Photo: Unsplash
When to plant
cabbage in the UK
Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types. Red cabbage is less bothered by caterpillars.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
16 weeks from planting out to harvest · Start indoors 6 weeks before planting out
Get cabbage seeds
Links may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What cabbage need
Sun. Firm, well-manured soil. Net against pigeons and butterflies or they'll destroy it.
Spacing
45cm between plants
These are larger plants — give them plenty of space for air circulation.
Varieties worth growing
Hispi
commonPointed, fast-growing, and the sweetest spring cabbage you'll find. Chefs love it because it chars beautifully and has a tenderness that round cabbages can't match. The cool one.
Charred hispi cabbage with miso butter
Quarter lengthways, brush with miso mixed into melted butter, char on a griddle or under the grill until the edges blacken and the inside goes silky. Restaurant trick, garden vegetable.
January King
uncommonPurple-flushed, frost-hardy, and absolutely stunning in the winter garden. The outer leaves go deep violet in cold weather while the heart stays pale green. Tastes as good as it looks.
Slow-braised cabbage
Quarter the head, place in a pot with butter, stock, a splash of cider vinegar, and a bay leaf. Cover and braise in a low oven for an hour until meltingly tender. Winter eating at its finest.
Red Drumhead
uncommonDense, deep purple, and far less bothered by caterpillars than green varieties — something about the colour puts them off. Stores well, pickles brilliantly, and adds drama to every plate it touches.
Braised red cabbage with apple
Shred finely, slow-cook with sliced apple, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and a star anise until soft and jammy. The Christmas dinner side that steals the show from the turkey.
Savoy Vertus
commonCrinkled, dark green, and extremely frost-hardy. The savoy texture means the leaves hold sauces and dressings in their wrinkles. A winter staple that improves after frost and looks magnificent in a cold-weather garden.
Savoy cabbage parcels
Blanch whole leaves, wrap around a filling of rice, minced pork, herbs, and tomato. Nestle in a roasting tin, pour over stock, and braise slowly until the parcels are tender and the sauce has thickened. Eastern European comfort food.
Good companions
Keep apart from
- Tomatoes
- Runner beans
When to sow cabbage
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy cabbage seeds
Links may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
What you'll need for cabbage
The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.
Without this, cabbage white caterpillars will strip your plants to skeletons. Cover from planting day — not after you spot damage.
Hold netting above the leaves. Draped directly on plants, butterflies lay eggs through the mesh where it touches.
Stop cabbage root fly at the base. Pop them on when you plant out — prevention is much easier than cure.
Links go to Amazon. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for cabbage.