Advantages & Disadvantages of Growing Cabbage
You consider growing cabbage in your garden or on your balcony but are still not sure whether growing cabbage is really worth it to you or not?
Great! Stick with me since I will show you the pros and cons of growing cabbage in the following article.
Table of Contents
Advantages of Growing Cabbage
- You can expect decent yields
- Cabbage is not really vulnerable to pests
- You don’t have to prune cabbage plants
- Cabbage plants are pretty tolerant to mistakes
- You can grow cabbage in colder climatic zones
- Cabbage is not demanding when it comes to soil conditions
- Cabbage doesn’t need as much sun as other garden veggies
- You don’t have to spend lots of time caring for cabbage plants
- Cabbage is pretty healthy
- Many different dishes you can make out of cabbage
- Many different cabbage varieties to grow
You can expect decent yields
One advantage of growing cabbage at home is that you can expect pretty decent yields at the end of the growing season since cabbage crops can get quite big and you can therefore use one cabbage head for multiple different dishes.
Cabbage is not really vulnerable to pests
Cabbage is also a pretty resistant plant and not as vulnerable to pests and diseases as most other garden plants so you don’t have to spend lots of money on pest control but can rather enjoy the process of growing.
You don’t have to prune cabbage plants
Another benefit of growing cabbage is that there is also no need to prune your cabbage plants. Instead, you can just let them grow and let nature do its work and you will be fine in this regard and can therefore minimize the amount of effort you have to put into your growth project.
Cabbage plants are pretty tolerant to mistakes
Compared to most other garden plants, cabbage is also relatively tolerant to mistakes and if you only make minor mistakes, you can still expect to get pretty decent yields as long as you provide decent overall growing conditions.
You can grow cabbage in colder climatic zones
Cabbage is also a great plant to grow in colder climatic zones where ginger and many other plants that like the heat don’t grow well and cabbage can therefore be a nice alternative in those cold regions where not many other plants will grow well.
Cabbage is not demanding when it comes to soil conditions
Cabbage is also not the most demanding plant when it comes to soil conditions. In fact, you can often use the same soil for many years and can still get decent cabbage yields while many other plants need more nutrients and will be more demanding in this regard.
Cabbage doesn’t need as much sun as other garden veggies
Another upside to growing cabbage is that cabbage plants also don’t need lots of sun to grow well and also grow in a decent manner in half-shady environments so that you don’t have to worry if you are not able to provide full sun all day long.
You don’t have to spend lots of time caring for cabbage plants
In general, cabbage is a pretty self-sufficient plant and doesn’t need lots of attention or care. In turn, you can grow healthy cabbage without having to spend as much time and effort compared to many other garden veggies.
Cabbage is pretty healthy
Growing cabbage also makes quite a lot of sense since it is a pretty healthy vegetable and by eating cabbage on a regular basis, you can increase your chances of staying healthy and vital in the long run.
Many different dishes you can make out of cabbage
There are also many different ways how you can use your cabbage. While you can make cabbage rolls, you can also make sauteed cabbage and this gives you more than enough opportunities to create many delicious dishes.
Many different cabbage varieties to grow
There are also numerous different cabbage varieties to grow and you will therefore never run out of options in this regard anytime soon and can try new varieties every year.
Now that you know all the reasons for growing cabbage, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of growing cabbage at home so you can better decide whether you still want to grow cabbage or rather want to grow other garden plants.
Disadvantages of Growing Cabbage
- Cabbage often only produces one big crop
- Growing cabbage may not be the best decision for beginners
- Growing cabbage may be rather boring
- Cabbage is not the best vegetable to grow with kids
- It will take you quite long to grow cabbage from seed to harvest
- Hard to grow cabbage in hot and humid climatic zones
- Cabbage plants need lots of space
- Cabbage is not the best plant to grow on a balcony
- Cabbage is not a perennial planet
- Many people just don’t like the taste of cabbage
Cabbage often only produces one big crop
One problem with growing cabbage at home is that cabbage only produces one major crop and in case this crop doesn’t work out, you may not get any yields at all while you will not run into the same problems with tomatoes or other veggies that produce multiple fruits per plant.
Growing cabbage may not be the best decision for beginners
While growing cabbage is not extremely difficult, it is still more challenging compared to growing lettuce or carrots and cabbage may therefore not be a great plant to grow if you are still new to gardening.
Growing cabbage may be rather boring
Since cabbage only produces a single crop, it is also not the most exciting plant to grow and you may therefore get bored growing cabbage pretty soon.
Cabbage is not the best vegetable to grow with kids
Since cabbage is not the most exciting plant, you may also not want to grow cabbage with your kids since they may lose interest in your growing project pretty soon.
It will take you quite long to grow cabbage from seed to harvest
Another downside to growing cabbage is that it will take you quite long to grow cabbage from seed to harvest. In fact, it can take many months to do so while growing spinach would be much faster.
Hard to grow cabbage in hot and humid climatic zones
Cabbage also doesn’t grow well in hot and humid climatic zones and if you live in one of those tropical regions, it will almost be impossible to grow cabbage in a decent manner and you may rather want to grow mangos or other tropical plants that are used to the heat instead.
Cabbage plants need lots of space
Another disadvantage of growing cabbage is that cabbage plants also need lots of space and can grow quite big in the horizontal. Consequently, growing cabbage may not be a great idea in case you don’t have a big garden and don’t want to sacrifice lots of precious space.
Cabbage is not the best plant to grow on a balcony
Since cabbage plants need lots of space and soil, cabbage may also not be the best plant to grow on the balcony and if you don’t have a big garden, you may rather want to grow other plants that will need less space.
Cabbage is not a perennial planet
Since cabbage is not a perennial plant, this also means that you will only be able to harvest them a single time compared to rhubarb plants that will last for many years.
Many people just don’t like the taste of cabbage
While some people like the taste of cabbage, others don’t like it at all and if you belong to the second group of people, you may be better off growing other veggies since you might lose motivation for growing cabbage pretty soon.
Top 10 Growing Cabbage Pros & Cons – Summary List
| Growing Cabbage Pros | Growing Cabbage Cons |
|---|---|
| Cabbage is pretty resistant to pests | Cabbage doesn’t grow well in tropical climates |
| Plant diseases are not a big problem | Cabbage plants need lots of space |
| You can expect decent yields from cabbage plants | Cabbage is not the most exciting vegetable to grow |
| Cabbage allows minor mistakes | Not a great plant to grow with kids |
| Cabbage is not demanding | Cabbage is not the best plant to grow on a balcony |
| You can use the same soil for many years | Cabbage is not a perennial plant |
| You don’t have to prune cabbage plants | Cabbage only produces a single crop |
| Cabbage is healthy | Cabbage is not a great beginner plant |
| Many different dishes to make out of cabbage | It takes quite long to grow cabbage from seed |
| Many cabbage varieties to grow | Many people don’t like the taste of cabbage |
Should You Grow Cabbage At Home?
While growing cabbage can make quite a lot of sense since it is a pretty resistant plant and also delivers solid yields, you should still know that it takes quite a long time to grow cabbage from seed to harvest and cabbage is also not the most exciting plant to grow.
If you want to learn more about growing cabbage at home, you should also have a look at my cabbage grower’s guide and my growing cabbage FAQ section.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabbage
Own experience.
About the Author
My name is Andreas and I’m really passionate about our environment and also about growing plants. In fact, I have grown several different plants over many years. I love to see my own plants grow and also always try new things to improve my overall conditions at home.
In my blog posts, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can become successful in growing various different plants and improving your home as well, even though you might still be a beginner right now.
