When to sow Cabbage (red) in the UK
Cabbage (red) is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Cabbage (red) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| East Anglia | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Northern England | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Northern Ireland | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to late April | early April to late May | late May to late June | early September to late November |
Growing notes
Grown like an autumn cabbage: sow in April or May, plant out in June and cut the dense purple heads from September onwards, when they store well for winter. Firm soil and a pH of at least 6.5 reduce the risk of clubroot.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 45 cm
- Plants per m²
- 5
- Days to maturity
- 160 days
- Yield per plant
- 1.5 kg
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 25 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 30 cm
- Balcony rating
- 1 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- clubroot
- cabbage white caterpillars
- cabbage root fly
- pigeons
- mealy cabbage aphid
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for cabbage (red).