When to Plant Chinese Cabbage (Wombok) in Perth, Mediterranean Guide
Sow February to May and August to September. Right now in October it is out of season. The next sowing month is February.
Grow Chinese Cabbage in your space
Also called wombok, napa cabbage.
- Planting window
- Sow in late summer and autumn for winter heads. August sowings suit only the Perth coast; spring warmth makes it bolt.
- Days to harvest
- 60 days
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade (afternoon) in warm zones to prevent bolting.
- Water needs
- Consistent moisture critical. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Mulch to retain moisture...
- Spacing
- 35cm apart, 45cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-7.0
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Chinese Cabbage (Wombok) guide is written for the Mediterranean zone, which takes in Perth, Adelaide and Bunbury. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Wombok (also called Chinese cabbage, napa cabbage, or wong bok) forms tall, barrel-shaped heads of crinkled, pale green leaves. It is faster to mature than European cabbage (8-10 weeks), milder in flavour, and excellent for kimchi, stir-fries, and salads. A cool-season crop that bolts rapidly in warm or long-day conditions.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Mediterranean
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | S/D | S/T/D | S/T/D | T | - | - | S | T | - | - | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 15.6°C (optimal range: 7–25°C) ✓ Ready to plant
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Perth), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Mediterranean zone normally runs 22°C by day and 10°C overnight, with about 38 mm of rain over 6 or 7 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -0.2°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 19 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Chinese Cabbage (Wombok) in Mediterranean Australia
When to Plant
Sow in late summer and autumn for winter heads. August sowings suit only the Perth coast; spring warmth makes it bolt.
- Soil
- Rich, moisture-retentive soil with plenty of compost and aged manure. Needs good drainage but consistent moisture.
- pH Range
- 6.0-7.0
- Sunlight
- Full sun in cool weather. Part shade (afternoon) in warm zones to prevent bolting.
- Spacing
- 35cm apart, 45cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent moisture critical. Water deeply 2-3 times per week. Mulch to retain moisture. Irregular watering or drought stress triggers bolting. Drip irrigation preferred.
Companion plants: Celery, Onion, Garlic, Dill, Chamomile
Avoid planting near: Other brassicas (disease transfer), Strawberry, Tomato
Grow before, grow after
Chinese Cabbage belongs with the brassicas, the leafy greens and brassicas turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
- Grow after it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
Give the bed 3 turns before brassicas go back in. The cabbage family is hungry for nitrogen and shares club root and other soil diseases.
Mediterranean Growing Tips for Chinese Cabbage (Wombok)
Recommended Varieties
- Michihilli
- Wong Bok
- Kasumi
Key Challenges
- Bolts as spring days lengthen
- Caterpillar pressure in early autumn
Pro Tips
- Excellent autumn-winter crop for Perth and Adelaide
- Time plantings to exploit winter rainfall
- Harvest by September before warm weather returns
Harvesting Chinese Cabbage (Wombok)
When ready: Head is firm and solid when gently squeezed. Typically barrel-shaped, 25-35cm tall. Outer leaves may begin to flare. Head has a dense, compact feel.
How to harvest: Cut at base with sharp knife. Can harvest entire head or remove outer leaves progressively for loose-leaf use. Harvest in cool of morning.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Chinese Cabbage (Wombok)
When do you plant chinese cabbage in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Aug
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to Jun
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to May, Jul to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Apr
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan to Mar, Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Feb to May
- Mediterranean (Perth): Feb to May, Aug to Sep
Does chinese cabbage grow all year round in Perth?
No. In the Mediterranean zone the planting months are Feb to May, Aug to Sep. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
What else is chinese cabbage called?
Chinese cabbage is the usual Australian name. Overseas seed packets and recipes call it wombok, napa cabbage. Same plant, same growing advice.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Mediterranean zone, Perth is its reference city.