How to Grow Napa Cabbage
Napa Cabbage At a Glance
Difficulty
Moderate
Category
Vegetable
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -7°C
Plant Family
Brassicaceae
Growing Season
Cool Season
Plant Lifecycle
Annual
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Napa cabbage grows best in the cool of fall, so sow it in midsummer, about 11 to 12 weeks before your first fall frost. Sow 2 to 3 seeds 1 cm deep every 30 cm and keep the soil moist: they sprout in 5 to 10 days. Keep the strongest seedling at each spot, since sowing in place avoids the root damage that makes it bolt (rush to flower).
Napa cabbage is the tall, crinkly Chinese cabbage used in kimchi and stir fries. Spring sowings often bolt (rush to flower) as days get long and hot, which is why a midsummer sowing for fall is the easy, reliable way.
When To Start
Napa Cabbage likes cool weather. Sow it in early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Napa Cabbage?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Napa Cabbage Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Napa Cabbage Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow napa cabbage outdoors now for a fall harvest
80 days before your first frost
Cut napa cabbage once the heads feel firm
About 70 days after you plant it
Did you water your napa cabbage seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Your napa cabbage is growing well! Keep the soil evenly damp so the leaves stay tender.
About 33 days after you plant it
Almost there! Give the head a gentle squeeze, it is ready to cut once it feels firm.
About 57 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your napa cabbage.
About 70 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Napa Cabbage's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 5–10 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow napa cabbage in full sun, or light afternoon shade if summer is still hot when you sow.
- 2Mix plenty of compost into the soil, since it grows fast and needs rich food.
- 3Keep the soil evenly moist, as dry spells make the heads loose and bitter and can make it bolt.
- 4Feed with compost tea or worm castings every 2 to 3 weeks until the heads form.
- 5Cover plants with row cover from the day you sow, to keep off flea beetles (tiny jumping bugs that pepper the leaves with holes) and the green caterpillars of small white butterflies.
- 6Pick slugs off at dusk, especially in damp fall weather.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~70
Days to Maturity
40 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
21 days
When to Pick
Cut once heads feel firm, autumn; tolerates light frost
How to Harvest
- 1Napa cabbage is ready about 70 days after sowing, when the head feels firm and solid when you squeeze it.
- 2Cut the whole head at its base with a sharp knife.
- 3A light frost is fine and makes it sweeter, but harvest before a hard freeze.
- 4Peel off any damaged outer leaves, which protect the heart.
- 5Wrap the head and keep it in the fridge for a few weeks, or turn it into kimchi.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Napa cabbage crosses with bok choy, turnips, rapini and mustard greens, so let only one of them flower within about 800 m. Bees carry its pollen and one plant does not pollinate itself well, so let at least 6 plants flower together. Hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true, so save only from a variety that is not a hybrid. The easy way is to let a few spring-sown plants bolt in summer, then pull them once most of the thin pods are dry and brown. Crush the pods in a bag, pick out the seeds, and store them labelled somewhere cool, dark and dry for about 5 years.
Seed Production
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