Growing Cabbage in Scotland: The Complete Guide

Brassica oleracea (Capitata Group)

Everything you need to grow cabbage in Scotland, from a July sowing for spring greens to a Savoy standing through the snow. We have done the research so you don't have to.

Cabbage is the brassica that rewards succession planning more than any other. Four distinct types, sown across the year, give you fresh heads in every season. A winter Savoy cut on a frozen January morning, a spring cabbage thinned as loose greens in March, a summer cabbage for coleslaw in August: the same family crop gives you all of them. Cabbage takes four to six months from seed to head. That is a long time to occupy a bed. A crop that stays in the ground that long needs to earn its keep, and four varieties timed right will do exactly that across every month of the Scottish growing year.

Why cabbage suits Scotland

Cabbage is a cool-weather crop, and Scotland has the cool weather. Summer cabbages have been bred to withstand heat, but in much of Scotland the heat never arrives, so they grow steadily without bolting or splitting. Our climate also holds down two of the difficult brassica pests: cabbage aphid and cabbage root fly are less troublesome here than further south. The plants mature more slowly, but they mature steadily.

The real Scottish advantage is winter. Once a winter cabbage has formed its head, it will stand in good condition for months through frost and snow. A Savoy cabbage harvested from the plot in February, when the shops are selling imported greens and the rest of your beds are bare, justifies every week of bed space it occupied.

Varieties

Winter standing ability is the trait that matters most here: a cabbage that can wait for you through the cold months. These carry the RHS Award of Garden Merit, a UK-wide award, not a Scottish one.

Also worth considering

Soil and site

Cabbage wants a sunny spot with fertile, free-draining soil. Avoid ground that gets waterlogged, especially for overwintering varieties. Choose a site where you have not grown cabbages or other brassicas in the previous couple of years.

Cabbages like firm ground. Add two bucketfuls of well-rotted manure or garden compost per square metre, ideally the previous autumn, so the soil can settle over winter. If you are adding compost just before planting, firm the ground by treading it down. Cabbages in loose soil will not heart up properly.

If your soil is very acidic, apply lime the winter before sowing to raise the pH above 6 and deter club root disease. This matters more in Scotland, where naturally acidic soils are common. A simple soil test kit will tell you whether liming is necessary.

Sowing and planting

Cabbages are easy to grow from seed, but do not sow the whole packet at once. Sow small batches through the season to spread the harvest. The four types go in at different times:

• Summer cabbages: sow indoors or outdoors from February to April. Harvest mid to late summer.
• Autumn cabbages: sow April to June. These form large heads and need wider spacing. Harvest before winter.
• Winter cabbages: sow late spring or early summer. Includes Savoys and drumheads. Stand through the cold for months.
• Spring cabbages: sow in July. Overwinter as young plants. Cut as loose spring greens from mid-spring or leave to form pointed heads.

Sow indoors in modular trays to give plants a reliable start away from slugs. Fill with peat-free seed compost, water thoroughly, then sow two seeds per module 1cm deep. Keep in a greenhouse or on a bright windowsill. Thin to the strongest seedling per module. After about five weeks, when the plants are 10 to 15cm tall with a good root system, they are ready to go outside.

For outdoor sowing, prepare the ground, then make a drill about 2cm deep and water along the base. Sow seeds thinly, ideally 10cm apart, or sow three seeds at each final station spaced 30 to 45cm apart and thin to the strongest seedling. Cover with insect-proof mesh from the start.

Plant out indoor-raised seedlings and seedbed transplants when they are 10 to 15cm tall. Harden off indoor-grown plants first. Set them in the planting hole more deeply than they were in the pot, with the lowest leaves at the soil surface. Firm in well and water generously. Space compact varieties 30cm apart, larger varieties up to 45cm apart. Spring cabbages go in at 10cm initially, then thin to 30cm in late February or March, using the thinnings as spring greens.

Sowing into modules is also worth doing if you have club root in your soil. A well-developed root system before going into the ground gives the plant a head start, and the damage is less severe than it would be for a direct-sown seedling.

Watering and care

Water young cabbage plants regularly. Their root systems are small and they dry out quickly. Once the plants are well established, you should only need to water during prolonged dry weather, giving the ground a thorough soaking every 10 days. When the heads begin to form, additional watering helps them size up.

A thick mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plants holds moisture in the soil and suppresses weeds. Weed regularly while the plants are young. Once the crop is growing strongly, the large leaves shade out most competition. Remove any faded outer leaves to keep good airflow around the plants, which helps deter fungal diseases.

If your soil is poor, apply a nitrogen-rich fertiliser once the plants are settled into their final position but before they begin to form hearts. With spring cabbages, feed in early spring to kick off new growth after winter.

Protection: cover the crop with insect-proof mesh or fleece, supported on hoops or canes and pinned to the ground. Cabbage white butterflies, cabbage root fly, whitefly and pigeons will all take a cabbage if it is not covered. The mesh stays on for the life of the crop. It is cheap, it is effective, and it removes the need to patrol for caterpillars every day.

Harvesting

Cabbages take about four to six months from sowing to maturity, depending on the type. They are ready once the head is firm and has reached the size you want. If you harvest every other cabbage along the row initially, the remaining ones can grow larger. Mature cabbages can be left standing for a few weeks, but check them regularly: a cabbage that bolts or splits is past saving.

Harvest by cutting through the stem just above ground level with a sharp knife. With spring and summer cabbages, score a 1cm deep cross in the stump and the plant will produce a second, smaller cabbage a few weeks later. Once the crop is finished, dig out the stumps to reduce the risk of brassica diseases carrying over.

Cabbages are best eaten soon after harvesting but will keep in the fridge for at least a week. Some winter cabbages can be stored for several months in a cool, dry, frost-free place. A winter Savoy cut from the plot in February, sweetened by frost, is one of the most satisfying things a Scottish garden produces.

Common problems

• Club root causes swollen, distorted roots. Plants wilt in dry weather. Lime the soil to raise pH above 6, start plants in modules to give them a head start, and rotate brassicas. No chemical treatment exists.
• Cabbage caterpillars are the larvae of cabbage white butterflies. They can strip a plant in days. Cover with insect-proof mesh from the start. If they get in, pick them off by hand.
• Cabbage root fly maggots eat the roots. Plants wilt and die. Mesh is the defence. Less troublesome in Scotland's cool summers.
• Pigeons will strip a cabbage to the rib cage. Mesh or netting, from the day you plant out.
• Heads not forming usually means the soil is too loose, the plants are too close, or they ran short of water while heading up. Firm the ground, space adequately, and water when the heads begin to swell.
• Bolting means the plant sends up a flower stalk instead of forming a head. Far less of a problem in Scotland's cool climate than further south. Harvest any loose leaves and sow the next batch.

Common questions

Sources