Divisi
When to plant Cabbage in Alfred Nzo
Eastern Cape, South Africa
Known here as ikhabishi · ikhaphetshu · kool
Cabbage is a cool-season leafy vegetable that packs its whole harvest into one dense, round head on a short stem.
| Measure | Rain-fed | With irrigation |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Favourable | |
| When to plant | 6 Feb 2027 – 16 Feb 2027 opens in 18 weeks | 21 May 2027 – 9 Aug 2027 |
| Expected harvest | about 25.3 t/ha | about 58.9 t/ha |
| Harvest | From 7 Apr 2027 to 6 Jul 2027, depending on the planting date | |
| Ready to harvest | 60–140 days after planting | |
| Work it takes | 118–211 days per hectare, by hand | |
| Rain meets its needs | 62% | |
Rain-fed. These dates are worked out from each place's own rainfall, for a field watered by the season — with irrigation a window can open earlier, close later, or come round more than once a year. Check your own field under What grows, or get the Divisi app for a calendar dated to your farm.
If you only get one chance to plant, aim for around 16 Feb 2027. That is the point in the window where the rains are most reliably established.
This season's rainfall outlook for Alfred Nzo leans dry, so these dates sit later than the long-run average. Planting on the date you are used to risks germinating into a false start and having to replant.
Planting after 16 Feb 2027 leaves the crop short of season: it runs into the dry months before it has finished filling.
What decides this in Alfred Nzo
| Rain and temperature | 96% |
|---|---|
| The soil | 76% |
| The lie of the land | 76% |
For cabbage in Alfred Nzo, the soil is the tightest of the three at 76%. This is the one you can actually move. Lime raises a sour soil, manure and compost lift what it holds, and both work within a season or two — money spent here changes the answer.
The 2026/27 season in Alfred Nzo
| Rainy seasons | One each year — one chance to plant, so timing carries it |
|---|---|
| When the rains are expected | October 2026 to May 2027 |
| Rain in a typical year | About 730 mm |
| This season's rain | Leaning dry — January, February, November and December look short of rain. Plant at the early end of the window, favour quicker and more drought-tolerant crops, and keep moisture in the soil: mulch, and weed early. |
| This season's heat | Hotter than usual — about +1.2 °C over the growing months. Heat makes the same rain do less, so a dry spell bites sooner: do not plant late, and shade or mulch what you can. |
| What that supports | enough rain for one full main crop, warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth |
| Ground this covers | 4 kinds of ground. The season below is the largest that farms — about 36% of this area. |
| 36% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 212 growing days · about 750 mm · September to May |
|---|---|
| 33% | enough rain for one full main crop; cool for part of the year, so frost sets the planting date 216 growing days · about 740 mm · October to May |
| 13% | enough rain for a long crop, or two in a year; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 273 growing days · about 890 mm · August to July |
| 9% | enough rain for one full main crop; warm, with a cool spell that slows winter growth 209 growing days · about 670 mm · October to May |
last updated 17 September 2026
Limited water holds back about 40% of yield here.
What cabbage needs to grow here
| Soil it likes | well-drained sandy loam, loam or clay loam soil |
|---|---|
| Soil sourness (pH) | Happiest between pH 6.0 and 6.8 |
| Spacing | 65 cm between rows, 40 cm between plants |
| Feed it most with | boron, molybdenum and calcium |
What it takes to grow cabbage in Alfred Nzo
| Planting material | About 40,000 plants per hectare |
|---|---|
| Nitrogen (N) | About 76 kg per hectare |
| Phosphate (P₂O₅) | About 18 kg per hectare |
| Potash (K₂O) | About 76 kg per hectare |
| In the shops | A basal compound at planting — Compound D, or an NPK blend — covers the phosphate and potash. A nitrogen top dressing — urea or AN — goes on once the crop is established. |
| Hand work | 118–211 days per hectare, by hand |
These are the nutrients a cabbage crop of that size carries off the field. What you actually apply depends on what your soil already holds — which is what a soil test, or the app's field records, tell you.
What to watch for
Grow Cabbage with a plan, not a guess
Everything above describes Alfred Nzo as a whole — your own soil, slope and rainfall will shift the dates. The Divisi app works them out for your field, and dates each job that follows.
Where to sell Cabbage nearby
Cabbage in nearby districts
This calendar moves
Planting windows shift with the forecast. Leave your email and we'll send what changed, and a note when planting time nears — a couple of emails a month at most.
Frequently asked questions
Will cabbage grow well in Alfred Nzo?
Alfred Nzo rates as favourable for cabbage.
When should I plant cabbage in Alfred Nzo?
Typically 6 Feb 2027 to 16 Feb 2027, forecast-adjusted.
Is this exact for my own field?
No — these are readings taken across Alfred Nzo, not on your field. Soil, slope and rainfall change from one farm to the next. Check your own location to see your own numbers.
