One of the ways we can ensure we’re getting our required nutrients is by eating vegetables.
Cabbage is one of the best vegetables to consume as it is packed with vitamins, minerals and water!
Whilst it can grow in both the summer and winter months, it doesn’t do so well under the sun, so knowing when to plant your cabbage is as important as knowing how to plant your cabbage.
So, if you’re interested in growing your own cabbage – read below for more information!
The Basics
The basics of growing your own cabbage are pretty simple. There are in fact four major stages you need to cover.
Germination
Seedling
Vegetative
Flowering
We’re going to focus on these four areas in more detail below. But there are some other basics you need to know first.
Timing Is Key
If you live in an area that has cool summer months, cabbage should be sowed in the late spring ready for harvesting in the fall.
However, if you live in mild-winter areas, you’re better off planting cabbage in the late summer, ready for a spring harvest.
Typically, cabbage takes about 80 to 180 days to go from the seed to harvest.
Of course, variables will play a part in this, most notably with their climate.
Now that we know all of this, let’s get into these four major stages.
1. Germination
The germination stage is the first developmental stage of a cabbage’s life cycle.
The cabbage seeds should be planted in garden soil or within containers, which then sprout in about four days.
When specific conditions are present, seeds will germinate (or come “back to life”). These conditions are as follows:
Exposure to consistent nutrients
Exposure to moisture
Exposure to sunlight
Remain in temperatures from 65 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit for around a week
The lack of these conditions can seriously detriment the start of your process and may prevent the growing process altogether.
2. Seedling
The seedling stage is the next major life cycle step in the growing life of a cabbage.
The previous germination stage can take up to two weeks, which is important to note.
This seedling stage is the transitional period between a seed and small, or baby, plant.
It is through this stage that cabbage plants grow their seed leaves and small roots and stems.
Once this structure is completed – we have seedlings, a collective term for them.
During this phase, the cabbage plant will rely on the nutrients provided from the seed.
This is because they are not developed enough to synthesize their own food.
3. Vegetative
The vegetative stage is the next major growth phase of the plant’s life.
Once the cabbage seeds have gone from germination and developed into seedlings, the embryonic structure will begin to expand.
This is critical because it allows them to absorb water and nutrients, photosynthesis and distribute their nutrients collected throughout the plant.
Those seed leaves we mentioned start to develop into true leaves and the same applies to the young stems and shoots.
This stage is crucial to the overall development of the plant as it begins to expand and elongate.
Mainly, this is through the ability to synthesize its own food through these leaves, shoots and stems that we just spoke about.
.4. Flowering
The flowering stage is, of course, the last stage in the life cycle of a cabbage.
Once maturity of the structure has been fully reached, it will begin to produce flowers – this process is named flowering.
Flowering is the way in which higher plants are able to reproduce.
Their generations continue to be preserved through the production of their own seeds.
Once these seeds begin to be produced, the cabbage plant will start to die – making it the end of their life cycle.
What this means for you now is, you need to take those seeds and restart the cycle – going all the way back to point number one – germination.
As you can see, this is a very sustainable way to grow your own vegetables and cabbage is one of the most important for our health, but also one of the most simple.
Why Grow Cabbage?
Cabbage is packed with nutrients which is of course important to us and our livestock, but it is also a very versatile vegetable.
Once you grow your own cabbage, you will be able to make a variety of different dishes, but also produce homemade sauces and things like coleslaw and potato salad, which are delicious and perfect for many meals!
The Bottom Line
If you follow these four main stages of a cabbage’s life, you’ll be able to grow them successfully time after time!
Hi, my name is Angie Strousse and I am a gardening enthusiast. Ever since I was a young girl, my favorite time of year was when I was able to get out in the yard and watch my dad begin his yearly gardening.
Growing up, we had a massive yard full of trees, shrubs, and plants. We would all bundle in the car and head down to the gardening center, where my brothers and I were able to pick one pack of seeds each to grow that year.
