Cool-season produce

Cabbage

Brassica oleracea Capitata Group

Also known as Green cabbage · Red cabbage · Savoy cabbage

Heading cabbage includes green, red, and savoy types. Give full space and consistent moisture to form dense heads.

EdibleCool-season crop

Growing spaceVegetable bed

Climate fitUrban core · USDA 9b–10a · Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b · Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b

Crop familyBrassicaceae (mustard)

Life cycleAnnual crop

Phoenix planting windowStart seed in August–September; transplant September–January.

How to plantTransplant fall starts or direct sow in the early window.

Plant spacing18–24 in

FrostTolerates light frost once established; cover during a hard freeze.

Time to harvestAbout 80–90 days from transplants; 120–130 from seed

SuccessionStagger transplant dates or choose varieties with different maturities.

Special categoriesEDIBLE

Typical harvestCut firm heads in winter or early spring.

Right plant, right place

Will Cabbage grow at your Arizona property?

Heading cabbage includes green, red, and savoy types. Give full space and consistent moisture to form dense heads.

Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.

Light

Full winter sun; give leafy crops afternoon protection during warm fall and spring weather.

Water

Keep the vegetable root zone evenly moist with regular irrigation; adjust to rain, soil, and temperature rather than using a fixed summer schedule.

Planting & stewardship

1
Prepare a fertile, well-drained bed and keep seed or transplants evenly moist through establishment.
2
Thin to the final spacing; crowding reduces harvest quality.
3
Watch for aphids and caterpillars and protect sensitive growth from a hard freeze.
4
Harvest before sustained spring heat causes bolting or poor quality.

Read the growing reference ↗ Planting dates can shift with cultivar, weather, and your yard’s microclimate.