Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called summer cabbage, autumn cabbage, savoy cabbage.

About Cabbage

Brassica oleracea var. capitata · also called summer cabbage, autumn cabbage · edible

Cabbage is a cool-season brassica grown for dense leafy heads. Successional varieties cover spring, summer, autumn, and winter slots. Heavy feeders that suffer the same pest pressure as kale and broccoli. Toxic to pets in large amounts.

Cabbage is the heading (Capitata Group) form of Brassica oleracea, selected from wild Mediterranean cabbage for tightly overlapping leaves that curve inward to form a dense head.

Develops through seedling, rosette, folding and heading stages over roughly 60-120 days, and a prolonged cold spell of about 10+ continuous days near 35-50 F after establishment can trigger premature bolting.

Cold limit: USDA 3-9 · RHS H5-H6 (7-24°C)

Sources: hgic.clemson.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

What cabbage's hardiness rating actually means

Hardiness works differently for cabbage: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". Its RHS rating of H5 means: Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters. On the US scale that maps to USDA 3-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

Concretely, for cabbage as it gets too cold:

Light frost (around 0 to −2 °C) damages or kills tender summer crops outright; cold-hardy types take a few degrees of frost.
The plant does not "survive winter" — its life cycle simply ends, by design, when frost arrives or it finishes cropping.
A surprise late spring frost can also kill young transplants set out too early, before the season even starts.

Can cabbage go outside or overwinter — and where?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost.
In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window.
Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when cabbage can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H5 figure above.

Frost protection for borderline cabbage

Cabbage is right on a hardiness edge in many gardens, so if you are pushing it, these measures buy it the margin it needs:

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks.
Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost.
Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.

Cabbage hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is cabbage cold hardy?

Hardiness works differently for cabbage: it is grown as a seasonal crop, not overwintered. The question is not "what zone" but "how long is your frost-free growing window". A seasonal crop, not a perennial. Cabbage is grown as an annual in USDA 3-9; you sow after the last frost and harvest before the first one, then start again next year.

What is the minimum temperature cabbage can survive?

As an annual crop, its "minimum temperature" is the first hard frost — that is the end of the plant's life, not a survivable low. Many types are also damaged by light frost (around 0 °C).

What hardiness zone is cabbage?

Cabbage is rated USDA 3-9 and RHS H5 — Hardy in most of the UK and in cold winters.

Can cabbage survive winter outside?

Time it to your frost dates: sow or plant out after the last spring frost, and aim to harvest before the first autumn frost. In short-season zones, start it indoors or under cover to stretch the effective growing window. Hardier crops in this group can be sown for an autumn or overwintered harvest in mild zones — check the specific crop.

How do I protect cabbage from frost?

Use fleece, cloches or a cold frame at each end of the season to dodge a borderline frost and add growing weeks. Have row cover ready for an unexpected late spring or early autumn frost. Know your local last- and first-frost dates and count back the crop’s days-to-maturity to schedule the sowing.