How to grow Cabbage in Australia
Cabbage is a dependable cool-season crop that grows firm, sweet heads through autumn and winter. It needs firm, rich, limed soil, steady water and plenty of food, and the cooler the weather as it heads, the sweeter it tastes. Net it against caterpillars from day one.
📖 Our full guide: How to Grow Cabbage in Australia
At a glance
When to sow by region
| Region | When to sow | Regional note |
|---|---|---|
| South East Queensland | February to May | |
| Northern Rivers NSW | February to June | Longer window than Brisbane. |
| Sydney & Coastal NSW | February to June | Winter harvest window extends; June plantings OK for deep-winter harvest. |
| Melbourne & Victoria | February to June | Sow Feb to Mar, transplant Apr to May for winter harvest. Winter storage improves flavour in Melbourne's cool. |
| Adelaide & SA | March to September | Mediterranean: sow Mar to Sept. Cabbage requires cool weather; summer sowing fails. |
| Perth & WA | February to September | Trays from mid Feb in bright shade, transplant Mar to May. Direct sow Mar to Sep; needs cool weather to head. |
| Tasmania | September to January | Sow Sep for summer heads and Nov to Jan for autumn-winter. Long cool seasons grow dense sweet cabbages. |
| Canberra & ACT | September to January | Sow Sep to Jan, transplant up to Mar. Hardy; autumn and winter harvest. Choose cold hardy varieties. |
| North Queensland | May to August | Dry season. Sow May to Aug. Cool-season brassica; challenging but possible with shade cloth. |
| Darwin & Top End | May to August | Dry season. Sow May to Aug. Cool-season brassica; challenging but possible with shade cloth. |
Where to plant
Grow cabbage in full sun in firm, rich, well-drained soil with plenty of compost. Brassicas prefer soil close to neutral: add dolomite or garden lime to acid soil a few weeks before planting, which also helps prevent clubroot. Do not plant where cabbage family crops grew in the last few years.
Cabbage forms its best heads in cool weather. Plants that head in heat are often loose, bitter or quick to bolt.
- South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers and Sydney: sow from February to May or June for winter heads.
- Melbourne: sow from February to March and transplant from April to May for a winter harvest.
- Adelaide and Perth: sow from March to September; in Perth start trays from mid February in bright shade.
- Hobart and Canberra: sow in September for summer heads and from November to January for autumn and winter heads.
- North Queensland and Darwin: sow in the dry season, May to August, with shade cloth.
Choosing a variety
- Ball (round head) types are the familiar dense supermarket cabbage.
- Sugarloaf types form a pointed head and are quick and sweet.
- Savoy types have crinkled leaves and are very cold hardy.
- Red cabbages are slower and colour best in cool weather.
- Mini or baby types suit small gardens and single-meal heads.
How to plant
- Sow seed about 1 cm deep in punnets and keep moist; seedlings appear in about a week.
- Plant out at four to six weeks, about 40 to 50 cm apart, firming the soil well around each plant.
- Water in and mulch.
- Cover with fine insect netting straight away to keep cabbage white butterflies and moths off.
Watering and feeding
Water deeply and evenly. Dry spells give poor, bitter heads or none at all, and heavy watering or rain after a dry spell makes mature heads split. Mulch keeps the soil moisture even.
Cabbage is a hungry crop. Dig in compost and a little blood and bone before planting, and give a nitrogen-rich liquid feed every two or three weeks until the heads start to firm. Too much fertiliser late in the season can also make heads split.
Pruning and care through the year
- Keep netting on until harvest.
- Check the undersides of leaves for eggs and caterpillars, and watch for slugs and snails on young plants.
- If a mature head is at risk of splitting before you are ready to use it, twist the whole plant a quarter turn to break some roots and slow its growth.
Harvesting
Cut heads when they are firm and solid when pressed, at the size expected for the variety. Cut through the stem just below the head with a sharp knife. On early types, leaving the stump in the ground may give a few small extra heads.
Harvest before heads split, especially if heavy rain is forecast. Cabbage keeps for a couple of weeks or more in the fridge.
Companion planting
Aromatic herbs and flowers that bring in helpful insects suit the cabbage family. Keep crops with different needs, and other brassicas, out of the same bed.
Good companions
- Dill Its flowers feed tiny parasitic wasps and hoverflies that attack caterpillars and aphids.
- Chamomile A low flowering herb that brings in hoverflies.
- Nasturtium A sacrificial plant that draws aphids and cabbage white butterflies away from the crop.
- Celery Shares the same cool season and rich, moist soil.
- Onion Narrow plants that fit between cabbages without competing for space.
- Beetroot A root crop that uses different space in the bed.
- Thyme A low aromatic herb traditionally grown near cabbages; plant it at the bed edge.
- Rosemary An aromatic herb traditionally grown near brassicas; best at the bed edge, as it likes drier soil.
- Sage Another aromatic herb traditionally grown near brassicas.
Keep apart
Avoid planting these close to cabbage.
- Tomato A warm-season crop with different timing and feeding needs.
- Strawberry Traditionally kept away from the cabbage family.
- Climbing beans Tall summer climbers that shade low winter crops.
Pests and diseases
Caterpillars are the main pest of cabbage. Netting from planting is the most reliable control.
Pests to watch for
- Cabbage moth Holes chewed in leaves and heads, with green caterpillars and droppings, from cabbage white butterfly, cabbage moth, diamondback moth and cabbage centre grub. Net plants.
- Aphids Grey, waxy colonies under leaves and between the wrapper leaves.
- Slugs Ragged holes in young plants and slime trails. Snails do the same.
Diseases to watch for
- Clubroot Plants wilt on warm days and the roots are swollen and distorted. Lime acid soil and rotate brassica beds.
- Black rot Yellow, V-shaped patches from the leaf edges with blackened veins, worst in warm, wet weather.
- Downy mildew Yellow patches on upper leaf surfaces with grey-white fuzz underneath in cool, damp weather.
Common questions
Why are my cabbages splitting?
Heads split when mature cabbages take up a lot of water quickly, after heavy rain or watering following a dry spell. Too much fertiliser late in the season adds to it. Water evenly, pick heads once they are firm, and twist a mature plant a quarter turn to slow it down if you cannot pick it yet.
Why is my cabbage not forming a head?
Usually heat, dry soil, too little food, or planting too late or too early for your climate. Grow cabbage so it heads in cool weather, keep the soil evenly moist and feed regularly.
When should I plant cabbage?
In most areas from late summer to autumn, so it heads in winter. In Hobart and Canberra sow from spring to early summer. In the tropics sow in the dry season. Pick your region at the top of the page for the months.
How do I stop caterpillars eating my cabbages?
Cover plants with fine insect netting from the day you plant them so butterflies and moths cannot lay eggs, and check under the leaves for caterpillars.
When is a cabbage ready to pick?
When the head feels firm and solid when you press it, at the size expected for the variety. Cut it below the head with a sharp knife.
How long does cabbage take to grow?
From about 10 weeks for quick sugarloaf and mini types to 16 weeks or more for large and red cabbages, counted from planting out seedlings.
Sources we checked: University of Minnesota Extension: Growing cabbage in home gardens; Gardening Australia: Bountiful Brassicas; ABC Organic Gardener: Bountiful broccoli (brassica growing).