You can grow and harvest cabbages year-round, with a bit of planning. From early spring one year to late winter the following year, there are different types, varying in color and shape, to pick for all manner of culinary desires.
You can plant cabbages throughout the seasons, staggering the growing of these various cabbages to reap the rewards with a large and long crop. I grew a variety of cabbages during my years as a professional kitchen gardener and continue to grow the crop on my home plot. I like growing them but admit to not cultivating them year-round, as I lack the culinary ability to handle year-round cabbages.
Whether you grow one or many types of cabbages, it is important to understand when to harvest cabbages. Picking them at the right time ensures a quality head with the best flavor. You can harvest too soon and too late and both will affect the quality of your harvest.
Cabbages are grouped according to the times of year they are harvested and plants can be picked throughout the year. Different cabbages can take vastly different times from sowing to harvest, while the weather throughout the growing season will also impact the cabbage harvest time.
Cabbages are grouped according to the times of year they are harvested and plants can be picked throughout the year. Different cabbages can take vastly different times from sowing to harvest, while the weather throughout the growing season will also impact the cabbage harvest time.
When To Harvest Spring Cabbage
Spring cabbages are planted in summer and harvested the following spring. They are more pointed in shape than summer cabbages and have a shorter harvesting window of late March and April. It is key to pick them before the weather increases in summer as the plants are liable to run to seed.
Harvest the cabbages once the plants have formed firm hearts. By cutting a cross into the stump after harvesting, you may be fortunate enough to get a second crop of smaller cabbages that sprout.
When To Harvest Summer Cabbage
Summer cabbages are planted in spring and harvested from midsummer into early fall. Of all the cabbage types, they are best suited to the hot summer conditions. The crop will need regular watering during the summer and covering with netting to protect against pests such as caterpillars and cabbage white butterflies – which can wreck any hopes of a good harvest.
Lindsey Chastain, founder of The Waddle and Cluck, claims that summer varieties are ‘usually ready to harvest in the summer months of June, July, and August’.
As for the signs of when to harvest, she recommends: ‘You know these cabbages are ready when the heads feel hard and firm and weigh about 1-3 pounds. The outer leaves tightly surround the head. If you wait too long to pick them at this stage, the quality and flavor diminish and the heads may split open.’
