Growing cabbage: timing, spacing and costs by zone
When to plant cabbage in Zones 6–9, spacing, and what to know before you commit ground.
Not yet expert-reviewed. Written by BAU Farm Intelligence from public extension and agency sources. Check dates and program details with your local extension office.
When to plant
Cabbage: cool-season, hardy to frost. Plant when soil reaches 55–75°F. Dates below are averages worked out from each zone's frost dates — check your own field.
- Zone 6b (Boone NC): set out March 27 – April 17; fall planting June 25 – July 16. First picking around June 17 – July 15.
- Zone 7b (Raleigh): set out March 11 – April 1; fall planting July 9 – July 30. First picking around June 1 – June 29.
- Zone 8b (Charleston SC): set out February 15 – March 8; fall planting August 2 – August 23. First picking around May 8 – June 5.
- Zone 9a (Gainesville FL): set out January 28 – February 18; fall planting August 18 – September 8. First picking around April 20 – May 18.
Setting it up
Grow as transplants, started about 6 weeks before last frost. Space plants 18 inches apart in rows 30 inches apart, about 0.25 inch deep. Expect roughly 75 days to first harvest.
Field notes
Split heads mean too much water at maturity. Twist mature heads a quarter turn to slow uptake if rain is forecast.
How it fits each zone
- Zone 6b: excellent — Cabbage is well suited to Zone 6b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.
- Zone 7b: excellent — Cabbage is well suited to Zone 7b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.
- Zone 8b: excellent — Cabbage is well suited to Zone 8b. Standard planting dates work with minor adjustments for microclimates.
- Zone 9a: good — Cool-season crops bolt fast under Zone 9a heat. Prioritize the fall planting window and use shade cloth for any spring succession.
What it costs per acre
- Cabbage (CCD-CP-90) — 2017 budget (University of Kentucky — Center for Crop Diversification, 2017): about $6,295 per acre in transcribed costs.
- University of Delaware Cabbage budget — 2023 (University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, 2023): about $4,149 per acre in transcribed costs.
- Michigan Cabbage Cost of Production 2024 (Bulletin E-3532), fresh market (Michigan State University Extension, 2024): about $6,869 per acre in transcribed costs.
- 2008 Maryland Vegetable Enterprise Budgets: Cabbage — Per Acre (University of Maryland Extension, 2008): about $4,118 per acre in transcribed costs.
- 2024 Estimated Costs and Returns per Acre: Cabbage, Fresh Market, Furrow Irrigated, Rio Grande Valley (District 12) (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, 2024): about $5,014 per acre in transcribed costs.
These are published budgets, not your costs. Plug your own numbers into the breakeven calculator before you commit ground.
Before you plant
Line up who will buy it and at what price before seed goes in the ground. See the planting calendar for your exact zone.
Sources
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- University of Kentucky — Center for Crop Diversification — Cabbage (CCD-CP-90) — 2017 budget (2017)
- University of Delaware Cooperative Extension — University of Delaware Cabbage budget — 2023 (2023)
- Michigan State University Extension — Michigan Cabbage Cost of Production 2024 (Bulletin E-3532), fresh market (2024)
- University of Maryland Extension — 2008 Maryland Vegetable Enterprise Budgets: Cabbage — Per Acre (2008)
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — 2024 Estimated Costs and Returns per Acre: Cabbage, Fresh Market, Furrow Irrigated, Rio Grande Valley (District 12) (2024)