Brassicas: when to plant them
Broccoli, cauliflowers, cavolo nero, cabbage and Brussels sprouts follow different calendars for sowing, planting out and cutting. The sheets collect the months for north, centre and south.
The brassicas here are broccoli, cauliflowers, cavolo nero, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. They share a family, not a calendar. In Sicily the natural cycle is autumn-winter-spring, between 10 and 25 °C. Campania, where it does not fix a month, keeps development at 15-18 °C and notes looser heads above 25 °C.
Calabrese is sown from March to June: after April, in the heat, transplanting makes it flower, so sow it where it will grow. Cauliflower is sown mainly from March to May, at 12-22 °C. Cavolo nero, for the RHS, is sown from March to June and planted out at 10-15 cm tall. Cabbage changes month with the variety: February to April for summer types, April to June for autumn and winter types, July for spring types. Brussels sprouts are sown indoors from February to April and planted 60 cm apart. Campania, Sicily and Umbria have no Brussels sprout sheet.
Do not put brassicas back in the same spot the next year. Sowing, planting out and cutting, by region, are on each sheet.
When to plant broccoli?
When to plant cauliflowers?
When to plant cavolo nero?
When to plant cabbage?
When to plant Brussels sprouts?Frequently asked questions
Are all brassicas sown in spring?
No. Broccoli, cauliflower, cavolo nero and Brussels sprouts have their main sowing from late winter into early summer. Cabbage, for the RHS, also has a July sowing for the spring varieties. In Sicily the natural cycle of the cabbages is autumn-winter-spring.
Why does broccoli flower if I transplant it late?
Because transplanting in the heat makes it flower. The sheet says to sow it in place after April, rather than move it.
What temperature keeps the head tight?
Campania, for the cabbages whose month it writes, keeps development at 15-18 °C and notes looser heads above 25 °C. In Sicily the natural cycle sits between 10 and 25 °C.
What month do Brussels sprouts have in the south?
None written. Campania, Sicily and Umbria have no Brussels sprout sheet. The RHS sows them indoors from February to April and outdoors from early March to May, and plants them 60 cm apart.
Other categories
- Fruiting vegetables
- Leafy vegetables
- Roots, bulbs and tubers
- Legumes
- Herbs
- Fruit and melons
- Perennial vegetables
See also: Planting calendar · Guides