When to plant Cabbage in Tropical Australia
Tropical zone — applies to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome, Mackay and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Arid.
Cabbage can be direct-sown in any month of the year in the tropical zone — one of the few brassicas with a genuine year-round window — though the dry season from May to October delivers the tightest, sweetest heads. Sow 6 mm deep; seedlings show in about six to twelve days and heads follow in 60–120 days depending on variety. Wet-season crops are possible in Cairns and Darwin but demand raised beds, quick tropical varieties and relentless caterpillar defence. If you are new to tropical cabbage, start with an April or May sowing and bank a dry-season win first.
Sowing calendar — tropical zone
Green months are your sowing window: January to December.
Growing notes
Year-round on paper does not mean identical results year-round. Dry-season cabbage (sown roughly April to July) grows steadily in mild weather and forms dense, heavy heads with few dramas beyond irrigation. Wet-season cabbage is a different sport: monsoon rain waterlogs beds, heads can split after sudden downpours, and heat pushes plants soft and open. If you sow between November and March in Darwin or Cairns, use mounded or raised beds for drainage, pick a heat-tolerant variety, mulch to buffer soil moisture swings, and accept looser heads.
- Sow 6 mm deep, thin to 40–50 cm between plants, rows 50–70 cm apart
- Firm, compost-rich soil — cabbages are heavy feeders
- Even watering; feast-and-famine moisture is what splits heads
- Exclusion netting over hoops from day one
The cabbage white butterfly is this crop's defining pest in the tropics and it flies all twelve months, so netting is not a seasonal measure here. The most common failure is heads splitting just before harvest, usually after heavy rain or a big catch-up watering onto dry soil; harvest promptly once heads feel solid, and in the wet season twist heads a quarter-turn to snap some roots and slow water uptake if a downpour is forecast.
Cabbage at a glance
| Sowing depth | 6 mm |
|---|---|
| Plant spacing | 40-50 cm |
| Row spacing | 50-70 cm |
| Germination | 6-12 days |
| Days to maturity | 60-120 days |
| Frost tolerance | Hardy |
| Method | Raise Seedlings,Sow Direct |
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
- When is the best time to plant cabbage in the tropics?
- You can sow direct in any month, but April to July sowings grow through the dry season and produce the densest heads with the least disease pressure.
- Why are my cabbage heads splitting?
- Sudden water after dry conditions — heavy rain or a big catch-up irrigation — makes heads swell faster than the outer leaves can stretch. Water evenly and harvest promptly once heads are solid.
- Can I grow cabbage through the wet season in Darwin?
- Yes, with raised beds for drainage, a heat-tolerant variety and exclusion netting. Expect looser heads than a dry-season crop.
- How long does cabbage take to grow?
- Heads take 60–120 days from sowing depending on variety, with seedlings emerging in around six to twelve days.
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