Starting Seeds: Plant cabbage indoors in early spring. Harden off the seedlings by placing them outside in their pots for several days. Plant the hardened seedlings in the garden after the last frost. They do not like acid soils. Keep their soil moist.
Planting in Garden: Plant seedlings 18 inches apart. Plant rows 18 inches apart. Deep beds can tolerate closer rows. For best results, dig planting hole, add a scoop of manure, pour in some water, set in your seedling, surround by soil and pat down. This provides everything a young seedling needs: nitrogen, water, soil gently packed around it. Mulch around the plants and between the rows to keep weeds down and keep the soil moist.
Harvest: When the head is ready, pull the whole plant out with roots (roots left in the ground can attract pests/disease). Cut off roots and store cabbage heads in straw in a cool, dark place, such as a root cellar.
Pests: Cabbage moths will lay their eggs on cabbage. Watch for the small green caterpillars (larvae) and squish them! Turn over the leaves of your plants daily to search for caterpillars or watch for chewed leaves, find the caterpillars and squish them. They will blend it, so look carefully.
To avoid seedlings being damaged by cutworms, wrap small stems in about 2 inches of tin foil. The foil should extend an inch below the soil level and an inch above. This will stop cut works that clip plants right at below the soil’s surface.