Flat Dutch

Family: Brassicaceae Brassica

Planting Schedule

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Sink your senses into Flat Dutch’s crisp, cool crunch—heads form with a distinctive, flattened silhouette and a tender, sweet-leaning bite that feels fresh and clean.

The foliage builds into a sturdy, blue-green rosette that holds its shape beautifully through the season, delivering reliable cabbages for gardeners who love dependable performance. Ideal for hearty, traditional cabbage preparations and for preserving flavors that deepen with time, Flat Dutch is a satisfying staple from garden to storage.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 100 DaysHabit: Rosette

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Flat Dutch Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 1b	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2a	Protected Environment Only
Zone 2b	Apr 17th	May 15th	Aug 23rd – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Apr 17th	May 15th	Aug 23rd – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Apr 21st	May 19th	Aug 27th – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Apr 17th	May 15th	Aug 23rd – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Apr 15th	May 13th	Aug 21st – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Apr 10th	May 8th	Aug 16th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Apr 6th	May 4th	Aug 12th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Apr 3rd	May 1st	Aug 9th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 28th	Apr 25th	Aug 3rd – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 23rd	Apr 20th	Jul 29th – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Mar 13th	Apr 10th	Jul 19th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Mar 4th	Apr 1st	Jul 10th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 23rd	Mar 23rd	Jul 1st – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Feb 6th	Mar 6th	Jun 14th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Jan 12th	Feb 9th	May 20th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Jan 9th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	100
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Rosette
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	45
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	32
Harden Off (days)	6

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Flat Dutch gives you that satisfying cabbage crackle—sweet-leaning, mildly peppery, and sturdy enough to resist turning to wet rags in a long braise or a vinegar-laced slaw. It’s also a storage-and-fermentation workhorse: its leaf structure stays tight, so tang builds without the texture collapsing.

Best Uses

shredded slaw that stays snappy under a vinegar dressing
braises and stews where you want cabbage to keep a clean bite
fermentation-friendly wedges for tangy, crunchy pickles
pan-sautéed cabbage with a sear for sweet, caramel edges

Flavor Profile

crisp cool crunch sweet-leaning cabbage bite blue-green, mildly peppery brassica snap holds texture when cooked, not mushy

Kitchen Pairings

caraway mustard bacon apple cider vinegar butter smoked paprika

Frequently Asked Questions

What pests or diseases commonly affect Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) like Flat Dutch, and how can I treat them?

Watch for cabbage worms (imported cabbageworm/diamondback larvae) and aphids; inspect undersides of leaves and remove heavily infested foliage early. Use Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) on larvae and spray aphids off with a strong water jet, repeating as needed. For disease, keep airflow high and avoid overhead irrigation to reduce black rot and clubroot risk; remove yellowing or blackened leaves promptly.

How often should I water Flat Dutch cabbage during the main head-forming phase, and what soil moisture should I maintain?

During head formation (about mid-season to maturity), keep soil evenly moist—aim for roughly 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week total, adjusted for rainfall. Water deeply so moisture reaches root depth, then let the top 1 inch of soil dry slightly before the next watering to prevent stressed, splitting heads. Mulch around plants to reduce fluctuations that can lead to cracking.

How do I tell when Flat Dutch cabbage is ready to harvest?

Harvest when heads are firm and reach their variety-appropriate size, typically near 100 days from sowing and long after leaf growth slows. Gently squeeze the head—if it feels tight and won’t compress much, it’s ready. If you notice leaves yellowing and the head stays firm, cut at the base immediately to prevent bolting or splitting.