Cabbage
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with beet, dill and spearmint.
About Cabbage
Cabbage is a biennial plant that grows 80 cm tall.
The flowers attract pollinators.
How to plant cabbage
Cabbage does best in full sun, but also copes with part shade. It grows in sandy soil, loam and clay, as long as the soil is well drained. It does best at a pH of 6–6.8. In a forest garden it belongs in the herb layer.
Plant plants 61 cm apart, at least 30 cm. It struggles in compacted soil, so keep the soil loose.
A year with Cabbage
Spring. Sow seed in March–September. It has yellow and white flowers in April. Plant out in April. Feed it in April. Use a balanced fertiliser. Harvest falls in May–July. The leaves can be eaten. The seeds can be eaten too. Recorded from the source text, not a safety check. Confirm with a trusted guide before eating anything. Protect it from insects in May–September.
Summer. Water during dry spells in June–September.
Winter. Start seeds indoors in January–March.
Pests and diseases
Cabbage can be attacked by cabbage worms, aphids, flea beetles, cabbage loopers, harlequin bugs and root-knot nematodes. Diseases include downy mildew, rhizoctonia solani (wirestem), fusarium yellows, leptosphaeria maculans (blackleg), alternaria brassicae and alternaria brassicicola.
Companions and wildlife
CabbageThe family
Cabbage is a variety of Wild cabbage, in the genus Brassica. Open a species to see what lies under it.
Cabbagevar. capitataThis page
Sources
Added to the wiki 12 October 2026
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