When to sow Cabbage (Savoy / winter) in the UK
Cabbage (Savoy / winter) 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 (Savoy / winter) 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 | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| East Anglia | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Northern England | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Northern Ireland | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | mid April to late May | early May to late June | mid June to late July | late October to late February |
Growing notes
Sow in late spring or early summer for crinkly Savoys and smooth drumheads that stand in good condition through the coldest weeks, so harvest as needed from November to February. Net against pigeons, which strip winter brassicas once other food runs short.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 60 cm
- Plants per m²
- 4
- Days to maturity
- 210 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
- cabbage whitefly
Companion planting
Grows well near
Keep away from
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for cabbage (savoy / winter).