How to Grow Cabbage (Kubis Bulat) in Lowland Malaysia
Can you grow round cabbage (kubis bulat, 包菜) in lowland Malaysia? Heat-tolerant varieties, best months, rain shelter, pests and how to get a firm head.
- Difficulty
- Harder
- Days to harvest
- 75–100 days
- Updated
- 2026-11-04
Honest answer: round heading cabbage (kubis bulat, 包菜) is one of the harder vegetables to grow in lowland Malaysia. Most of the cabbage in our markets comes from the highlands, where nights are cool; in lowland heat, many varieties grow big loose leaves and never fold into a firm head. It can be done with a heat-tolerant tropical variety, rich soil, steady water and good timing — heads typically take about 75–100 days from sowing, and they will usually be smaller than market cabbage. The one key tip: sow so the plants are heading during the slightly cooler nights around the end and start of the year, and keep heavy rain off them, because soft rot and caterpillars are what usually end a lowland cabbage crop.
Quick facts
| Item | Cabbage |
|---|---|
| Sun | 5–6 hours; full morning sun with some afternoon shade in hot lowlands |
| Sowing depth | About 0.5 cm |
| Germination | 4–7 days |
| Spacing | 40–50 cm between plants |
| Days to harvest | About 75–100 days from sowing (heat-tolerant varieties) |
| Container | At least 30 cm deep, around 20–25 litres per plant |
| Support | None; insect netting and a rain shelter strongly recommended |
What to expect in the lowlands
- Choose heat-tolerant varieties. Look for tropical or lowland hybrid cabbage seed described as heat tolerant. Varieties bred for cool climates are very likely to fail.
- Timing matters. In Peninsular Malaysia, sowing from about October to January means the plants form heads when nights are a little cooler. Growth in the hottest, driest months is harder.
- Small heads are normal. A firm head the size of a large grapefruit is a good lowland result.
- No head is not a total loss. Cabbage leaves are edible; harvest them young if the plants refuse to head.
If this sounds like too much effort, kailan and mustard greens give you a cabbage-family harvest with far less risk:
Spot and container
Cabbage needs strong morning light but suffers in fierce afternoon heat. A terrace-house yard or porch with sun until about 2 pm, and some kind of roof or rain shelter overhead, is ideal. On a condo balcony, use the sunniest spot and add light shade in the afternoon.
Each plant spreads wide before it heads, so use one plant per large polybag or pot of about 20–25 litres and at least 30 cm deep, or space plants 40–50 cm apart in a bed. Large wet pots are heavy; check before placing several on a balcony:
Soil and potting mix
Cabbage is a heavy feeder that needs constant nutrition:
- 2 parts loose garden soil or potting mix
- 1 part compost or well-rotted manure
- A handful of burnt rice husk or cocopeat for drainage
Mix in a little garden lime a week or two before planting if your soil is acidic; brassicas grow better near neutral and lime helps reduce club root. Never reuse soil from a brassica crop that had club root.
How to sow cabbage step by step
- Sow in a seedling tray filled with fine, moist seed-starting mix.
- Sow 1–2 seeds per cell about 0.5 cm deep and cover lightly.
- Keep moist in bright shade. Seedlings appear in 4–7 days.
- Give morning sun straight after germination so seedlings stay short and sturdy.
- Thin to one per cell by snipping the weaker seedling.
- Keep trays under insect netting — flea beetles can wipe out a tray of seedlings in days.
- Transplant at 4–5 true leaves, usually 3–4 weeks after sowing.
Cabbage Seeds
Round heading cabbage for growers who like a challenge — in the lowlands, sow Oct–Jan under a rain shelter.
Transplanting
Plant in the late afternoon, slightly deeper than in the tray (up to the first leaves), firm the soil and water well. Shade for 2–3 days. Cover the bed or pots with fine insect netting on a frame tall enough that the leaves do not press against it.
Watering in hot and rainy weather
- Hot weather: water deeply every morning. Uneven watering — dry, then soaked — is a common cause of split heads. A mulch of straw or dry leaves keeps moisture steady.
- Rainy season: keep plants under shelter if you can. Water sitting inside a forming head leads to soft rot. Make sure containers drain and remove yellow lower leaves touching the soil.
- Water at the base, never over the top of the head.
Feeding
Mix compost into the planting hole. Two weeks after transplanting, start feeding: a balanced granular NPK every 2–3 weeks around the pot edge, or a diluted liquid fertilizer every 7–10 days. Add a layer of compost on the soil surface once a month. Keep feeding steady until the head is about two-thirds of its final size, then ease off so it does not split.
Common pests and diseases in Malaysia
- Diamondback moth caterpillars. The main cabbage pest in Malaysia. Small green caterpillars that wriggle and drop on a thread, chewing windows in leaves. Use netting from day one. Check leaf undersides every few days and squash eggs and caterpillars. If they build up, spray neem oil or a Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) product in the evening. Rotate between products rather than relying on one.
- Cabbage head caterpillars and webworm. Caterpillars that feed in groups or web up the growing heart. Look into the centre of the plant regularly and remove them by hand.
- Flea beetles. Tiny jumping black beetles that riddle seedlings with shot holes. Netting and quick early growth are the answer.
- Aphids. Clusters deep in the leaves. Hose off and spray neem or mild soap.
- Soft rot. Heads or stems turn mushy and smell foul, especially after rain or where caterpillars have damaged the leaves. Keep rain off, improve airflow, harvest on time and bin rotting plants.
- Black rot. Yellow, V-shaped patches spreading in from the leaf edges, with dark veins. Remove affected leaves, avoid overhead watering and do not save seed or soil from infected plants.
- Club root. Stunted plants that wilt on hot afternoons, with swollen, lumpy roots. Remove the plant, bin it and use fresh limed mix for the next crop.
Harvesting
Press the head with your hand. When it feels firm and solid, cut it at the base with a sharp knife, leaving the outer leaves behind. Do not wait for it to grow larger in hot or wet weather — mature heads split or rot quickly. After cutting, the stump sometimes produces a few small sprouts that can be eaten as greens.
FAQ
Why won't my cabbage form a head? The most common reasons are heat, a variety not bred for the tropics, too little feeding, or a check in growth from drought or late transplanting. Try a heat-tolerant variety sown from October to January.
Why did my cabbage head split? Usually a heavy rain or big watering after a dry spell. Keep watering even and harvest as soon as the head is firm.
Can I grow cabbage in a pot on a condo balcony? Yes, in a large pot with enough sun, but expect a small head and keep netting over it. Pak choy is a far easier balcony crop:
Is Chinese cabbage easier? Slightly — heat-tolerant Chinese cabbage is quicker and copes better with lowland conditions: