For an early crop sandy loam soils considered best. For late crop heavy soil clay loams and silty loams are preferred. Soil should be well drained and rich in organic matter. The water stagnation checks the growth. Cabbage is sensitive to high acidic condition. The optimum soil pH for cabbage is 6-7.

It thrives best in a relatively cool and moist climate. It can tolerate extreme cold and frost better than cauliflower. The optimum temperature for growth and head formation is 15 - 20oC. Cabbage is a biennial crop. In first season, cabbage make vegetative growth including head formation and in second season, produce flower and seeds. Cabbage plants require low temperature (chilling) 4-7 oC for two months for transition of vegetative to reproductive phase. Therefore cabbage produce seeds in temperate area only. In tropical and subtropical regions the plants remain in vegetative phase in the absence of chilling temperature.

Cabbage is used as salad or cooked vegetable. Cabage is rich source of minerals and vitamins. Cabbage has an anticancer property, it protect against bowel cancer.

Cabbage is a transplanted crop. The seeds should be sown in well drained and thoroughly prepared nursery beds. Cabbage nursery should be raised in protected structures. These protected structures provide ideal condition for raising of seedlings. A net area of about 225 m2 is required to raise the seedlings for one hectare land. Generally, the nursery beds are prepared in the size of 3m x 1m x 15cm. For raising healthy nursery, well decomposed FYM @ 3 kg/m2 is mixed in the soil. Normally 500-600 g seed/ha for early varieties, 400-500 g seed/ha for mid varieties and 300-400 g seed/ha for late varieties are required. Seed should be sown in August (early varieties), September (mid varieties) and October (late varieties) in plains. Whereas in hills, crop is sown in March - April and August-September.

Early crop should be transplanted on ridges or raised beds while the mid and late cultivars can be planted on flat beds. Seedlings are ready for transplanting in 4-5 weeks after sowing when they attain 5-6 leaves. Three days before transplanting, irrigation should be stopped. This will facilitates hardening of seedling to tolerant transplanting shock. A spacing of 45 x 30 cm for early varieties and 60 x 45 cm for late varieties should be kept. Transplanting should be done in the afternoon to avoid losses due to sun heat. Light irrigation should be given just after transplanting to individual seedling at least for a period of one week for better establishment.

Cabbage needs a judicious application of manures and fertilizers. Cabbage responds very well to added nutrients in soil. In general 15-20 tones FYM and 120:60:60 kg NPK/ha has been recommended for open pollinated varieties.

After transplanting the seedlings, irrigation should be given every day for 3-4 days and subsequently on alternate days for 8-10 days for better establishment. During plant growth stage, irrigation at 8 -10 days intervals may be given. Weeding and hoeing are essential at the initial stage of plant growth. Critical period for crop - weed competition is between 30 - 50 days after transplanting.

Cabbage heads should be harvested when attained full size and they are firm and solid. Delay in harvesting results in cracking and rotting of heads. The heads are cut with some non-wrapper leaves leaving stump in field. These non-wrapper leaves give protection to the heads from bruising injury. Ealy varieties are mature in 60-80 days after planting and gives yield about 200 - 300 q/ha. Mid varieties are mature in 80-100 days after planting and gives yield about 300 - 400 q/ha. Late varieties are mature in 100-130 days after planting and gives yield about 400-500 q/ha. Hybrid varieties give yield about 500-700 q/ha.