Zone 3 · Brassicas Growing Guide

When to Plant Cabbage
in Zone 3

Solid, reliable and stores well — whole cabbages last months in a cool cellar. Two crops per year in most zones. More forgiving than cauliflower about temperature swings.

Plant outdoors
May 15 – Jun 1
Start indoors
Apr 10 – Apr 20
Last Frost
~May 15
Days to harvest
70–90 days
Difficulty
Medium
Start indoors — Zone 3
Harvest window: Aug – Oct

Planting Calendar

In Zone 3, Cabbage should be planted outdoors May 15 – Jun 1, after the average last frost date of approximately May 15. Start seeds indoors around Apr 10 – Apr 20 for a head start.

Start indoors early. Choose fast-maturing varieties. Fall heads develop best colour and flavour.

Care Guide

Sunlight
Full sun · 6–8 hrs/day
Watering
Regular
Spacing
18–24 inches
Soil
Rich, fertile, well-draining
Days to maturity
70–90 days
Soil pH
6.0–7.5
plant tip · Zone 3

Start indoors early. Choose fast-maturing varieties. Fall heads develop best colour and flavour.

Feeding Schedule

How often
monthly
Feed type
high nitrogen
Key timing
throughout growing season

Leafy crop that needs steady nitrogen. Inconsistent feeding causes poor head formation.

Succession Planting

Sow every 4 weeks

Sow a spring crop and a late-summer crop. Cabbage takes too long for rapid succession but two crops a season — one for summer, one for autumn/winter — is very achievable.

Companion Planting for Cabbage

What you plant next to cabbage makes a real difference — some plants actively help, others compete or attract pests.

Grows well with
  • Celery
  • Onions
  • Dill
  • Sage
Keep away from
  • Tomatoes
  • Strawberries
  • Beans
  • Fennel

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Common questions

In Zone 3, start cabbage seeds indoors around Apr 10 – Apr 20, then transplant outdoors May 15 – Jun 1 after your last frost around May 15. Start indoors early. Choose fast-maturing varieties. Fall heads develop best colour and flavour.
Zone 3 has an average last spring frost of approximately May 15 and a first fall frost around Sep 15. These dates vary by specific location — use your ZIP code in the plant app for precision based on the nearest NOAA weather station.
Good companion crops for cabbage include Celery, Onions, Dill, Sage. Avoid planting near Tomatoes, Strawberries, Beans, Fennel, which can compete for nutrients or attract pests.
Cabbage typically takes 70–90 days from transplant or direct sow to harvest in Zone 3. Expected harvest window: Aug – Oct.

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Cabbage in other zones
Crop Guides