Napa Cabbage
Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis
Start napa cabbage indoors 7 weeks before your last spring frost, then plant out 2 weeks before your last spring frost. Space plants 12 in (30 cm) apart.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
When to plant
Timed from your frost dates, so it holds wherever you garden. Give yours and every step below becomes a date.
Optimal Indoor Start
From seedRecommended- Start indoors7 weeks before your last spring frost
- Begin hardening off3 weeks before your last spring frost
- Plant out2 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 70 days after planting out
Optimal Transplant
From seed- Plant out2 weeks before your last spring frost
- First harvestabout 70 days after planting out
Optimal Fall Direct Sow
From seed- Sow outdoorsabout 12 weeks before your first fall frost
- First harvestabout 65 days after sowing
Growing napa cabbage
- Spacing in the row
- 12 in (30 cm)
- Between rows
- 24 in (61 cm)
- Planting depth
- 1/4-1/2 inch
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Life cycle
- Annual
Feeding
- How often
- At planting, then once at midseason. Side-dress with nitrogen about 3-4 weeks after transplanting to keep growth fast and heads tight.
Your napa cabbage, planned to the day.
Canopy turns these timings into dates from your own frost data, places every plant at its spacing on your garden map, and tracks it all the way to harvest.