Summer and autumn cabbages can be sown in mid-spring to be eaten before the winter.

Growing calendar
Sow outdoors	Mar - mid May
Plant out/transplant	Mid May - Jun
Harvest	Jul - Oct

Cabbages tend to be grouped according to the season they can be harvested. So, if you sow each season, you could be cutting cabbage almost all-year-round!

Summer and autumn cabbages often have bigger heads than spring cabbages so need bigger spacing - but this can allow them to cope better with the heat.

How to grow summer and autumn cabbage

Regularly sow seed 0.5cm deep in pots or seedbed. Thin or transplant to 30cm apart (45cm for larger heads). Plant firmly. Choose fertile moist soil.

Water in dry weather and mulch to conserve moisture. Remove yellowing leaves. Feed with a general organic fertiliser in the summer to boost growth.

Harvesting and using summer and autumn cabbage

Cut hearts of compact leaves when firm, 2.5cm about the soil surface. Stumps will sprout smaller cabbages - to encourage this, cut crosses into the stems 1cm deep.

Tips for growing summer and autumn cabbage

Slugs love cabbage so keep your young plants well protected.
Cover cabbage plants with netting to protect against cabbage white butterflies.

Growing notes
Difficulty	Moderate
Germination time	7-12 days
Average time to harvest	20 weeks
Equipment needed	Mulch (eg compost), organic fertiliser
Average plant size	20-30cm tall and wide
Family group to grow with	Brassica: eg broccoli, cauliflower
Seed saving notes	4 - biennial, needs isolation
Key nutritional content	Vitamin C