage in fall?
Yes. Set out transplants 10 to 14 weeks before the first fall frost. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech: Virginia's Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide: Recommended Planting Dates and Amounts to Plant (426-331 / SPES-673P, 2025)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Fall Planting of Vegetables
- Iowa State: Germination Requirements for Annuals and Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing Cabbage in the Home Garden
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- Montana State University Extension: Can I Grow That Here? Vegetable Seed and Transplant Schedules (MontGuide MT199308AG, rev. 2018)
- University of Maryland Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors
- Purdue University Extension: Starting Seeds Indoors (HO-14-W)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Companion Planting (Food Hero, 2021)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- Utah State University Extension, Utah 4-H: Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens: Companion Planting (2025)
- Penn State Extension: Herbs Make Good Plant Partners and Companions
- SDSU Extension: Square-Foot Garden Sample Planting Layout (P-00379, 2026)
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
- University of Vermont Extension: Creating a Biodiverse Vegetable Garden (2023)
- UF/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program: Companion Planting (FFL in a Minute, 2020)
- WSU Extension Skagit County Master Gardeners: Trap Cropping (2020)