How to Grow Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata 'Early Flat Dutch'
Early Flat Dutch Cabbage is a reliable heirloom brassica prized for its dense heads and excellent storage qualities. Gardeners value this cool-season crop for its moderate disease resistance and ability to thrive in cooler temperatures while tolerating light frosts.
Starting Early Flat Dutch Cabbage: indoors or direct sow?
🏠 Start indoors 4 weeks before your last spring frost, then move the seedlings outside.
You can transplant sturdy seedlings outdoors once they have a few true leaves and all danger of frost has passed.
Soil, care & harvest
Prepare loose, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8. Sow seeds directly outdoors or start indoors two to six weeks before your last spring frost date. Press seeds into the soil at a depth of about one-quarter inch. Germination typically occurs within seven to twelve days once conditions are right.
Space plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart in rows roughly three feet wide to ensure proper air circulation. Keep soil consistently moist with one to one-and-a-half inches of water weekly, especially during head formation. Apply a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
Watch for cabbage worms, aphids, flea beetles, and root maggots; use row covers or organic sprays if infestations occur. Prevent clubroot and black rot by rotating crops annually. Harvest heads when firm after one hundred to one-hundred ten days from sowing by cutting the stem near the soil surface.
When to Plant Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
Planting windows vary by USDA hardiness zone. Look up yours by ZIP code.
| Zone | Start Indoors | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | April – May | June – July | September |
| Zone 2 | April – May | May – July | September |
| Zone 3 | March – April | May – June | August – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | April – June | August – October |
| Zone 5 | February – March | April – May | July – November |
| Zone 6 | February – March | April – May | July – November |
| Zone 7 | February – March | March – May | July – November |
| Zone 8 | January – February | March – April | June – December |
| Zone 9 | January | February – March | May – December |
| Zone 10 | January | January – March | May – December |
| Zone 11 | January | January – February | April – December |
| Zone 12 | January | January – February | April – December |
| Zone 13 | January | January – February | April – December |
Companion Plants for Early Flat Dutch Cabbage
✓ Good companions
Repels cabbage white butterflies and improves cabbage flavor
Attracts beneficial insects like parasitic wasps that control cabbage worms
Repels aphids, cabbage root fly, and cabbage loopers with sulfur compounds
Provides ground cover and efficient space use without competing for nutrients
Repel nematodes and aphids, act as trap crop for whiteflies
Act as trap crop for aphids and flea beetles, repel cucumber beetles
Repel cabbage root fly, aphids, and cabbage worms with strong sulfur compounds
Repels cabbage worms and flea beetles with aromatic oils
✗ Keep away from
Can shade cabbage and compete for soil nutrients, reducing head formation
Compete for nutrients and may stunt cabbage growth
May inhibit cabbage growth and both attract similar pests like hornworms
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving (USDA FoodData Central)
