ONLY AVAILABLE as Local Pickup or Local Delivery in Northern and Central New Jersey, Metro New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Southern Orange Counties.
Bonnie’s best cabbage grows large, round, flavorful blue-green heads. Well suited to the South as a spring and fall cabbage and in the North as a summer cabbage.
Resistant to Fusarium yellows and tolerant of black rot.
- Light Full sun
- Head size 5 to 7 pounds
- Matures 75 days
- Plant spacing 24 inches apart
- Plant size 18 inches tall, 24 inches wide
Planting: Space 18 to 24 inches apart, depending on type. (Read the stick tag that comes with the plant for specific spacing recommendations.)
Soil requirements: Provide well-drained, nutrient-rich soil that’s high in organic matter. Work 3 or more inches of organic matter into planting beds.
Water requirements: Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season. Typically, established cabbage plants need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week—supplied through rainfall or irrigation. Add mulch to help maintain consistent soil moisture.
Frost-fighting plan: Cabbage tolerates hard frosts (below 28ºF). Cabbages that experience hard freezes won’t store as well, though, so harvest before temps dip below 28ºF if you plan to store heads in a refrigerator or root cellar for any length of time.
Harvesting: Harvest heads when they’re firm and feel solid. Immediately harvest any heads that crack or split. Cut heads from the base of the plant.
Storage: Refrigerate unwashed heads in a plastic bag for up to 2 weeks. Flavor and odor become stronger as storage progresses. Use Savoy cabbage within a few days of harvest.
The trick to growing cabbage is steady, uninterrupted growth. That means rich soil, plenty of water, and good fertilization.
Quick Guide to Growing Cabbage
- Plant spring cabbage 4 weeks before the last frost.
- Space your cabbage according to the guidelines on the plant tag, in an area that gets 6 or more hours of sun. Plant 1 to 2 inches deep in well-drained, fertile soil with a pH of 6.5 to 6.8.
- Improve native soil conditions by mixing in several inches of compost or other rich organic matter.
- Protect new plants from cold weather by planting them through black plastic, which will help keep the soil warm.
- Water regularly by giving plants 1 to 1.5 inches of water weekly.
- Before planting, give cabbage a continuous food supply by mixing a slow-release plant food into the soil.
- Lay down a 3-inch layer of mulch to help retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.
- Harvest cabbage when the head is firm.