How cabbage is grown
A cabbage head forms when the leaves cup inward. The record holder weighed 62.71 kilograms.
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The short version
Seedlings usually start under cover and go out to the field while the season is young, though some seed goes directly into the ground. Leaves first spread as a rosette, then cup inward to form a dense head. Crews or machines cut the stalk below the bottom leaves, and the heads go to market, cold storage or a sauerkraut plant.
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Start seedlings under cover
Plants begin in protected locations early in the growing season. Some growers seed directly into the field instead, where the crop will later be harvested.
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Transplant to the field
Seedlings go out into well-drained soil in full sun. About 90% of the root mass stays in the top 20 to 30 centimeters of soil.
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Let the head close
A rosette of 7 to 15 leaves spreads out first. After that, new leaves with shorter stems cup inward and tighten into a head. Most heads weigh 0.5 to 4 kilograms.
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Cut below the leaves
A blade cuts the stalk just below the bottom leaves. Market cabbages are usually cut by hand, then trimmed, sorted and packed in the field, while machines handle much of the rest.
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Store it cold
At −1 to 2 °C and 90 to 100 percent humidity, heads keep for up to six months. Varieties grown for sauerkraut are larger and hold less water than market types.
Worth repeating
- Dutch, Scandinavian and German sailors carried sauerkraut on long voyages to prevent scurvy.
- Broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts all come from the same species as cabbage.
- The word cabbage traces back to a word for head, in the Picard dialect of Old French.
Where it comes from
- China48% of world output
Share of world cabbage production as stated on Wikipedia; the article text gives no year.
Where it goes next
Cabbage feeds 2 lines directly.
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Sources
Cite this page: "How cabbage is grown." Assembly Line, 2026-11-03. https://assemblyline.org/make/cabbage