When to plant Cabbage in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Cabbage has a remarkably long sowing window in the subtropics, direct-sown any time from February through to November. That breadth means gardeners around Brisbane and Coffs Harbour can keep a rotation going across most of the year, though autumn and winter sowings give the cleanest results. Germination is quick, roughly 6 to 12 days, and heads firm up between 60 and 120 days depending on type. Sow about 6 mm deep and space plants 40–50 cm apart. Choose faster mini varieties for the warmer shoulders of the window and larger drumheads for the cool midwinter run.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: February to November.

Growing notes

The long window is real but far from uniform. Cabbages sown into the humid, storm-prone late summer grow fast but face heavy pest and disease pressure, while autumn-to-winter sowings mature slowly into tight, sweet heads with far fewer problems. If you only grow one crop, aim for a March-to-May sowing and treat the summer edges as a gamble worth taking only with resilient varieties.

Cabbage white butterfly is the constant enemy across the whole window. Warm subtropical conditions keep it breeding nearly year-round, so exclusion netting over the bed is close to essential — without it, caterpillars will lace the outer leaves and tunnel into the heart. Look for velvety green grubs and rows of yellow eggs on the leaf undersides.

Grow cabbage in firm, limed, compost-rich soil with steady moisture; uneven watering after a dry spell causes the heads to split. In wet weather, space plants generously and remove lower leaves resting on damp soil to slow the grey-black patches of fungal rot. Harvest as soon as heads feel solid, because a mature cabbage left sitting through a warm, wet stretch will crack open and spoil within days.

Cabbage at a glance

Companion planting

Grows well with

Marigold: Deters cabbage white butterfly

Nasturtiums: Trap crop lures cabbage white away from brassica

Marigold: Deters cabbage moth and aphids

Keep away from

Tomatoes: Brassicas inhibit tomato growth

Tomatoes: Brassicas and tomatoes inhibit each other

Strawberries: Both suffer when grown together; strawberries stunted

Common questions

What months can I sow cabbage in a subtropical garden?

Anywhere from February to November. Autumn and winter sowings give the best, cleanest heads, while summer sowings work only with fast, resilient varieties.

Why do my cabbages split before I pick them?

Splitting comes from a sudden surge of water into a mature head, often after rain following a dry spell. Water evenly and harvest as soon as the heads feel firm.

How do I protect cabbages from the white butterfly?

Cover the bed with fine exclusion netting from planting. In the subtropics the butterfly breeds almost year-round, so netting is the most reliable defence.

Which cabbage should I grow in warmer months?

Stick to fast-maturing mini or sugarloaf types for the warm shoulders of the window, and save the large drumhead cabbages for a cool midwinter crop.

Keep exploring