Planting Methods
 

Cabbage

Seed can be planted outdoors relatively early in the spring because germination will occur at soil temperatures as low as 40°F. The optimal range for germination is 45° to 85°F. Planting of fresh-market cabbage usually starts in late April or early May in upstate New York and one to two weeks earlier on Long Island. Most Chinese heading cabbage (Napa) are direct seeded in mid-May for early July harvest.

Cabbage for medium- to long-term storage is usually transplanted to the field in June or early July for mid- to late-fall harvest. Plants four to six weeks old, slightly hardened, with four to five true leaves are best. Transplants for summer plantings are usually grown in field nurseries. For early spring planting, plants are grown in greenhouses where temperatures can be kept above 55°F, or they are shipped from southern states. Transplants may also be used for Chinese heading cabbage. Use a minimum transplant cell size of one-inch diameter. Plants should have a minimum of five true leaves and be grown for no longer than four weeks (including hardening) to avoid checking growth and potential bolting.

Most cabbage in New York is transplanted, but a considerable acreage of the crop grown for late summer or fall harvest is direct seeded. Direct seeding requires greater attention to detail than transplanting, but if the seed is relatively inexpensive, direct seeding is less costly than transplanting. Precision seeders should be used to obtain a uniform, well-spaced stand. Good soil preparation and shallow seed placement (1/2 to 3/4 inch) are necessary for direct seeding to be successful. Timely control of root maggot and flea beetle is especially important in direct-seeded fields.