Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Michihili

Minimum Seeds per Packet: 350

Packet Weight: 2g

Planting Season: Spring or Fall

Sowing Method: Direct Seed or Transplant

Seed Depth: 1/4"

Direct Seed Spacing: 4-6"

Soil Temperature: 40-80 ℉

Days to Sprout: 3-12

Mature Spacing: 12-18"

Sun Requirement: Full Sun

Frost Tolerance: Moderately Tolerant

Days to Harvest: 70

When to Seed Cabbage

Cabbage can be grown for a late spring or early summer harvest, or for a fall harvest. For a spring crop, sow seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your last frost date. They can be transplanted outdoors after your last frost, or two to three weeks before, ensuring you utilize frost protection measures should a surprise late frost occur. Chinese cabbage varieties tend to perform better in the fall, as they can be quick to bolt, but can be planted in the spring if they’re planted early with frost cloth or in a cold frame. 

Where to Plant Cabbage

Cabbage prefers full sun, however can tolerate some afternoon shade in hot climates. They’ll love loose, well-draining soil, rich in organic matter. Because so much of what we grow in the spring are Brassicas, it’s a good idea to rotate your crops as you’re able. Try not to choose a location that has had other Brassicas growing in it in the last three years. 

Growing Cabbage

Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in a high quality seedling mix. Seedlings should be transplanted outdoors 12 to 24 inches apart, depending on the size head you expect to harvest. It’s a good idea to mulch around your cabbage plants to keep the soil moist and regulate weeds. Cabbage can be very susceptible to pests, so you may consider keeping it under a light row cover to protect them. 

Harvesting Cabbage

Once the heads have reached the desired size, and before the leaves on the heads have started to curl and open, harvest your cabbages by cutting at the base of the head with a sharp knife. After harvesting, pull up the rest of the plant and compost it.

Chinese Cabbage, Brassica rapa

Pollination, insect; Life Cycle, biennial; Isolation Distance, ½ mile

While technically a biennial, it's not uncommon for many of the looser headed cabbages to go to seed in a single season in warmer climates. In cold climates keep seed plants stored indoors over the winter and plant in spring as soon as danger of frost has passed. Avoid saving seed from plants that have bolted quickly or are shabby looking. Yellow flowers are produced on stalks up to 1 yard tall followed by green seed pods. When pods turn brown they are ready to harvest, hand picking as they mature is best. Clean, dry and store the same as with all members of the Brassicaceae family.