If you’re planning to grow cabbages this fall, you will want to start seedlings ahead of time for later transplanting. Here are some tips for a bountiful cabbage harvest…

Want to grow a beautiful crop of cabbage this fall and winter? Now is the time to plant – at least in the Northern Hemisphere! I just started my seedlings last weekend, and if all goes well, they will be in the garden by mid-August…

I used to be intimidated about growing cabbage. If I started it in the spring, what if it didn’t head up and just bolted? Is it too hot in the summer? Will cabbage worms destroy my crop if I grow it in the fall? I tried growing just a few plants once when I lived in an apartment, and it took an entire year to mature, and after a cold winter, aphids, cabbage worms, and a couple of plants that bolted early, I ended up with just one small head. It just didn’t seem worth the work. But my sister (who lives in Arkansas where the weather is much hotter) was always bragging about her giant heads of cabbage, so I figured I would give it another try once I had a big, sunny garden space to work with.

This is our third fall to grow cabbages at the homestead, and I was surprised how easy it is to grow big, beautiful heads! Of course, there are always challenges. For example, last fall we experienced some issues with rot due to some late hot weather, and the year before, I planted a bit too late, so they didn’t head up until December and I had to do a lot of work to keep them safe from freezing temperatures for a couple of months as they tightened up. While I can’t control the weather, I’m starting them nice and early this year, and hoping for a good crop – and lots of delicious kimchi and sauerkraut for our winter enjoyment!

There are many different types of cabbage to choose from, so feel free to experiment with different types, colors, and varieties. Personally, I have had the best luck with Chinese types like savoy, which also seem to mature faster and resist cabbage moths better than the regular smooth varieties.

The short video below shares some helpful tips for growing your own cabbage from start to finish: