Vegetable Garden - Tips on Growing Cabbage Seeds

60-110 Days To Harvest Sowing:

• Cabbage Seeds Depth: ¼" (6mm)
• Germination soil temperature: 75-85º F (24-29ºC)
• Days to Germination: 5-10
• Sow indoors: 4-6 weeks before last frost
• Sow outdoors: 10-12 weeks before first frost (for fall crop)

Growing

• pH range: 6.2-7.5 (7.2-7.5 to inhibit club root)
• Growing soil temperature: 60-65º F (16-18ºC)
• Spacing in beds: Early varieties 12", late varieties 18".
• Watering: Heavy from planting to head formation, then moderate.
• Light: Full sun for best yield, tolerates partial shade.
• Nutrient requirements: N= high, P=high, K=high

Rotation considerations for Cabbage Seeds:

• Avoid following cabbage family plants.
• Good Companions: Bush beans, beet, carrot, celery, cucumber, dill, kale, lettuce, mint, nasturtium, onion family, potato, rosemary, sage, spinach, thyme and tomato.
• Bad Companions: Pole beans, strawberry.
• Plant fall cabbage 6 to 8 weeks before the first frost.
• Growing plants that have been exposed to cool weather become "hardened" and are tolerant of frost.
• Cabbage that matures in cool weather is deliciously sweet.

USDA Hardiness Zone -First Frost Date- Last Frost Date 

• Zone 1  -July 15th -June 15th
• Zone 2  -August 15th- May 15th
• Zone 3  -September 15th May 15th
• Zone 4  -September 15th May 15th
• Zone 5  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 6  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 7  -October 15th April 15th
• Zone 8  -November 15th March 15th
• Zone 9  -December 15th February 15th
• Zone 10 -December 15th January 31st (sometimes earlier)
• Zone 11 -No frost. No frost.

Like most vegetables, cabbage needs at least 6 hours of full sun each day; more is better. It also needs fertile, well-drained, moist soil with plenty of rich organic matter. The soil pH should be between 6.5 and 6.8 for optimum growth and to discourage club root disease.

To be sure about pH, test the soil with a pH meter. Apply fertilizer and lime using the results of the soil test as a guide.

• Soil pH is a measurement of the number of Hydrogen ions present in the soil solution along with as the acidity of the soil. When the soil pH is too acidic the nutrients that are present in the soil become locked-up or unavailable (low pH) or alkaline (high pH).
• Correcting the pH has the same effect as applying fertilizer as it unlocks plant nutrients already present.
• In the garden some garden plants thrive in acidic soils while others prefer an alkaline soil.
• The acidity or alkalinity of soil is a measurement by pH (potential Hydrogen ions). pH is a way to measure the amount of lime (calcium) contained in your soil, and the type of soil that you have.

To Measure Soil pH

It is recommended that you use a relatively inexpensive, and follow the manufacturers instructions when testing the pH Level of your Gardens soil. To raise or lower the pH level in the soil either Limestone or Sulfur is utilized. Other materials will accomplish the same results; however the two that are listed are the most commonly used.

Limestone is added to the soil to raise the pH level because limestone is essentially calcium and calcium reacts with water in the soil to yield hydroxyl ions .. a process known as, hydrolysis = thus the pH level in the soil is raised.

Sulfur reacts with bacteria in the soil and produces sulfuric acid, which releases hydrogen ions thus causing the soil to become more acidic =the pH level is lowered.

Application Of Lime (To Raise Soil pH)

To increase your pH by 1.0 point and make your soil more alkaline.

• Add 4 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in sandy soils
• Add 8 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in loamy soils
• Add 12 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in clay soils
• Add 25 ounces of hydrated lime per square yard in peaty soils
• The addition of ash, bone meal, or crushed oyster shells will also help to raise soil pH levels.

Application of Sulfur (To Lower Soil pH 

If your soil needs to be more acidic, sulfur will lower the pH if it is available.

To reduce the soil pH by 1.0 point

• Mix in 1.2 oz of ground rock sulfur per square yard if the soil is sandy
• Mix in 3.6 oz per square yard for all other soils.
• Composted leaves, wood chips, sawdust, leaf mold and peat moss, will also help to lower the soil pH.

Water regularly, applying 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week if it does not rain. You can also measure the amount of water you receive with a rain gauge left in place in the garden, and checked weekly it there is not any chance that it will dry out. If your soil is not naturally rich in nitrogen from an abundant amount of earthworms or by you adding a  regular addition of organic, nitrogen-rich compost, then fertilize the plants again with a liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or a Herb and Vegetable Food as they begin to develop new leaves and continue liquid feeding until the heads are nearly ready to harvest.