Growing cabbage in zone 4
Start transplants indoors and set them out around a month before last frost — cabbage needs to finish before summer heat. For fall crops, start seed in midsummer and transplant 6–8 weeks before first frost.
Zone 4 covers northern Plains, northern New England, much of Montana and Wyoming — about 150 frost-free days — most vegetables work, long-season melons are a stretch. Zone dates are medians: frost timing varies within a zone with elevation and terrain, so treat these windows as a solid default and refine them with your own city’s dates below.
Make it local
These windows use zone 4's typical frost dates (last frost ~May 5, first frost ~Oct 1). For windows computed from your frost dates, run the ZIP code frost lookup and open the planting calendar — it remembers your city. The seed starting scheduler turns the whole seed rack into one printable, date-sorted list.
Frequently asked questions
When do I plant cabbage in zone 4?
Transplant Apr 7 – Apr 21, counted from zone 4's typical last frost around May 5. As a hardy crop it tolerates the light frosts on either side of that window.
When should I start seeds indoors for cabbage in zone 4?
Sow indoors Mar 10 – Mar 24 — that's 8 to 6 weeks before the typical May 5 last frost, giving sturdy transplants exactly when the garden is ready for them.
Can I direct sow cabbage in zone 4?
Not usefully in zone 4 — cabbage needs more growing time than direct sowing allows, which is why it's raised from transplants started indoors Mar 10 – Mar 24.
Can I plant cabbage for a fall harvest in zone 4?
Yes — sow Jun 25 – Jul 9, counted back from the typical Oct 1 first frost so plants mature before serious cold. Light fall frosts improve flavor rather than ending the crop.