Climate-based cabbage planting guide for La Ronge, Saskatchewan

When to Plant Cabbage in La Ronge

In La Ronge, cabbage is usually a strong local fit. Most gardeners have some room to work with this crop rather than feeling close to the edge.

Typical Planting Window

Strong fit in this climate

Use the planting dates below for cabbage in La Ronge.

Start indoors April 20
Typical planting window June 1 – June 15
Method Transplant
Typical days to maturity 70–90

Cabbage is usually started indoors around April 20 and planted outdoors during the normal local window of June 1 to June 15. Most varieties need about 70–90 days to reach maturity once they are in the garden.

Cabbage is usually a dependable choice in La Ronge. The season is supportive enough that gardeners usually have options instead of feeling pushed into only the quickest path.

What stronger local margin really changes is that gardeners can wait for a better-finished crop instead of harvesting defensively.

Best local strategy: Use the normal transplant window and prioritize healthy early growth, spacing, and even moisture.

Can Cabbage Mature in La Ronge?

Growing degree days measure how much useful warmth typically accumulates during the season. For cabbage, this helps estimate whether local heat accumulation is usually enough for the crop to reach maturity on time.

Available GDD (base 40) 1936
Typical crop GDD target 1000
Heat margin +936

From the usual planting window, La Ronge typically provides about 1936 growing degree days for cabbage. With a typical crop target of 1000, that leaves a heat margin of +936. That heat margin usually gives the crop a dependable buffer, so gardeners have some flexibility in planting date and variety choice without pushing the crop close to the edge.

When Is It Too Late to Plant?

If planting later than usual, this table shows how much growing degree day heat is still available from each point in the season. It is most useful for judging how much flexibility you still have before the crop starts losing margin.

Checkpoint Remaining GDD Heat margin Fit vs typical target
Apr 15 2333 +1333 Comfortable
May 1 2332 +1332 Comfortable
May 15 2275 +1275 Comfortable
Jun 1 2085 +1085 Comfortable
Jun 15 1863 +863 Comfortable
Jul 1 1552 +552 Comfortable

How Different Cabbage Varieties Affect Results

In La Ronge, most cabbage varieties are usually realistic choices. Gardeners can often choose across the maturity range without giving up much day-to-day reliability.

Varieties that often fit well here include:

  • Golden Acre — a classic early cabbage with strong practical fit in shorter seasons
  • Early Jersey Wakefield — an early pointed cabbage that is useful when speed and spring harvests matter more than storage
  • Stonehead — reliable and approachable, especially where gardeners want a firm early head
  • Red Express — a faster red cabbage option for gardeners who want color without moving all the way into long-season storage types
  • Cheers — productive and strong where the season offers a comfortable cool run
  • Storage No. 4 — better suited where the growing window gives longer room for finishing

Best Cabbage Varieties for La Ronge

Cabbage variety choice in La Ronge is mostly about head size, storage quality, compactness, and how much time you want to give the crop before harvest.

June 15 local season starts September 2 frost pressure returns
Less heat used 1936 GDD available

Hover or tap the dots to see which recommended varieties use that much local heat.

For La Ronge, start with Stonehead and Red Express for cabbage when you want reliable early cabbage or a faster red cabbage option. Choose Early Jersey Wakefield and Golden Acre when you want early pointed spring cabbage or early compact cabbage heads. Look at Storage No. 4 and Cheers when you specifically want storage cabbage or productive main-season cabbage.

Compare each variety’s heat need and maturity timing against the local frost-free window before choosing what to grow.

Fastest / most cushion

Early Jersey Wakefield Very early
800 GDD needed 1936 available before frost
June 15 September 2
Comfortable fit
Why this fit?

Local season fit: Early Jersey Wakefield leaves about 1136 GDD cushion against the normal La Ronge crop heat estimate.

Best for: early pointed cabbage.

A quick pointed cabbage that is useful when speed and spring harvests matter more than storage.

Tradeoff: Not a storage-focused cabbage.

Golden Acre Very early
800 GDD needed 1936 available before frost
June 15 September 2
Comfortable fit
Why this fit?

Local season fit: Golden Acre leaves about 1136 GDD cushion against the normal La Ronge crop heat estimate.

Best for: early compact heads.

A classic early cabbage that gives gardeners a practical short-season path to firm heads.

Tradeoff: Not the biggest or best storage cabbage.

Also realistic

Storage No. 4 Late
1150 GDD needed 1936 available before frost
June 15 September 2
Comfortable fit
Why this fit?

Local season fit: Storage No. 4 leaves about 786 GDD cushion against the normal La Ronge crop heat estimate.

Best for: storage cabbage.

A longer-season cabbage better suited to places with enough room for a full finish.

Tradeoff: Needs a longer finish than early cabbage.

Cheers Mid-season
1000 GDD needed 1936 available before frost
June 15 September 2
Comfortable fit
Why this fit?

Local season fit: Cheers leaves about 936 GDD cushion against the normal La Ronge crop heat estimate.

Best for: productive main-season cabbage.

A strong cabbage choice where the season offers a comfortable cool run.

Tradeoff: Needs more room than compact early cabbage.

GDD comparisons are a planning shortcut, not a guarantee. Soil, watering, sowing depth, pests, transplant quality, and harvest goals still affect the final result.

Variety class Typical days to maturity Typical GDD need Local fit
Very early 60–70 800 Good fit
Early 70–80 900 Good fit
Mid-season 80–95 1000 Good fit
Late 95–110 1150 Good fit

Main risk: The usual setback here is giving away seasonal margin through late planting, slow early growth, or slower variety choice than the crop really needs.

How Frost Affects Planting Dates for Cabbage in La Ronge

La Ronge usually has about 79 frost-free days, with a typical last spring frost around June 15 and a typical first fall frost around September 2.

Typical last spring frost June 15
Typical first fall frost September 2
Typical frost-free days 79
Minimum safe temperature 28°F / -2 °C

Cabbage is generally somewhat frost tolerant and temperatures below about 28°F ( -2 °C) can slow growth or damage plants.

Cabbage is usually tolerant enough of cool conditions that light frost is not the main concern. The more useful question is how early planting affects establishment and overall crop quality.

Problems here usually come from giving up part of the season through late planting, weak early growth, or slower variety choice than the crop really needs.

In La Ronge, cabbage already has plenty of seasonal room when planted around May 25. In practical terms, the best spots are usually south-facing walls, raised beds, sheltered backyards, and urban heat pockets. Cooler spots like open windy yards, low frost pockets, and exposed sites that lose heat quickly are more likely to stay cooler and be less forgiving. For cabbage, warmer local sites usually help the crop get established earlier and grow a little more steadily.

Set up cabbage for steady growth and pest protection

The better results usually come from steady growth, pest protection, and avoiding early setbacks.

Transplant support

Strong young plants help avoid slow starts and uneven sizing.

Pest and weather protection

Brassicas and leafy crops often benefit from simple protection while they establish.

Even growth

Consistent moisture and spacing help the crop size evenly.

Recommendations are based on the local growing margin for this crop. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.

For a broader local overview, see the La Ronge planting guide. You can also use the Growing Degree Day Planner to test planting dates and crop timing.