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Vegetable Crop Calendars (A–C)Cabbage Planting Calendar by Zone
Cabbage is one of the more forgiving cool-season crops, but the schedule changes a lot from a cold northern garden to a mild southern one.
Key points
- Zone describes winter cold, not planting dates.
- Use frost dates and heat to schedule cabbage.
- Cold regions plant spring and midsummer, mild regions favor fall and winter.
- Water evenly to reduce split heads.
- Rotate brassicas and test soil pH.
Does hardiness zone tell you when to plant cabbage?
Not directly. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map shows average annual minimum winter temperature, which helps you judge what survives winter. It does not give frost dates or planting dates. For cabbage, which is planted for a single season, frost dates and heat are the data that matter.
Some regional guides group planting advice by region or zone as a rough shorthand. Mississippi State's planting dates page, for instance, gives vegetable planting dates for that state, which shows how much dates vary by region. Use the guide from your own state.
Keep local records. Write down when you transplanted and when heads were cut each season. After two seasons you will have a calendar that fits your garden better than any generic table, and you can compare it with your extension guide.
When do you plant cabbage in a cold-winter region?
In northern states, spring cabbage is usually set out as transplants a few weeks before the last frost, and fall cabbage is started in midsummer. The spring crop must head up before hot weather, and the fall crop must head before hard cold.
Check your state extension publication for lead times. Cabbage tolerates light frost well, and many guides say mature heads handle a moderate freeze, but the specifics vary.
Some growers in the North start cabbage in a cold frame or under a cover to get a few extra weeks. Extension guides describe these season extenders, and the same tools work for fall plantings that need protection from the first hard frosts.
When do you plant in a mild-winter region?
In the South and along milder coasts, cabbage is often a fall, winter and early spring crop, because summer heat is the main limit. Plantings go in when the worst heat has passed, and harvest runs through the cool months.
Example: in an area where winters rarely freeze hard, you might plant in early fall and harvest through winter. Dates like these are illustrations only. Look up your state guide, since extension offices publish crop calendars tuned to local conditions.
If you are unsure which region you fall into, ask your county office which of the published vegetable planting dates your area follows.
- Identify whether heat or cold is your main limit.
- Plan to head up in the cool part of your year.
- Pick varieties by maturity length.
- Stagger plantings to avoid all heads maturing at once.
How do you choose varieties and avoid split heads?
Early varieties mature quickly and suit short seasons. Late varieties store better and make larger heads. Splitting often happens when a mature head takes up a sudden flush of water, for example after a dry spell followed by heavy rain. Harvesting on time reduces the problem, and some growers twist the plant slightly to cut roots and slow growth.
Check your extension guide for variety lists. Seed company descriptions change over time, so the extension variety trial data is a more neutral source.
Planting too deep or too shallow causes trouble. Set transplants at the depth they grew in their pots, and firm soil around the roots, then water in.
What does cabbage need in the soil?
Fertile, well-drained soil with steady moisture works best. Take a soil test and follow local recommendations on lime and fertilizer. Clubroot, a soil disease in the brassica family, is discussed in many state guides, and low pH is associated with worse problems, so soil testing has practical value.
Rotate the crop. Keeping brassicas out of the same bed for several seasons lowers disease and pest pressure, and extension offices can tell you how long a rotation they suggest.
Stagger two or three varieties with different maturity lengths. That spreads the harvest and gives you a hedge against a weather swing that hurts one planting. Cabbage heads need steady growth. Hard stops and starts, such as a cold snap followed by a heat wave, can bring on bolting or loose heads, so cover plants if a sharp swing is forecast.
What pests and problems are typical?
Cabbage worms, aphids, flea beetles and slugs are common. Row cover at planting and regular scouting are the main low-input steps. Ask your extension office what is active and what is recommended in your area.
If a pesticide is considered, follow the label, observe pre-harvest intervals, protect pollinators and check applicator licensing rules in your state.
Remove old plant debris after harvest, because leftover residue can carry pests and disease into the next season. Clean up crop residue after harvest and avoid composting plants with obvious disease.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 2026. Educational information, ranges only. Confirm timing with your county extension office.