Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
Also known as: Green cabbage, Red cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Headed cabbage, Kohl
Quick facts
- Category
- leafy greens
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Days to harvest
- 70 to 110 days
- Harvest type
- single harvest then replant
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
Environment
- Temperature
- 4–24°C
- pH
- 6 to 7.5
- EC (hydroponic)
- 1.8 to 2.8 mS/cm
- Daily light
- 14 to 22 mol/m²/day
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 3 to 10 (winter low around -40°C or warmer)
- Frost tolerance
- frost hardy (handles regular frost)
- Season
- cool (spring and fall crops)
Viable growing environments:
- outdoor year-round (in zone)
- outdoor in growing season (annual)
- unheated greenhouse / hoop house
USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.
Growing systems
Cabbage works in:
- media bed (ebb and flow)
- soil bed
- wicking bed
Root mass is heavy - thin-channel systems (NFT, vertical towers) can't hold this crop mechanically, hence the system list above.
Growing media
The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (cabbage works in the media listed below).
| Medium | pH effect | Water retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies by source | high | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC target (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.2 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2.2 |
Companion-growing notes
- Heavy uptake of nitrogen, potassium. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC. Plan around this in shared reservoirs.
Aquaponics suitability
Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.
Care notes
A moderate hydroponic crop suited to cool-season production. Large containers or media beds with 15 cm depth for root development. EC 2.0-3.0 mS/cm. pH 6.0-7.0. Temperature: 12–22°C (below 10°C, heads develop slowly but with excellent quality; above 25°C, heads are loose and may split). Moderate light (DLI 14-20 mol/m2/day). From transplant to harvest: 70-100 days for standard varieties, 50-65 days for early/mini varieties ('Gonzales', 'Pixie'). Mini varieties are better suited to hydroponics because they're harvested smaller and occupy less space. The head forms as inner leaves wrap progressively tighter. Harvest when the head is firm and dense; overmaturity causes splitting. Calcium supplementation prevents internal tipburn (brown margins on inner leaves). Caterpillars (cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm) are the main pest. For hydroponics, the long crop time and space requirements make cabbage less efficient than faster leafy greens, but mini varieties at $2-4 retail per head are economically viable.
Notable varieties
A starting shortlist of cultivars worth knowing about. Not exhaustive: the seed catalogs list hundreds of named varieties. These are the ones home growers commonly choose between.
| Cultivar | Type | Days | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Jersey Wakefield | heirloom | 65 | 1840 American heirloom. Pointed conical 1-1.5 kg heads. The earliest cabbage, what gets planted for first-summer harvest before heat shuts down brassica growth. |
| Copenhagen Market | heirloom | 75 | 1909 Danish round green cabbage, 2 kg heads. Storage-quality but earlier than dedicated storage varieties. Good all-purpose home garden choice. |
| Brunswick | heirloom | 95 | Large flat 3-5 kg heads, the traditional sauerkraut cabbage. Late storage, keeps well in cold cellar. |
| Savoy Perfection | open-pollinated | 95 | Crinkled savoy leaves, milder flavor than smooth green cabbage. Holds in the field longer without bolting; the savoy of choice for fall harvest. |
| Mammoth Red Rock | heirloom | 100 | Large deep-red heads, 2-3 kg. The most cold-hardy red cabbage; the variety to grow if you want red cabbage in zone 4-5. |
Verified against: rhs-uk, cornell-cea, u-florida-ifas. Last reviewed 2026-05-15.