Cabbage planting and care in open ground. Growing cabbage in open ground - from selecting seeds to harvesting

• Landing: sowing seeds for seedlings early varieties carried out from the beginning of March to the third ten days of the month, mid-season varieties - during the month from March 25, late varieties - from the beginning of April to the third ten days of the month. Transplanting seedlings into open ground - after 45-50 days.
• Lighting: bright sun from morning to evening.
• The soil: for early honeycombs – loamy and sandy, for mid-season and late honeycombs – loam and clay. Hydrogen index 6.0-7.0 pH.
• Predecessors: It is not advisable to grow after cruciferous crops.
• Watering: After planting in the ground, seedlings are watered every evening for a week. Subsequently, watering is carried out in the evening or in cloudy weather once every 5-7 days, and in heat and drought - every 2-3 days.
• Hilling: three weeks after planting, then another 10 days.
• Mulching: A layer of peat mulch up to 5 cm thick is recommended.
• Top dressing: three feedings with complete mineral fertilizer during the seedling period, then with ammonium nitrate when the leaves begin to grow, the last one at the moment when the leaves begin to curl into a head of cabbage.
• Reproduction: seedlings from seeds.
• Pests: aphids, caterpillars, slugs and snails, cruciferous bugs and flea beetles, cabbage leaf beetles and secretive proboscis.
• Diseases: clubroot, blackleg, downy mildew, fusarium, rhizoctonia, white and gray rot.

Read more about growing cabbage below.

Agriculture cabbage (lat. Brassica oleracea)- a biennial plant with a tall leafy stem, bare gray or bluish-green leaves. The lower fleshy, large, petiolate, lyre-pinnately dissected leaves, adjacent to each other, form a rosette - a head of cabbage around the stem, the upper leaves are oblong, sessile. Large flowers form a multi-flowered raceme. Cabbage seeds are also large, dark brown, spherical, about 2 mm long. Cabbage contains mineral salts of calcium, potassium, sulfur and phosphorus, fiber, enzymes, phytoncides, fats, vitamins A, B1, B6, K, C, P, U and others. According to some scientists, cabbage comes from the Colchis lowland, where similar plants, called “kezhera” by local residents, still grow in variety. The cabbage species includes such well-known varieties as white and red cabbage, as well as cauliflower, savoy, Brussels sprouts, Portuguese, kohlrabi, broccoli, Chinese, Chinese and kale.

Sowing cabbage seeds.

The quality of cabbage primarily depends on the seed, so be responsible when purchasing seeds and before growing cabbage seedlings, think about why and when you want to get it - do you need it? early vegetable with delicate leaves for salads or strong, dense heads of cabbage for winter storage and pickling. The choice of variety and sowing time will depend on the intended purpose of the cabbage you grow. White cabbage, widely cultivated by amateur gardeners, without which no borscht is complete, comes in early varieties that are suitable only for eating in summer time, mid-season, which can be eaten fresh in the summer, or can be salted for the winter, and late varieties, which are more suitable than others for long-term storage. Sowing of early varieties of cabbage for seedlings is carried out from the first days of March to the twentieth of the month, seeds of mid-season varieties are sown from March 25 to April 25, and late cabbage is sown from the beginning of April to the third decade of the month. From the moment of sowing until the seedlings are planted in open ground, it usually takes 45-50 days.

If you have decided on your desires and purchased the seeds of the desired varieties, it’s time to think about making soil for seedlings. Professionals recommend preparing the soil mixture in the fall so that you don’t have to extract the ingredients from under the snow in winter. Mix one part each of humus and turf soil, add ash at the rate of 1 tablespoon per kilogram of soil and mix the composition well. The ash will act as an antiseptic and a source of macro- and microelements, preventing the appearance of black leg on cabbage seedlings. You can prepare a mixture of a different composition, based on peat, for example - the main thing is that it is fertile and breathable. Never use garden soil from a plot where cruciferous crops were grown to grow seedlings, as it is likely that it contains pathogens that can affect the seedlings.

Growing cabbage begins with heating the seeds for 20 minutes in water at a temperature of about 50 ºC, after which they are immersed in cold water for 5 minutes to increase the immunity of the seed to fungal diseases. Then the seeds are immersed for several hours in a solution of a growth stimulant - Humate, Epin, Silk, etc. However, there are varieties whose seeds cannot be wetted - carefully read the instructions attached to the bag of seeds. Water the soil generously before sowing and do not moisten it further until germination. The seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm, then the container is covered with film or paper on top so that moisture from the top layer of soil does not evaporate, and the crops are kept at a temperature of 20 ºC.

Growing cabbage seedlings.

Shoots appear already on the 4-5th day, after which the film or paper is removed, the temperature is lowered to 6-10 ºC and the seedlings are kept in these conditions until their first true leaf appears. To do this, it is best to place the container with seedlings on glazed loggia, and usually a week is enough to achieve the expected result. After the leaf appears, the temperature on sunny days is increased to 14-18 ºC, on cloudy days it should be within 14-16 ºC, and at night – 6-10 ºC. Caring for cabbage seedlings at this stage provides the plants with access to fresh air, but the seedlings must be protected from drafts. In addition, seedlings need additional illumination with a fluorescent or phytolamp: their daylight hours should be at least 12-15 hours a day. Do not allow the soil to dry out or become waterlogged - this can be avoided by regularly loosening the soil after watering. A week after the emergence of seedlings, the soil is watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate at the rate of 3 g of potassium permanganate per 10 liters of water, or a weak solution copper sulfate.

Picking seedlings.

One and a half to two weeks after the emergence of seedlings and the formation of the first true leaf, the plants dive, providing the seedlings with a large feeding area. An hour before planting the cabbage, the soil with the seedlings is watered abundantly, then each seedling is removed along with a lump of earth and, having shortened its root by a third of its length, it is planted in an individual cup (preferably peat-humus), buried down to the cotyledon leaves. Picking can be avoided if the initial sowing of cabbage seeds is carried out in individual containers - when transplanting seedlings into open ground from personal pots root system seedlings are not so injured, and by the time the seedlings are planted in the garden bed, they will have already developed to a decent size. If you grow seedlings in peat-humus pots, then you can plant the seedlings in the ground directly in them.

Planting cabbage in the ground is preceded by two weeks of hardening, the purpose of which is to prepare the seedlings for development in new conditions. The first two days in a room with seedlings, open the window for 3-4 hours, providing protection for the seedlings from drafts. Then, over the course of several days, the seedlings are taken out for an hour or two to a balcony or loggia under Sun rays, from direct contact with which the seedlings must first be covered with gauze. After a week, reduce watering, take the seedlings to the balcony and keep them there until planting in the ground.

Planting cabbage in open ground

When to plant cabbage in the ground.

Transplanting early cabbage in open ground is carried out when the seedlings develop 5-7 leaves, and the seedlings reach a height of 12-20 cm. The parameters for planting seedlings of mid-season and late cabbage in open ground are as follows: the presence of 4-6 leaves with a seedling height of 15- 20 cm. Typically, seedlings of early varieties achieve such results by the beginning of May, late varieties - from mid to late May, and mid-season varieties - from late May to mid-June.

Soil for cabbage.

Before planting cabbage, you need to prepare a plot for it. It should be illuminated by the sun from morning to evening. As for the soil, loam and sandy soil are most suitable for early varieties of cabbage, while loam or clay soil is optimal for middle and late varieties. The hydrogen index on sandy soils should be ± 6.0, and on clay-sandy or clayey soils - ± 7.0. Acidic soils are unsuitable for cultivating cabbage. This crop cannot be grown in areas infected with bacteriosis for eight years. It is also undesirable to plant cabbage where other cabbage crops were recently grown - turnips, radishes, turnips, mustard, rutabaga or cabbage. Before the area where these crops grew can be used for cabbage, at least three years must pass.

The soil in the area for cabbage should be prepared in advance, from the first days of autumn preceding planting: in dry weather, carefully dig the area to the depth of a spade bayonet, but do not try to level the surface, because the steeper the unevenness, the more moisture it can absorb over the winter and spring. Earth. After the snow melts, the so-called “moisture sealing” is carried out - the soil surface is leveled with a rake to prevent water from evaporating too quickly from the soil. Very soon weeds will creep out of the ground and must be removed immediately.

How to plant cabbage in open ground.

The scheme for planting seedlings in open ground is approximately as follows:

• – 30x40 for hybrid and early varieties, 50x60 for mid-season and 60x70 for late varieties of white and red cabbage;
• – 30x40 for kohlrabi;
• – 25x50 for cauliflower;
• – 60-70 for Brussels;
• – 40x60 for Savoy;
• – 30x50 for broccoli.

Try not to overcrowd the beds, as cabbage needs a lot of light and space.

Make holes in the soil slightly larger than the root system of seedlings with an earthen ball or peat-humus pot. Place in each hole a handful of sand and peat, two handfuls of humus and 50 g wood ash, add half a teaspoon of nitrophoska, mix the additives thoroughly and pour generously. An earthen ball with the root system of the seedling is dipped directly into this slurry, sprinkled with damp soil, pressed lightly and dry soil is added on top. Seedlings that are too elongated are planted so that the first pair of leaves is level with the surface of the site.

Cabbage care

How to grow cabbage.

At first, carefully monitor the planted seedlings in order to put the fallen seedlings back in place in time. If weather forecasters predict sunny days, shade the seedlings from the sun for a while with newspapers or non-woven material. For a week, water the seedlings every evening from a watering can with a divider; after this period, if night frosts are not expected, the cover can be removed. Further care of seedlings in open ground consists of watering, loosening the soil, weeding the area, regular feeding and treating cabbage from pests and diseases. Three weeks after planting, the cabbage is earthed up; after another 10 days, the earthing procedure is repeated.

Watering cabbage.

Growing cabbage in open ground will require you to strictly adhere to the watering regime, since the plant needs a lot of moisture. How to water cabbage already planted in open ground? Watering is carried out in the evening; on cloudy days, a gap of 5-6 days is sufficient between heavy waterings; in hot weather, watering will have to be done every 2-3 days. After watering, loosen the soil in the area while hilling up the cabbage. Professionals recommend using a 5 cm thick mulching layer of peat - it retains moisture in the soil longer and at the same time serves as food for developing plants.

Feeding cabbage.

7-9 days after picking the seedlings, it is necessary to apply the first fertilizing consisting of 2 g of potassium fertilizer, 4 g of superphosphate and 2 g of ammonium nitrate dissolved in 1 liter of water - this amount should be enough to fertilize 50-60 seedlings. To avoid burns, fertilize cabbage using pre-watered soil. The second feeding is applied two weeks later and consists of double the amount of the same fertilizer dissolved in the same amount of water. If the seedlings are slightly yellowed, feed them with a liquid solution of fermented manure at a rate of 1:10. The third, so-called hardening fertilizer is applied two days before planting seedlings in open ground, and it consists of 3 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium fertilizer and 5 g of superphosphate, dissolved in a liter of water. A high concentration of potassium fertilizers promotes the survival of seedlings in open ground. If you do not have enough time to prepare a nutrient mixture, use ready-made liquid complex fertilizer Kemira Lux.

If you fed cabbage in the seedling stage, its development promises to be fast and intense, but after planting in open ground, feeding the cabbage does not stop. How to fertilize cabbage when its leaves begin to grow? It is best to add a solution of 10 g of ammonium nitrate in 10 liters of water to the soil - this dose is calculated for 5-6 plants. When the leaves begin to form into a head of cabbage, carry out a second feeding with a solution of 4 g of urea, 5 g of double superphosphate and 8 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water from the same calculation.

Cabbage processing.

The first time after planting in the ground, seedlings are dusted with ash with the addition of tobacco dust - this measure will protect young plants from slugs and fleas. Garden cabbage – food product, therefore, using pesticides to treat pests and diseases is extremely undesirable and unwise. How to process cabbage to destroy its enemies and at the same time not poison the product we are going to eat? There are many ways to protect garden crops from such scourges as the invasion of aphids, caterpillars, pests of larvae and gastropods - snails and slugs. Aphids and caterpillars can be destroyed by spraying with the following infusion: 2 kg of tomato tops are poured with 5 liters of water, left for 3-4 hours, then boiled for 3 hours, allowed to cool, filtered and diluted with water 1:2. To ensure that the infusion “sticks” to the leaves and does not flow onto the ground, add 20-30 g of grated tar soap to it. Infusion can be used in the fight against aphids and caterpillars onion peel: pour a liter jar of husks with two liters of boiling water and leave for two days, then filter, add another 2 liters of water and a tablespoon liquid soap or dishwashing detergent.

To combat the larvae of the May beetle, armyworm or cabbage fly, ants are attracted to the site by burying a jar of honey or jam diluted with water. Attracted by the sweet, black ants will also eat the larvae.

A preventive measure in the fight against harmful insects can be considered by placing marigolds, mint, sage, cilantro, basil, rosemary and other herbs in the area with cabbage and around it. The tart aroma will repel aphids, butterflies, slugs, fleas and attract their eternal enemies to fight them - ladybugs, lacewings, beetles and others.

Cabbage diseases

Some cabbage diseases can spread so quickly that a slight delay on your part can result in the loss of the entire crop. We will tell you why cabbage is sick, as well as how to treat cabbage to save it from death. One of the most dangerous diseases of the plant is clubroot, a common fungal disease that affects early varieties of white cabbage and cauliflower even at the seedling stage: growths form on the roots of the seedlings, disrupting the nutrition of young plants, causing the seedlings to lag behind in development - they do not even form an ovary. Remove diseased plants from the area along with a lump of earth, and sprinkle the place where they grew with lime. It is not yet possible to grow cabbage in this place, but other plants can grow without any risk, since clubroot only affects cruciferous plants.

A common occurrence is cabbage being damaged at the seedling stage or already in the garden plot by blackleg, a fungal disease of the root collar at the base of the stem. These parts of the seedling turn black, become thinner, rot, the plant slows down and dies. Such seedlings are not planted in the ground - they will die in any case. The soil in the area with cabbage killed by blackleg needs to be replaced, because it is unsuitable for growing cabbage. To prevent the disease, seeds are treated with granosan before planting in accordance with the instructions; to treat 100 seeds, approximately 0.4 g of the drug is needed, and fifty percent Tiram (TMTD) is added to the soil at the rate of 50 g per m².

Sometimes cabbage suffers from peronosporosis - false powdery mildew. Typically, pathogens are found in seeds, which is why pre-sowing treatment is so important. The disease appears in wet weather outer leaves cabbage with dim red-yellow spots. As a result of the development of the disease, the leaves turn yellow and die. As a preventive measure, seed treatment with Tiram or Planriz is used before planting. Hydrothermal treatment also gives good results - soaking the seeds in hot water (about 50 ºC) for 20-25 minutes. If preventive measures were not taken, or they did not help, you will have to resort to treating the cabbage with garlic infusion: add 75 g of finely chopped garlic to 10 liters of water, leave for 12 hours, then bring the infusion to a boil, let it cool and spray the plants. If this measure does not produce results, treat the cabbage with a two to three percent solution of Fitosporin-M. If necessary, treatment can be repeated after two to three weeks. But keep in mind that cabbage can be treated with a fungicide only before the head is set, otherwise there is a danger of toxic chemicals accumulating in the leaves.

White and gray rot also cause gardeners a lot of trouble. White rot develops under conditions of a combination of low temperature and high air humidity and is manifested by mucus on the outer leaves of cabbage, between which cotton wool-like mycelium is formed white with black sclerotia ranging in size from one millimeter to three centimeters. A head of cabbage affected by white rot rots in storage, infecting neighboring forks. Gray rot also appears during storage: the petioles of the lower leaves become covered with fluffy mold with black beaded dots. Pre-sowing seed disinfection, advanced agricultural technology, preventive cleaning and disinfection of storage facilities before planting cabbage, compliance with storage conditions, timely detection of the disease and cleaning of affected areas will help protect the cabbage harvest from these diseases.

A dangerous disease is fusarium wilt, or yellowing of cabbage, which is caused by the Fusarium fungus. Cabbage is affected by the disease even in the seedling period, and the death of young plants from this scourge sometimes amounts to 20-25%. Symptoms of the disease are loss of turgor in the leaves and the appearance of yellow spots on them. The development of leaves in areas of yellowing slows down, diseased leaves fall off. To prevent the disease from spreading, the affected plants are dug up along with the roots and burned, the soil is steamed or changed. Autumn and spring preventive treatment of the area with a solution of copper sulfate (5 g of the drug is dissolved in 10 liters of water) helps to destroy the fungus.

Rhizoctoniosis is another fungal disease of cabbage that develops with strong fluctuations in temperature (for example, from 3 ºC to 25 ºC), air humidity (from 40 to 100%), and soil acidity (hydrogen index from 4.5 to 8 units). The disease affects the root collar, causing it to turn yellow, dry out and die, the roots turn into sponges and the plant dies. Infection occurs already in open ground, the disease continues to develop even in storage. As a preventative measure, spray the soil before planting cabbage in the soil with copper oxychloride or preparations that contain it.

Cabbage pests

You learned how to destroy aphids, caterpillars, larvae and gastropods from the section on processing cabbage. But the plant has many enemies among insects, and in this section of the article we will talk about how you can get rid of other pests from the insect world. Serious enemies of cabbage are cruciferous bugs - colorful bugs up to a centimeter in size that overwinter in the soil. At the end of April they begin to feed on seedlings, at the beginning of summer the females lay eggs, after two weeks larvae emerge from them, and after a month adult bugs appear. These insects feed on cabbage juice by piercing its leaves. The puncture site becomes dead, and if there are many such areas, the leaves of the seedlings wither, dry out and die. Bugs cause the most severe damage to cabbage during drought. As a preventive measure, it is necessary to remove from the site weeds from the Brassica family - rapeseed, silverweed, field grass, shepherd's purse, alyssum and fireweed. After harvesting cabbage, do not leave weeds on the site, collect them and burn them. Bedbugs can be destroyed by treating cabbage seedlings before the formation of heads of cabbage with Actellik or Fosbecid.

Cabbage leaf beetle, a small ovoid bug up to 5 mm long, damages plant leaves by eating holes in them or making indentations along the edges. Leaf beetles also overwinter in the soil, and in May their females lay eggs, from which larvae emerge after 10-12 days, feeding by scraping the skin from the leaves. As a preventive measure, it is necessary, as in the case of fighting bedbugs, to remove cruciferous weeds from the site. And you can scare away leaf beetles by daily morning spraying cabbage on dew with a mixture of tobacco dust with slaked lime or ash in a 1:1 ratio. Before the heads of cabbage begin to form, you can treat the cabbage with a two percent solution of Actellica or the less toxic biological preparation Bankol.

Another enemy of cruciferous stem plants cabbage stalker– black bug up to 3 mm long. The larvae of the secretive proboscis are dangerous, gnawing passages in the petioles of leaves, penetrating the stem and descending through tunnels made in it into the root of the cabbage. In this case, the conducting system is damaged, the leaves turn yellow, the plants stop developing and die. In the fight against this pest, it is very important to remove plant debris from the site in the fall, and then dig up the soil. During the growing season, timely weeding and removal of plants affected by the pest from the site are important. Chemical agents that destroy the secretive proboscis are Actellik and Fosbecid, but treatment with insecticides is permissible only at the early stage of seedling development in open ground.

Harvesting and storing cabbage

Three weeks before harvesting, stop watering the cabbage - this measure stimulates the accumulation of fiber in the forks, which contributes to better storage of the cabbage. When the night temperature drops to -2 ºC, harvesting can begin. Do not delay harvesting, because at lower night temperatures the heads of cabbage freeze, which negatively affects their keeping quality. Dig up the cabbage along with the roots, sort it, putting aside small heads eaten by beetles or touched by rot - this cabbage cannot be stored, you will have to eat it or pickle it. Storable cabbage is placed under a canopy for a day so that it dries and slightly winds, then its stalks are cut off 2 cm below the head, leaving 3-4 covering green leaves on it. Now the cabbage can be placed in storage.

• – you can tie the heads of cabbage in pairs by the stalks and hang them from the ceiling on poles. In this position, there will be air access to the heads, they can be easily inspected for damage;
• - store cabbage in lattice wooden boxes placed on stands or shelves - the main thing is that they do not stand on the floor;
• – the heads of cabbage wrapped in paper are placed in a plastic bag without tying it and hung from the ceiling or placed on a shelf;
• – the head of cabbage is placed in a ten-liter bucket of soil, then it is covered with earth on top and the bucket is placed in the cellar. Sand can be used instead of soil.

There are a couple more storage methods, but for them the roots of the cabbage are not cut off, and the covering leaves, on the contrary, are removed. After this, the heads of cabbage are hung by the roots in a draft and slightly withered. When the top leaves dry, the heads of cabbage are moved to the cellar and, tied in twos, suspended by the roots from the ceiling. Or they immerse the head of cabbage in a clay mash of the consistency of pancake batter (cabbage leaves should not be visible through the layer of clay), then allow the clay to dry, hanging the head of cabbage, and take it to the cellar, where they also hang it from the ceiling. We have described to you ways to store white and red cabbage. Cauliflower is stored only in a suspended state, having previously wrapped the heads in paper.

You can, of course, store cabbage in the refrigerator, wrapped in a paper towel and placed in a loosely tied bag, but there is not much space in the vegetable department, and the shelf life of cabbage in the refrigerator is no more than two months.

Types and varieties of cabbage

On an industrial scale in agriculture and in amateur gardens they grow different types and varieties of cabbage, since this vegetable, like potatoes, is one of the most basic. We offer you types and varieties of cabbage for open ground, which you can grow in your dacha or near your house if you wish.

More common than any other species in our latitudes is white cabbage, which forms a thick, low stem covered with leaves. big size, as well as a head of cabbage, which is an apical bud that has grown to enormous sizes. Some heads of cabbage reach 16 kg, they are round and dense. White cabbage contains fiber, carotene, vitamins C and B. It is widely used in folk medicine for edema and stomach diseases, and externally for suppuration and boils. The yield of cabbage, as well as its size, depends on the variety: the most productive are the early-ripening varieties Gribovsky and Iyunskaya, the mid-ripening Podarok and Slava, the late Moscow Pozdnyaya and Amager.

in many ways it is similar to white cabbage, but is more frost-resistant. Its leaves are more purple than red, the heads weighing up to 5 kg are highly dense, so they are stored longer. Red cabbage has two times less fiber than white cabbage, but four times more carotene. It also contains iodine, mineral salts, pantothenic acid, iron, cyanidin, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels. The most common varieties: Gako, Mikhailovskaya, Kamennaya Golovka.

a dietary product, which is a creamy, granular, tuberculate hemispherical head surrounded by green leaves, weighing up to one and a half kilograms, consisting of rudimentary flowers practically fused together on branched short stalks. The most commonly grown varieties are: early - Movir, Early Gribovskaya, Garantiya, mid-season - Moskovskaya Konservnaya, Otechestvennaya, late - Adlerskaya Zimnyaya.

- a type of cauliflower, its head consists of green or purple. It is rich in mineral salts of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, vitamins C, A, B1, B2, PP. It has an antioxidant effect and is useful for the prevention of cardiovascular and cancer diseases.

looks like long stem, on which many small heads of cabbage grow, similar to the heads of white cabbage. Brussels sprouts are higher in vitamin C than citrus fruits; they are also rich in protein and contain magnesium, phosphorus and folic acid; it increases the body's resistance to disease and improves mental activity.

has a cabbage shape, but its delicate, highly corrugated leaves of bright green color are curled into a looser head. This type contains more proteins and vitamins than white cabbage.

looks like a spherical stem with leaves on long petioles. Contains large amounts of protein and vitamin C, glucose and calcium.

Today a very popular product on our table. Its head is oblong, loose, the fiber is tender and pleasant to the taste. The leaves contain many useful substances, but its main advantage is that the vitamin C contained in it does not disappear during storage.

- a leafy vegetable that does not form a head. In appearance it is more like a salad, but in composition it is close to white cabbage. It contains the essential amino acid lysine, which cleanses the human body of waste and toxins and improves immunity. Chinese cabbage is considered a source of longevity.

Despite its apparent unpretentiousness, cabbage is quite sensitive to changes in growing conditions; sometimes sharp temperature fluctuations or improper watering are enough to jeopardize the death of the entire crop. It is especially important to follow the rules of sowing, growing, and caring for beginning gardeners, because any difficulties or obstacles can deprive you of peace of mind and faith in one's own strengths. Today we will talk about the difficulties associated with growing cabbage in open ground, and how to overcome them in order to achieve a rich harvest.

Most of us are most familiar with traditional white cabbage, but there are many varieties of this vegetable: cauliflower and broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Peking cabbage, Savoy, etc. But most often in Russian gardens you can find white and red varieties.

Video “Planting in open ground”

From the video you will learn how to effectively plant cabbage in open ground.

The main rules for growing in open ground

Grow good cabbage growing in open ground is actually not as easy as it might seem; the vegetable here faces many dangers, from pests to soil moisture. Factors such as temperature fluctuations or the properties of the soil itself also influence the result. In addition, you should take into account the illumination of the area - it is better to plant cabbage in sunny beds.

Pay attention to which vegetables were the predecessors of cabbage - tomato, radish or beets are not suitable for this. The fact is that these crops deplete the soil as much as possible, as a result of which the cabbage yield will not be at all what you expect.

It is best to plant seedlings in those beds where legumes, potatoes or cucumbers previously grew. The acidity of the soil also does not have the best effect on the harvest - cabbage does not like it, so measures should be taken in advance to reduce the content of acidic substances.

Sowing and caring for seeds

Speaking about how to grow cabbage, first of all it should be noted that sowing seeds directly into the garden bed is categorically not encouraged: the crop is grown by seedlings. The seeds are sown in small containers, and the grown and strengthened shoots are transferred to the ground when the weather is warm.

To grow good viable seedlings, you need to choose the right soil: it must contain a large number of peat

The seedlings need to be pricked, but you can skip this step. In order for cabbage to develop well, growing and caring for it in open ground must be properly organized: both seedlings and adult plants need proper watering - excess moisture leads to rotting of the root system, and lack of moisture causes the sprout to dry out, or lead to a halt in development. The same applies to temperature conditions or lighting - when it is cold and there is not enough light around, the sprouts stretch and weaken.

It is noteworthy that crops do not germinate immediately: in the first weeks after sowing, the crop develops very slowly, and the first pair of leaves may appear on the 25th day.

Landing in the ground

To make you happy with the harvest, do not plant weak seedlings in an open garden bed: only strong plants that have acquired a dark green color and have already produced two pairs of leaves can be transferred to open ground. The scheme for planting plants is as follows; between them you need to maintain a distance of about half a meter, and to retreat 80 cm to the next row.

When planting, in addition to the obligatory moistening of the prepared hole, you need to apply fertilizer. Compost is best suited for this. After compacting the soil with the sprout, it is watered abundantly again to help rooting. Be sure to make sure that the growth point of the seedling is not below ground level; by filling it up, you doom the plant to death.

Care

If the planting process was successful, your seedlings have taken root safely, you can relax for a while, now no special care for the cabbage will be required. All you need to do is remember to maintain a moisture regime (water your cabbage beds moderately 2-3 times a week). After some time, the number of waterings can be reduced to one, but then it should be plentiful. Experienced gardeners recommend not using root watering, but providing sprinkling, then you will moisten not only the soil itself, but also the air around the plant.

You also need to take care of the soil in the cabbage bed, regularly loosen it, remove weeds and make sure that pests do not appear. Remember, many insects pose a danger to cabbage, so you need to deal with them as soon as the problem is noticed. We must not forget about the need for regular fertilizing: the first time you need to apply fertilizer no earlier than 14 days after planting in a permanent place in the open ground. The second time - another two weeks later, to support the developing plant. Subsequently, fertilizing should be done as needed, but you should not be overzealous so as not to harm the plants.

In order for your cabbage to grow as it should, planting and especially caring for it in open ground must be constant, because, like any garden crop, it needs care and attention. You also need to choose the right moment for harvesting: despite the cold resistance of cabbage, and the possible cutting of forks even when frost sets in, you should not unnecessarily delay harvesting: overripe cabbage will certainly crack. If you collect it ahead of time, the forks cannot avoid withering, loss of presentation and taste.

These are all the simple rules, the observance of which will help you get the harvest of your dreams, and will not cause much trouble during the entire time of growing your favorite vegetable. Remember that deviation from at least one of the requirements is fraught with negative consequences that can not only deprive you of the long-awaited harvest, but also discourage you from gardening forever. Don’t risk your own nerves and worries, do everything right, and have a good harvest!

Video “Care”

From the video you will learn how to properly care for cabbage.

There are two ways to grow white cabbage: seedlings and non-seedlings; in the latter case, the seeds are sown directly into the ground. Most often, cabbage is planted in the ground as seedlings, but in the central and southern regions, mid- and late-ripening varieties sown with seeds grow well.

Planting cabbage

Regardless of how cabbage is grown, you first need to prepare the seeds. First, the seeds are checked for germination. They need to be placed in a damp piece of cloth. High-quality seeds will germinate in 4-5 days. Then you need to lower them into hot water(48-50 °C), and after 20 minutes - into the cold. If you leave the seeds in water for 1-2 days, the seedlings will sprout 2-3 days earlier. It is useful to soak the seeds in a solution of nitrophos or nitroammophos (1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water), then rinse clean water and put it in the refrigerator - this will harden the seeds. In order to grow cabbage seedlings yourself, you must take into account that the seeds of early cabbage are sown no later than March 20, and late cabbage seeds - from February 15 to April 15. The substrate for seedlings is prepared from sand, peat and turf soil, taken in equal proportions. The substrate is carefully leveled and watered with a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 10 liters of water). Then grooves are made in the soil 1 cm deep so that the distance between them is 3 cm. The seeds are sown in the grooves and sprinkled with the same soil. Be sure to water the future seedlings through a strainer with water. When growing seedlings in room conditions care must be taken to ensure that there is no lack of light. This condition is especially important in the first few days after planting the seeds. During this period, additional lighting is necessary. To do this, use fluorescent lamps of 40-60 watts, install them at a distance of 10-15 cm above the seedlings. The lamps must be turned on every day for 8-10 hours for a month. As for temperature, this is an equally important factor.

If you grow seedlings in low temperature conditions, this can lead to plant death or the development of diseases. However, it must be taken into account that when growing cold-resistant varieties, it is useful to maintain temperatures of up to 6-8 °C in the first days after germination, and in the subsequent period - not lower than 12 °C. When the seedlings grow, you need to pay attention to their appearance. If the seedlings are light green, they need nitrogen fertilizing. But you should not add too much nitrogen, as this delays the formation of fruits. At the end of the seedling period, seedlings need phosphorus-potassium nutrition. It is enough to fertilize 1-2 times: after picking and in case there are nutritional deficiencies. Bird droppings are most suitable for this. It must be remembered that seedlings must be watered regularly, but not over-watered. It is best to water the seedlings generously 2 times a week, and on sunny days, if the soil dries out too much, every other day. After picking, the seedlings can be watered every day so that the soil is always slightly moist. With the appearance of the first true leaf, the seedlings can be planted in pots. For early ripening varieties, pots measuring 5x5 cm are suitable, for late varieties - 8x8 cm. Before planting, 10-15 days in advance, it is recommended to harden the seedlings by taking them out into the fresh air for a short time. Seedlings can be planted at the age of 45-60 days. Before planting, you need to carefully examine the seedlings and remove plants with signs of disease and weak ones. For planting you need to choose hardened plants with a well-developed root system and an intact apical bud. Seedlings that have 6-7 true leaves take root best. It does not break from the wind and does not lose moisture. Having selected the plants, you need to shorten the long roots before planting.

In order to receive good harvest cabbage, it is necessary to plant it in fertile, breathable soils with a neutral reaction. Early ripening cabbage varieties grow well on sandy loam, light loamy and floodplain soils, medium and late varieties grow well on chernozems and peat bogs, as well as soddy-podzolic soils. If the area is waterlogged, cabbage should be planted on ridges or ridges. For early varieties of cabbage, it is recommended to choose areas where the snow melted first, that is, well heated by the sun. For medium and late varieties of cabbage, the area is additionally loosened with a hoe or rake to remove, if not all, then at least part of the weeds and eliminate the crust on the surface of the ground. First, early cabbage is planted, then seedlings of late-ripening varieties so that it can form a head of cabbage before the onset of cold weather. Before planting, be sure to water the seedlings in pots. Seedlings should be planted deep enough, to the level of the first leaf, so that the plant develops adventitious roots. But at the same time, you need to ensure that the apical bud is not covered. After planting the plant, compact the soil around it well so that the root is in close contact with the soil and there are no voids not filled with soil. Before planting, the holes need to be watered with water (1-2 liters per hole). After planting, the plants need to be watered again and sprinkled with dry soil. After planting is completed, the compacted row spacing is loosened. The area is marked in advance to provide the best feeding area for the plants. Row and square planting methods are suitable for cabbage; the variety of cabbage and soil fertility must also be taken into account. Early cabbage is planted in fertile soil in rows with a distance between them of 60-70 cm, and between rows - 25-30 cm. If the soil is not very well fertilized, the feeding area should be larger - 30-35 cm in a row, and between rows - 60 -70 cm. Mid-season varieties are planted in rows, keeping a distance between them of 70 cm, and between plants - at least 50 cm. Late varieties should be planted at a distance of at least 60 cm.

If the time for planting seedlings has already passed, you can sow cabbage seeds. The grooves are made in such a way that the distance between them is at least 10 cm, and the depth is 1-2 cm. You can also make holes 2-3 cm deep at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other with row spacing of 60-70 cm. In each 2-3 seeds are placed in each hole. Sowing time is late April - early May. To protect crops from the night cold, they need to be covered with film for 2-3 weeks and then removed. 3-4 weeks after sowing, when the seedlings appear, they need to be thinned out, leaving a distance of 30-40 cm between them. If the seeds were planted in a hole, then after 2-3 leaves appear on the sprouts, the seedlings need to be thinned out, leaving one strongest plant. Seedlings various types cabbage, as well as Chinese cabbage can be grown in greenhouses. Seeds should be sown in rows with a gap of 10 cm between rows. Make sure that the distance between cabbage sprouts should be at least 7 cm, since frequent landing the seedlings stretch out, the internodes lengthen, the stem becomes thin. When 2-3 true leaves form and warm days arrive, the film needs to be opened slightly, and if the weather permits, then completely removed.

Cabbage care

Caring for cabbage means watering, regularly loosening the soil, fertilizing and protecting it from pests and diseases. It has already been said above that cabbage is a very moisture-loving plant, so the main thing when growing cabbage is to water it well. Especially a lot of water is needed during the formation and growth of heads of cabbage. If early varieties of cabbage are grown on light soils in the middle zone, they should be watered at least 5-6 times per season. Mid- and late-ripening cabbage needs to be watered even more often. In dry times, it is also necessary to water cabbage at least 8-12 times a season. When watering with a hose or watering can, make sure that the pressure is not strong - this will avoid soil compaction and water runoff. Already two weeks after planting in open ground, you need to inspect the area and replace wilted plants new. They need to be planted a few centimeters from their original location. And when the plants take root, after 4-5 days, treat the soil in a row. At first, when the roots are still small, you can loosen close to the plants, leaving 4–5 cm around the plant unloosened.

As the root system grows, this area should increase. During loosening, all weeds must be removed. They should not be left on the site; it is better to take them to the compost heap. It is recommended to combine loosening with hilling. Timely loosening of the soil reduces the need for water by 20-25%. For good growth cabbage needs organic fertilizers, which are best applied to the soil in the fall during digging. You can use horse, cow, pig manure, poultry manure and compost. The amount of manure applied should be as follows: in poorly cultivated soils - 5-6 kg per 1 m2, in well-cultivated soils - 3-4 kg, in floodplain soils - 4-5 kg, in chernozem soils - 3-5 kg, and in lowland peatlands - 2-2.5 kg per 1 m2. This amount is calculated for mid- and late-ripening varieties. To better provide cabbage with useful substances, it is advisable to add ammonium nitrate to the manure (0.1 kg per 10-15 kg of manure). Mineral fertilizers can also be applied during the formation of heads of cabbage. There are the following standards for the use of ammonium nitrate: 30-35 g per 1 m2 of sandy and loamy soils, 20-27 g per 1 m2 of floodplain soils, 10-15 g per 1 m2 of drained peatlands. The rates of simple superphosphate are 40-60, 30-40, 35–40 g per 1 m2, respectively, and potassium chloride - 10-15, 15-20 and 15-30 g, respectively. Already 15-18 days after planting the seedlings, you need to carry out the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. For mid- and late-ripening varieties, it is necessary to add half the norm of ammonium nitrate, 1/4 part of superphosphate and 1/5 part of potassium chloride. After another 20 days, you need to add the remaining dose of ammonium nitrate and superphosphate, as well as 40% potassium chloride. And only when the head of cabbage begins to form can you fertilize with the remaining dose of potassium chloride. Mineral fertilizers can be alternated with organic ones. Fertilizer can be applied dry or diluted in water (70-80 g of fertilizer mixture per 10 liters of water). When fertilizing for the first time, apply it directly to the plant, the second and third time - between the rows of plants with great depth sealing. If the fertilizer is dry, apply it after watering or after rain. Ammonium nitrate is most suitable for dry fertilizing as a nitrogen fertilizer. Nitrogen fertilizers help speed up the process of head formation. They are especially important for early cabbage varieties.

Pest and disease control of cabbage

Cabbage fly. This insect causes especially great damage to the plant in rainy years. It is found almost everywhere, but most of all it is found in the non-chernozem and central zones. There are spring and summer cabbage flies, among which the spring one is more dangerous. It is similar to a housefly, but lighter and smaller: the length of the spring fly is 6 mm, the length of the summer fly is 7-8 mm. Its larvae infect the root and lower part of the cabbage stem, the plant withers and dies. The spring fly is especially harmful to cauliflower. The pupae of the spring fly overwinter in the ground at a depth of 10-15 cm, and the pupae of the summer fly are even deeper - 15-30 cm. The spring fly breeds 1-4 generations, the summer fly - one. Control measures: from chemical preparations, you can use a solution of chlorophos (20 g per 10 liters of water), which serves to prevent egg laying. Spray the seedlings 2-3 times, taking a break of 7-10 days. It’s better to water the soil at the base of the plant in advance with a chlorophos solution (30 g per 10 liters of water). Repelling agents that can be used as naphthalene, tobacco dust mixed in half with slaked lime, and ash are also effective in combating cabbage flies. Sprinkle the soil around the plant at the rate of 20 g of mixture per 1 m2. The egg-laying of the cabbage fly can be destroyed by removing the soil from the root collar of the plant by 10-15 cm and replacing it with fresh soil taken from the rows. This needs to be done several times during the egg laying period. If you remove the stalks from the plot after cutting the forks, cultivate the soil in the fall, hill up the cabbage, water and apply fertilizing before hilling, you will be able to prevent damage to the cabbage by these pests.

Cruciferous flea beetle. This dangerous pest sometimes completely destroys cabbage seedlings, as well as other vegetable crops, gnawing out the pulp of the leaves. Cruciferous flea beetles are bugs 2-3 mm long, black or with yellow stripes on the underwings. They usually overwinter under plant debris or in the surface layer of soil. Control measures: plants need to be pollinated with tobacco dust. The effect will improve if you add lime and ash to it. Tobacco dust and ash can also be used as prophylactic agents, especially since they are fertilizers.

Cabbage whites. This is one of the most dangerous pests, causing harm not only to cabbage, but also to radishes, turnips, and rutabaga. The cabbage white is a butterfly with white wings with black stripes in the front; the female has 2 round black spots on the front wings. Adult caterpillars are yellow-green in color and covered with bristles and hairs. Pupae overwinter on the trunks of trees, shrubs, etc. They give 3-4 generations. Control measures: if the area is small, the caterpillars can be collected by hand and destroyed. In addition, it is recommended to weed the cabbage and neighboring areas more often. Among the chemical agents, solutions of bacterial preparations such as entobacterin, dendrobacillin, lipitocide are effective. The solution is prepared at the rate of 20-30 g of substance per 10 liters of water.

Cabbage moth. Caterpillars cause especially great harm. They are yellowish in color, spindle-shaped, and their length is 9-12 mm. Caterpillars are gnawing small areas sheet without touching the top part. Very often the top bud of cabbage is damaged. Distributed everywhere. In warm weather conditions they produce up to 10 generations. Control measures are the same as for cabbage whites.

Cabbage scoop. Damages cruciferous and other vegetable crops. She has gray-brown forewings, with a yellowish wavy line and two dark spots at the anterior edge, hind wings dark gray. The caterpillars are green, greenish-brown or brownish-brown in color, with a yellow stripe along the body. They cause damage by gnawing holes in the leaves and then entering the head of cabbage and contaminating it with excrement. The caterpillars feed at night and hide at the base of the head of cabbage during the day. The head of cabbage gradually rots, acquires bad smell. The pupae overwinter in the soil at a depth of 9-12 cm. The cabbage cutworm produces 2 generations. Control measures: first of all, in the fall, you should definitely dig up the ground, carefully weed and hill up the plants. It is recommended to treat young plants with a solution of entobacterin (10-30 g per 10 l of water).

Cabbage aphid. These are small insects 2 mm long, with or without wings, covered with a light waxy coating. Larvae and adult aphids infect plant leaves, feeding on their sap. The leaves become colorless or turn pinkish, curl, and the growth of heads of cabbage slows down. In the first half of summer, aphids live on weeds, and then the females fly to cabbage. They produce large offspring, up to 16 generations per summer. Their numbers can only be reduced by cold weather. Control measures: firstly, spraying with tobacco infusion. The infusion is prepared as follows: 50 g of tobacco is poured into 0.5 liters of water, infused for 24 hours, then diluted 2-3 times and a little soap is added (40 g per 10 liters). Secondly, spraying potato tops with infusion. To do this, you need to pour 1.2 kg of tops into 10 liters of warm water, leave for 3 hours, then strain. A decoction of tomato tops is also an effective remedy. 4 kg of crushed mass should be poured into 10 liters of water, put on fire and boil for 30 minutes, then cool and strain. The decoction should be diluted with water before use (for 3 liters of decoction, 10 liters of water). Preventive measures include the destruction of cruciferous weeds and removal of stalks from the site. It is good to sow carrots and dill next to cabbage: these plants attract insects that destroy cabbage aphids.

Cruciferous bugs. These are large insects with red spots on their wings. They feed on juices from leaves. They hibernate under fallen leaves, under trees, and along the sides of ditches. In spring they live on weeds of the cabbage family, and then move to cultivated plants. Control measures consist of spraying with a solution of karbofos at the rate of 5-10 g per 10 liters of water. It is also important to control weeds.

Slugs are naked. Distributed almost everywhere. They multiply quickly in rainy years and damage many plants. They feed at night, and during the day they hide under lumps of soil, plants, and between cabbage leaves. Control measures: First of all, you need to mow the grass in nearby ditches and damp places. To kill slugs, a solution of iron sulfate (1 kg per 10 liters of water) is also used. An effective remedy is a mixture of ash and bleach (2 g of ash and 4 g of lime per 1 m2). You can use a mixture of tobacco dust and lime, taken in equal quantities. All measures to destroy slugs should be carried out late in the evening, when the slugs move on to the plants.

Plant diseases are another problem that gardeners have to contend with. But many diseases can be prevented or the likelihood of their occurrence reduced.

Kila. This fungal disease harms cabbage by affecting its root system. It can be recognized by the growths and swellings that appear. Control measures: dig up and destroy damaged plants. You cannot plant cabbage in this place for 5-6 years, as spores remain in the soil.

Blackleg. This fungal disease develops when poor care for seedlings, if the crops are too thick, as well as after sudden changes in temperature and soil humidity. The disease begins with the root collar darkening, becoming thinner and gradually rotting. The seedlings lie down and dry out. Control measures: first of all, careful care of the seedlings is necessary, compliance with all conditions for its cultivation. Before sowing and picking, it is necessary to rake TMTD into the soil (5-8 g per 1 m2).

White rot. A fungal disease that affects many vegetable crops. Root vegetables become soft and slippery, but do not change color. A loose white fluff forms on the surface of the infected area. Control measures: do not plant cabbage in the same place, apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.

Gray rot. This disease most often develops during storage. In this case, the bases of the petioles of the lower leaves are covered with gray fluff. Control measures: treat the storage with a 2% formaldehyde solution or an infusion of bleach (dilute 400 g of lime in 10 liters of water, let it brew for 3-4 hours). Observe the storage conditions for cabbage.

Fusarium. A fungal disease that primarily harms cabbage leaves by clogging blood vessels. As a result, cabbage seedlings wither and adult plants grow poorly. At the same time, the leaves turn yellow and sometimes fall off completely. Fusarium also manifests itself in the fact that a brown ring of blood vessels appears on a cross section of the leaf petiole. The disease often develops in hot and dry weather. A lack of potassium in the soil can also cause fusarium. Control measures: the same as for mucous bacteriosis.

Harvesting and storage

Early and mid-season varieties of white cabbage, as well as cauliflower, should be harvested as the heads of cabbage mature. To prevent heads of early ripening cabbage from cracking, they need to be bent 2-3 times in one direction. In this way, the flow of nutrients into the head of cabbage is limited, and the period of harvesting the heads of cabbage will increase by several days. Heads of cabbage need to be cut off carefully, leaving a stalk 3-4 cm long and lower leaves. You can grow a second crop on such a stalk. To do this, you must first loosen the soil between the rows and rows and apply mineral fertilizers (per 1 m2 10 g of ammonium nitrate, 10 g of potassium chloride and 10 g of superphosphate). Then the plant needs to be earthed up to form an additional root system. These events will lead to the awakening of the buds in the axils of the remaining leaves and the formation of new small heads of cabbage. In 2-2.5 months, heads of cabbage weighing 200 g or more grow. Medium and late varieties of cabbage grown for winter storage can be cut down or pulled out by the roots. Heads of cabbage intended not for pickling, but for fresh storage, should be harvested at the end of October, preferably before frost.

Cut heads of cabbage are placed in piles so that the outer leaves wilt a little and do not break during transportation. Brussels sprouts are not afraid of frost; on the contrary, they improve its taste. It can be harvested in late autumn. The shelf life of cabbage largely depends on the variety, so you should not store cabbage together different varieties. Cabbage is usually stored in the basement or cellar on racks. Optimal temperature storage is 0 °C, and relative humidity is 95%. A small number of heads of cabbage can be hung by the stalks from the ceiling or shelves separately from each other. If the cabbage harvest turns out to be very large, it is better to lay it on racks in 2-3 layers in the form of a pyramid. It should be taken into account that the distance between the heads of cabbage and the next shelf should be about 25-30 cm. Another way to store cabbage is in lattice boxes. The cabbage is laid with the stalks up, and the last top layer is laid with the stalks inward. The boxes are placed on wood flooring, and the distance between the floor and the flooring should be about 20 cm. To prevent the formation of gray rot, cabbage can be sprinkled with chalk or slaked lime (2-3 kg per 100 kg of cabbage) before storing. Cauliflower is stored at the same temperature and relative humidity air, as white cabbage, for 2-3 months. It is best to store it in boxes, the bottom of which is lined with plastic film. The leaves can be trimmed lightly above the head, but can be stored with all the leaves. The top of the box also needs to be covered with plastic wrap. Cauliflower can be stored in thin plastic bags.

You can also use thick cling film, but to do this you need to cut holes with a diameter of 8-10 mm on both sides of the bag. You need to place 1-2 heads in one bag, after clearing them of leaves, tie them up and put them in a box. Cabbage can be stored in bags for at least 35-40 days at a temperature of 0 °C. Another way to store cauliflower is as follows: whole plants along with the roots should be placed in boxes, the roots should be sprinkled with sand and watered generously, and the leaves should be raised. Plants with a head diameter of 25 cm are selected and dug up before frost occurs. Storage temperature should be no higher than 2-4 °C.

Video: Growing early cabbage

Preface

Planting cabbage is an important and special process for every gardener. After all, white cabbage is an integral part of our diet. all year round. Without it, it is impossible to imagine cabbage soup or borscht, as well as summer salads and a pantry shelf. Therefore, it is extremely important for the cabbage harvest to be a success, and for this you need to know the basic rules for planting white cabbage, providing it with appropriate care.

Before you start planting cabbage, you must first figure out what kind of vegetable you want to get - early ripeness for fresh summer salads or later, with stronger leaves for. After all, the final choice of variety will depend on this. In the first case, it is worth giving preference to varieties June, Golden hectare, Gift. But they are perfect for pickling Amager, Türkiz, Geneva and mid-season Anniversary. As for the timing of sowing early cabbage, it begins in the first days of March and ends in the twentieth. The mid-season variety is grown from April 25, and the late variety - from the beginning of April to the middle of the month.

White cabbage

If you have already decided on the variety and planting time, all you have to do is prepare the soil. First of all, it needs to be fertilized. Wood ash and humus will help you with this. Their quantity is one tablespoon per kilogram of soil. The composition of ash is a natural antiseptic that prevents the formation of blackleg on cabbage seedlings. In addition to humus, other natural components, such as peat, can be an excellent fertile base. The main thing is that in the end the soil should be loose and allow air to pass through well. But it is not recommended to use garden soil for seedlings, especially if other sacral crops were previously grown on it.

Remember, such soil can be very dangerous for young seedlings due to the high probability of diseases and pests accumulated in it, even if the vegetable is provided with maximum care. If you do not have time to prepare a nutrient mixture, you can use ready-made complex fertilizer Kemira Lux, adding it in the required quantity according to the instructions. Before planting seeds in the ground, they must be warmed up. For these purposes, use water heated to 50 degrees. The seeds are dipped in it for a quarter of an hour, after which they are dipped in cool water for another five minutes. Such a contrast shower increases resistance to the development of fungal diseases.

And to further strengthen the plant’s immunity and enhance its growth, special stimulants are used - Humates, Silk, Epin. It is recommended to soak the seeds in them for several hours. Before doing this, carefully read the instructions; soaking is not necessary for growing some varieties. Next, water the soil for sowing generously, deepen the seeds literally 1 cm and sprinkle them with soil. To ensure that cultivation takes place as intensively as possible, the soil is covered with film. This way, excess moisture will not evaporate. After this, we do not water the soil until the first shoots appear, while maintaining a constant temperature of 20 degrees.

If you did everything correctly, then already on the fifth day after planting the seeds, the first shoots should appear. As soon as this moment has arrived, we remove the film and also create new temperature conditions for the seedlings - 6-10 degrees. Such temperature regime maintain until the first true leaf appears. Usually it takes no more than a week. When the first leaf begins to grow, we raise the temperature to 14-18 degrees. During this period, seedlings should be provided with maximum care, in particular good flow. fresh air, while protecting it from drafts.

Young cabbage seedlings

In order for the plant to grow successfully, a sufficient amount of sunlight is necessary. Daylight hours for cabbage should be at least 12-15 hours. In a greenhouse, this can be achieved through the use of a fluorescent lamp. As for watering, it should be balanced, avoid drought and waterlogging. Don't forget to loosen the soil better penetration air to the roots. And in order to increase the plant’s immunity during the period of intensive seedling growth, a week after the appearance of the first shoots, water it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate, at the rate of three grams of the substance per 10 liters of water.

After two weeks after the appearance of the first shoots and true leaves, a pick is made, which consists of transplanting the seedlings into separate cups. About an hour before such a transplant, the seedlings are watered abundantly, then the soil is allowed to dry a little, and then the seedling is carefully removed along with the earthen lump. In order for it to take root better in the new soil, its root is shortened by a third of its length. The best basis for replanting will be a peat-humus mixture. However, you can start growing seeds in individual containers and further caring for them from the very beginning. In this case, the likelihood of injury to the root system of the seedling is reduced.

After picking, hardening begins, that is, preparing the plant for natural growing conditions. So, in the first 2 days in the room where the seedlings are growing, open the window for 3-4 hours, while observing measures to protect it from drafts. Then, for a couple of hours a day, the pots with seedlings are placed in direct sunlight, not forgetting to cover the fragile seedlings with gauze. After about a week, watering is reduced, gradually preparing it for the next transplant into open ground.

Before you start planting seedlings in open ground, you should understand the appropriate one. This plant grows especially well near groundwater. But the swampy and acidic soils Can't stand cabbage. The best option The soil is considered slightly acidic. If the acidity is higher, be sure to do liming. However, soil fertility criteria also depend on the early maturity of the variety. Early and mid-ripening varieties of white cabbage are considered the least whimsical, which cannot be said about late-ripening crops. Therefore, for the first and second options, growing on loamy and sandy soils is quite suitable, and for the last one, loamy and clayey soil.

White cabbage seedlings

Moreover, to achieve high yield This will also not be enough for late-ripening varieties. Care must be taken to apply organic and mineral fertilizers. The most demanding hybrid varieties in this regard are those of late ripeness. To get a high yield, you will need to apply fifty percent more mineral fertilizers than usual. It is also important to follow agricultural cultivation techniques. In particular, this applies to the place where seedlings are planted. You should not choose areas where cabbage crops previously grew (turnips, radishes, kohlrabi, turnips, rutabaga, white mustard). Before such areas can be used again, at least 3 years must pass.

Preparing the area for planting cabbage should be planned in advance. In the first autumn days, dig up the soil thoroughly, but do not try to level it. Thanks to digging and unevenness, moisture will be able to saturate the soil well in winter. But in the spring, after the snow melts, carefully level the top layer of soil for rapid evaporation excess moisture. Soon after the first buds, weeds will appear on the trees. They must be uprooted and burned.

Depending on the ripeness of cabbage, the very moment when it needs to be planted in open ground is determined. For example, planting of early cabbage occurs when the seedlings have the first 5-7 leaves and their height reaches 12-20 cm, and mid-season and late cabbage - when there are 4-6 leaves and a height of 15-20 cm. Planting of early cabbage is planned for the beginning of May, mid-season varieties - at the end of May-mid-June, and late varieties - in the middle and end of June. To make it comfortable for vegetables to grow on personal plot, a certain planting pattern is also observed:

• for hybrid and early varieties – 30x40 cm;
• for mid-season varieties – 50×60 cm;
• for late varieties of white cabbage – 60×70 cm.

Planting cabbage in the garden

Such indicators are the most optimal. You should not plant too densely; growing cabbage requires free space and good access to sunlight, so in this case the planting pattern is extremely important. The holes for planting seedlings should be deep enough, approximately the height of a shovel, because mineral and organic fertilizers, as well as other fertilizers, will be added to them. As for the width of the hole, it should be slightly larger than the size of the earthen ball of seedlings.

In each cavity we place two handfuls of humus or manure, a handful of sand or peat, as well as 50 g of wood ash and 1 tsp. nitrophoska. Lightly mix all these fertilizers and pour plenty of water on them so that they react with each other. If you are landing in sunny weather, leave the soil to dry, this is especially advisable when using manure. This way the earth will warm up enough and will promote the rapid growth of white cabbage.

Sprinkle a layer of fertilizer on top with a thin layer of soil and plant the seedlings together with the earthen lump in the soil, carefully compact it and lightly press it to the ground so that the roots accept right direction. If you feel that the root system is weak or slightly damaged, we recommend lightly dusting the earthen ball before planting Kornevin. This root formation stimulator will help minimize the risk of white cabbage not germinating. At the end, the seedlings need to be watered generously around the area, avoiding getting it on the leaves.

First of all, after planting the seedlings, make sure that they do not bend too much towards the ground. If this still happens after watering, the seedlings need to be seated in place. During the first week, water the seedlings every evening using a watering can with a divider. If there is no frost during the growing period, the cover can be removed at night. Further care will consist of regular watering, loosening the soil, weeding, applying the necessary fertilizers and pollinating white cabbage from pests and fungal diseases. And another 21 days after planting, hilling is done, repeating the procedure after 10 days.

Watering cabbage

Due to the fact that the plant loves moisture, maintaining watering is very important. In order for it to remain in the soil longer, it is advisable to water it in the evening. In hot weather, seedlings need to be watered every 2-3 days, and in cloudy weather - once every 5-6 days. After this, be sure to loosen the soil, allowing a flow of fresh air and moisture to better penetrate the root system. Experienced gardeners It is recommended to use soil mulching, lining the seedlings with a layer of peat about 5 cm thick. It simultaneously nourishes the plant and allows it to retain moisture in the soil longer, thus providing maximum care for the plant.

As for fertilizing, they also do not stop after planting in the ground. An ammonium nitrate solution prepared at the rate of 10 g of the substance per 10 liters of water is ideal. This amount is enough for 5-6 bushes of white cabbage seedlings. Further care involves fertilizing when the cabbage heads begin to form; do this with a mineral solution consisting of 4 g of urea, 5 g of double superphosphate and 8 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.

As you can see, growing white cabbage requires uneven application of fertilizers. At first, it actively needs nitrogen, and during the formation of a head of cabbage, it needs potassium and phosphorus. In addition, proper care and timely application of such fertilizers will have a beneficial effect not only on a high yield, but also on the plant’s resistance to changes in weather conditions and fungal diseases.

An important point in caring for white cabbage is treating the seedlings against pests. The greatest effectiveness is shown by dusting the leaves with ash with the addition of tobacco dust, with their preliminary treatment with a solution of laundry soap. This method helps repel garden slugs and fleas that love to feed on the succulent leaves of the plant. Plus, it's absolutely safe.

Infusion against cabbage pests

Among the others traditional methods, which have proven themselves in eliminating dangerous pests such as aphids and caterpillars, we will extract an infusion from tomato tops. To prepare it, you will need to take 2 kg of tomato tops, pour 5 liters of water into it and leave it to steep for 3-4 hours. After this time, the infusion is allowed to boil for 3 hours and cool slightly. The concentrated infusion is diluted with water in proportions 1:2. In order for such a solution to stick better to the leaves, and therefore have a longer lasting effect, it is worth adding 20-30 g of grated tar soap to it before use.

An infusion of onion peels has similar properties. You will need a liter jar of husks, which will need to be filled with 2 liters of boiling water and left to steep for two days. At the end of the infusion process, filter the liquid and dilute it with an equal amount of water, and for better stickiness, add two tablespoons of liquid soap.

Gardeners fight other cabbage pests, such as the larvae of winter cutworms, cabbage flies and chafers, in a simple but very in an effective way- bait. Moreover, it is arranged not for the pests themselves, but for the ants, who are their first enemies. To do this, add a small jar of sweet water, diluting a couple of tablespoons of honey or jam in it. The ants, attracted by such a delicacy, eat the larvae and neutralize their harmful effects on the cabbage. In addition to spraying and ants, you can also fight insect pests by planting fragrant, aromatic plants. Planting marigolds, sage, cilantro, rosemary, basil, and mint works well to repel aphids, caterpillars, flea beetles and slugs. Take this into account when providing proper care to white cabbage.

White cabbage is a crop that is resistant to low air temperatures. At the same time, the plant loves light and moisture and can only grow in open ground, rich in nutrients and minerals. Therefore, gardeners need to make a number of efforts to reap a good harvest of vegetables.

The culture is two years old. In the first year of life, cabbage actively bears fruit, and in the second year it produces flower stalks with seeds. The fruit of the vegetable can reach 15 kilograms. But most often white cabbage grows medium - 5-7 kilograms. The shape of the head of cabbage can be varied.

The cultivation of this vegetable began about 25 centuries ago. The first crops were harvested in the 4th century BC. And today cabbage is a popular and sought-after plant on every table.

Typically, crop cultivation occurs through seedlings. To do this, vegetable seeds are planted in a box with soil on a windowsill or in a greenhouse. Seed germination occurs after a couple of days at temperatures above 18°.

In order for cabbage growing to be successful, it is worth considering a number of factors:

1. Correct choice of area for planting;
2. Carefully prepared – loosened and fertilized – soil for planting crops;
3. Planting young shoots in compliance with the planting pattern and the distance between individuals;
4. Thorough, attentive and complete care;
5. Systematic and sufficient watering;
6. Abundant feeding.

Young seedlings are resistant to frost. They are able to withstand temperatures down to -4°. Adult plants are not afraid of frosts down to -8°.

However necessary conditions, without which growing crops in open ground or a greenhouse is impossible. These are light, water (this factor is especially important at the stage of head formation) and the saturation of the soil with useful chemical elements. Therefore, the vegetable grows well in light, well-fed areas.

It is better to plant plants in open ground where turnips, radishes, radishes and other representatives of Cruciferous plants previously grew. The crop can grow in the same place for no more than three years.

Video “Growing Cabbage”

The video will tell you how to properly plant and grow cabbage.

Site preparation

Growing a crop will be successful only if you carefully select land for planting. The vegetable grows well in loamy open ground, which contains a large amount of humus and retains water well.

It is advisable to start preparing the soil in the fall. First, the soil is loosened, and as soon as weeds appear, it is dug up and fertilized with chalk and dolomite flour at the rate of one glass per unit area.

In spring, the soil dries out, after which it is loosened. Before planting, the soil must be dug up, fertilized with humus (a bucket per unit area), superphosphate (a couple of tablespoons), ash (a couple of glasses), urea (half a teaspoon).

Disembarkation

Before you start planting seedlings for growing in open ground, they need to be sorted. Planting technology involves burying the sprout before the first full sheet while pressing the ground. It is most effective to carry out this procedure on a cloudy day or in the dark. Indeed, under such conditions, the seedlings will “take root” much faster. To help the process, you can shade the seedlings in the first week of their “new life” and moisten them by spraying.

White cabbage has many varieties. Each variety has its own planting time. An early type of vegetable can be grown in open ground between April 30 and May 10. In this case, the distance between individuals should be at least 25 centimeters, and between sowings - 45 centimeters. Mid-season ones need to be replanted in mid-May, keeping a distance of 0.5 meters. And late varieties are planted from May 30 to June 10 with a distance of 60 centimeters.

Features of care

At different stages of its development in open ground, cabbage requires varying degrees of moisture. At first life cycle Plants and soil are watered to a depth of 20 centimeters in the amount of 8 liters of water per unit area. Next, you need to moisten the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters with a liquid volume of 10 to 12 liters.

Infrequent watering with large amounts of water will provoke rapid development of the plant's roots, but the harvest will be very small. But systematic measures to moisten the crop will promote the location of the roots in the upper layers of the soil. It is under such conditions that there is a high probability of reaping a rich harvest.

Early varieties of vegetables require more moisture at the beginning of summer, and late ones at the end. Moisture deficiency during the formation of a rosette of leaves has a negative effect on the size of heads of cabbage. It is better to carry out the watering procedure in the morning or evening warm water(at least 18°). After moistening the soil, it must be loosened.

During the entire growth period, cabbage must be hilled at least twice. The first time is after three weeks of growing in open ground, and the second time is two weeks after the previous one. All this contributes to the active growth of the roots of the crop, which, in turn, contributes to the growth of the head of cabbage.

Popular feedings

The saturation of the earth with useful substances and chemical elements is another integral component successful cultivation cabbage Therefore, during the entire period of development of the vegetable, it needs to be fed at least 4 times. Before this, the plant must be watered abundantly to prevent root burn. After fertilizing, the vegetable should be rinsed with clean water to remove any remaining fertilizer on the leaves.

For the first time, plants are fed 2-3 weeks after the start of growth in open ground. Half a liter of mullein needs to be diluted in a bucket of water. For each individual you should use at least half a liter of the prepared solution.

The second fertilizer should be applied two weeks after the first with the same substance. These measures are especially important for early and late varieties of cabbage.

The following fertilizer stimulates the growth of heads of cabbage. It is necessary to carry it out only for mid-season and late types of vegetables a week after the second feeding. To do this, half a liter of humus and 15 g of potassium phosphate are diluted in a bucket of water. One and a half liters of solution are allocated for each plant.

To obtain a rich harvest, two feedings are important. The first consists of 80 kilograms of ammonium nitrate or 50 kilograms of urea, 100 kilograms of superphosphate, from 50 to 100 kilograms of potassium salt per hectare of area. It is usually carried out after a couple of weeks of growing the crop in open ground. This procedure has a positive effect on the growth of the leaf rosette - the basis of the crop.

The second fertilization procedure involves the application of 150 kilograms of ammonium nitrate and 150 kilograms of potassium salt per hectare of area. This feeding is carried out at the initial stage of head formation.

After fertilizing, plants need watering. Moisture will help the fertilizers dissolve and be absorbed. It is even more effective to water and fertilize at the same time. If moistening occurs through sprinkling, then the concentration of the solution should be one and a half percent.

So, growing white cabbage is quite a troublesome task. At the same time, the specifics of caring for vegetables are not complicated. The crop is usually grown in open ground. You can sow seedlings in a greenhouse. However, much depends on the specifics of the vegetable variety - early, mid-season or late. It’s easy to grow large heads of cabbage and harvest a rich harvest if you have some knowledge. Therefore, before planting a vegetable, it is worth studying the features of its agricultural technology.

Video “How to grow cabbage”

The video shows all the intricacies of planting and growing white cabbage.

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