January King

Family: Brassicaceae Brassica

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add January King to a garden.

Bedecked in tightly layered, savoyed leaves, January King offers a cool-weather sweetness with a crisp, tender bite and a richly green, slightly buttery flavor.

Its compact heads form slowly and steadily through winter, holding their quality for patient gardeners who love dependable harvests. Ideal for hearty braises, robust slaws, and warming winter sauces—this is savoy cabbage at its most elegant and garden-worthy.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 80 DaysHabit: Rosette

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January King 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	Apr 27th	May 18th	Aug 6th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Apr 17th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Apr 17th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Apr 21st	May 12th	Jul 31st – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Apr 17th	May 8th	Jul 27th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Apr 15th	May 6th	Jul 25th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Apr 10th	May 1st	Jul 20th – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Apr 6th	Apr 27th	Jul 16th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Apr 3rd	Apr 24th	Jul 13th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Mar 28th	Apr 18th	Jul 7th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Mar 23rd	Apr 13th	Jul 2nd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Mar 13th	Apr 3rd	Jun 22nd – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Mar 4th	Mar 25th	Jun 13th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Feb 23rd	Mar 16th	Jun 4th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Feb 6th	Feb 27th	May 18th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Jan 12th	Feb 2nd	Apr 23rd – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Dec 20th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	80
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)	30
Harden Off (days)	6

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

January King’s savoyed layers give you a tender-crisp bite that braises into silk rather than mush, which is why it holds up in winter heat. Use it where you want that sweet, green, slightly buttery flavor to show off—savoy crinkles are basically a built-in sauce catcher for fats and acids.

Best Uses

winter braise where the leaf turns silky without collapsing
shredded slaw that stays snappy under a creamy dressing
caramelized cabbage side for roast dinners—savoy crinkles help brown edges
hearty winter soup/stew thickener (adds body without graininess)

Flavor Profile

cool-weather sweetness crisp-tender savoy leaf bite slightly buttery, green finish sweet cabbage aroma with mild bite

Kitchen Pairings

butter or brown butter bacon or smoked pork apple cider vinegar caraway caramelized onion mustard

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the most common pest or disease for Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) in home gardens, and how can I control it?

Watch for cabbage worms (imported cabbageworm and/or cabbage loopers) and white butterflies laying eggs on the underside of leaves. Hand-pick larvae when you see them, and spray a Bt product labeled for cabbage/Brassica while caterpillars are small; repeat every 5–7 days during active feeding. If you spot black, water-soaked stem lesions or leaf spots, remove affected leaves promptly and avoid overhead watering to reduce spread.

How often should I water January King cabbage during the main growing phase?

During heading and leaf expansion, keep the root zone evenly moist—about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water per week depending on rainfall and heat. Water deeply so moisture reaches the main roots, then let the top 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of soil dry slightly before watering again. Inconsistent moisture can lead to loose heads or splitting.

How do I tell when January King cabbage is ready to harvest?

Harvest when heads feel firm (squeeze test: they should compress slightly but not feel hollow) and the outer leaves are a mature color for the variety. Let heads reach the typical ~80-day timeframe, but don’t wait until they start to crack or separate—cut heads promptly at the base with a sharp knife. If weather is hot, check firmness more frequently to avoid head splitting.