Broad chart, narrower transplant target
Use the crop guide to choose a date inside the chart
Both ranges are official. The broader planting chart describes the season; the crop guide gives a more specific transplant target.
Spring chart window
January 15 – March 15
For transplants, the crop guide narrows the target to late February through mid-March.Fall chart window
August 15 – October 1
For transplants, the crop guide points to late August through early September.Temperature changes the better crop
Fall has an extra advantage in South Georgia
UGA says South Georgia fall cabbage often performs better as temperatures fall and disease risk eases. Other regional timing stays relative.
North Georgia
Start spring later and close fall earlier than the Middle Georgia chart.
Cabbage tolerates light freezes, but sustained below-freezing weather can damage plants.Middle Georgia
Use the chart windows, with the narrower crop-guide transplant dates as the first choice.
Late February–mid-March and late August–early September are the clearest transplant targets.South Georgia
Spring can move earlier and fall can extend later when local weather supports it.
The crop guide specifically favors fall because the crop matures into cooler weather.Before transplanting
A light freeze is different from a prolonged freeze
Cabbage is cool-season, but it is not immune to winter damage. Check plant quality, exposure and the forecast together.
- The transplant is healthy and has had time to adjust to outdoor conditions.
- The forecast does not show sustained below-freezing weather immediately after planting.
- The site gets at least 8 hours of sun and drains well.
- There is room for roughly 18 inches between plants and 2–3 feet between rows.
A crop that matures together
Start plants early, then stagger the outdoor dates
Count back 6–8 weeks
Raise transplants indoors, or buy healthy plants when your preferred outdoor target approaches.
Prefer transplants
Direct seeding is possible, but UGA reports that home gardeners generally have better success with transplants.
Space for full heads
Use about 18 inches between plants and 2–3 feet between rows.
Stagger by one or two weeks
Repeat for several weeks if you want to avoid every head reaching maturity at once.
Which date should win?
Choose the narrower crop-specific target when possible
The wide chart is not wrong; it covers more situations. A healthy transplant inside the narrower crop-guide range is the simpler default.
January to mid-February
Inside the chart, outside the preferred target
Check freeze exposure and plant readiness before using the early part of the spring chart.Late February to mid-March
Preferred spring transplant period
This sits inside the chart and matches the cabbage guide.Late August to early September
Preferred fall transplant period
This is the crop guide’s fall target and sits inside both UGA fall ranges.Late September
Chart-supported, lower certainty
The chart remains open through October 1, but the crop-specific transplant target has passed.Scope
This answer is for standard heading cabbage
Chinese cabbage appears as a separate crop in UGA’s fall table. Do not copy these dates to it merely because both crops use the word cabbage.