Cultivation of early cabbage. Early cabbage: planting and care

Cabbage is a very important culture that has been cultivated since time immemorial. In our time there are more than ten of its species and many varieties.

Cabbage contains many useful substances: proteins, fiber, vitamins, macro- and microelements. Regular use of any varieties of cabbage is a good prevention of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Cabbage is useful in various diseases, such as anemia, various infections, skin diseases, etc. In addition, cabbage leaves are used as compresses for various wounds, headaches, diseases of the upper respiratory tract.

Many gardeners are interested in how to grow early cabbage on their plot. This is simple enough, this culture does not require special cultivation conditions.

Seed preparation

Cultivation of early cabbage begins with the preparation of seeds, which need to be sorted and disinfected. To do this, they must first be placed for 20 minutes in hot, then for one or two minutes in cold water and dried. If you purchased seeds in the store, then there is no need for such preparation.

Before planting, it is advisable to soak the seeds of early cabbage and temper them at a temperature of +1 ... +2 ° C for about 24 hours. Due to this they will germinate faster, in addition, this preparation increases the cold resistance of plants.

Terms of sowing

The timing of planting depends on what kind and type of early cabbage. When to sow is best to get a good harvest?

Early varieties of white cabbage and red cabbage for seedlings are sown in late March, broccoli and color - from mid-March to late April, Brussels - from the middle to the end of April. It is very important to take into account the climatic conditions.

Growth conditions

It is necessary to take into account several important points in order to grow and develop early cabbage. Planting and care for different varieties are basically similar. Cabbage can not be grown on the same place for more than three years. It gives a good harvest in the areas where legumes, beets, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, cucumbers grew earlier.

Any species of this culture is well suited for fertile, light loamy, sandy-loamy, sod-podzolic, peat soils with an acidity close to neutral. Good harvest will not be on sandy and heavy clay soil.
The site should be open and well lit.

Site preparation

Of great importance is the preparation of the site on which the early cabbage will grow. Planting and caring for plants begins in the spring. The plot for early cabbage should be prepared in autumn. For this, it is dug and fertilized. As fertilizers, the use of humus, manure and compost in the amount of 1-1.5 buckets per m ^{2 is} effective.

In addition, mineral fertilizers are added in the amount of 40 g superphosphate per 1 m ² and half the amount of potassium chloride. Sour soil is limed.

With the arrival of spring, the land on which the early cabbage will be planted is dug, loosened and fertilized. As fertilizer manure is used (one bucket per square meter) and wood ash (1-2 items per square meter).

Seedlings cultivation method

Growing early cabbage from seedlings makes it possible to get a good harvest. Seeds are sown in boxes filled with soil, which must first be leveled and watered. Then make grooves depth of about 1.5 cm, into which seeds are sown at a distance of 2 cm. Until emergence, it is necessary that the temperature in the room was about 20 ° C. When the seeds ascend, the temperature is lowered to 8 ° C and maintained at this level for a week, after which it should be raised to 16-18 ° C in the daytime and about 10 ° C at night.

After the two sheets appear, the seedlings are seeded in separate containers. It is important to consider that for good growth and development of cabbage additional lighting is necessary.

After the appearance of 5-6 of these leaves, the seedlings are planted in the open ground.

Cultivation without picking

Planting the early cabbage on seedlings in this way, use cups, peat tablets, pots or special trays. In each container or cell must be sown two seeds. When there are shoots, only the strongest plant is left.

Landing in open ground

When the air temperature exceeds 17 ° C, and the soil temperature is 14 ° C, early cabbage seedlings are planted in the ground.

Seedlings of different varieties are planted according to different schemes:

- early white and red cabbage - 30 × 40;
- Broccoli cabbage - 30 × 60, in order to develop lateral shoots - 40 × 60;
- Brussels sprouts - 60 × 70;
- early kohlrabi - 30 × 40;
- Savoy cabbage - 70 × 30;
- colored early cabbage - 30 × 60.

It is best to plant cabbage in cloudy or rainy weather. To ensure that the soil is not compacted and not covered with crust, it must be regularly mulched or loosened.

Bezrossadny method

With this method of growing early cabbage, the seeds are sown directly into the soil. Cultivation of early cabbage by this method has its advantages. The plant does not have to be transplanted, the development of the root and aboveground part is faster than with the seedling method of cultivation, the yield increases. Sowing of early cabbage is produced at different times, depending on the region of growth.

Before planting to protect against pests, the seeds are treated using 12% hexachlorane. The seeding rate is 2 kg per 1 hectare, the depth of planting is 2-3 cm.

After the plant has 4-5 real leaves, cabbage is thinned, leaving one plant at a distance of 40-50 cm from the other. Further care is the same as in growing with the help of seedlings: watering, loosening, protection from pests.

Top dressing and care

How the leaves will grow and what size it will be headed, depends on how much the plant is provided with nitrogen. The cabbage has a special need for nitrogen before the head starts to form. When the head starts to tie, the plant needs potassium.

A week after the seedlings were planted, it must be fed using a solution of urea (to feed ten plants - 3 tablespoons per 1 bucket of water), before nailing the head for nourishing is used nitrophos (the same proportions for five plants).

Using organic fertilizers for top dressing, their solution is prepared one day prior to top dressing. The capacity is filled with a bird's litter by half, filled with water. Fertilizer should be mixed several times a day until a uniform liquid is obtained. Directly before feeding, the liquid must be diluted with water tenfold.

Cabbage loves moisture, so do not let the soil dry out. The early cabbage is watered three to four times a week. Before harvesting, if it is supposed to be stored further, watering is stopped in 35-45 days.

After watering the soil must be loosened, each time reducing the depth of processing, so as not to damage the root system. To grow a healthy early white cabbage, it must also be plowed, but not dry soil.

Pest Control

Insects and other pests can cause irreparable damage to the crop, so care must be taken to protect plants.

Early white cabbage, as well as colored cabbage, can be damaged by a cabbage fly, the larvae of which cause damage to the roots of the plant. At the same time cabbage begins to wilt in hot weather, and its lower leaves become bluish.

To combat this pest use dust DDT or 6% dust hexachlorane, which pollinate the plant after planting. The procedure is carried out two to three times at intervals of a week. The soil is watered using 30% thiophos (concentration 0.03%). You can sprinkle the ground near the plant with mothball mixed with sand (1: 5).

A plant that is only beginning to shoot can damage a cruciferous flea, which feeds on cabbage leaves. Protect this pest from early seeding and planting seedlings, which allows plants to get stronger before the flea becomes active. To accelerate growth and increase stability, the plant is fed by using nitrate and slurry.

The cabbage whiting can also damage the plant (white butterfly with wings in black spots). From the eggs that are deposited on the underside of the leaf, caterpillars come out. Sprawling around the plant, they feed on leaves, eating them up to rough veins. In the fight against cabbage whiting use the same means as for cabbage moths.

Huge damage to the plant is caused by colonies of cabbage aphids, which suck the juices from the plants. The leaves are then covered with spots, begin to twist. The growth of cabbage is slowing down, the outfit of the head is stopped.

To combat this pest, the plant is sprinkled with anabasine sulfate (concentration 0.2%) or 2.5% dust of metaphosphate before beginning the setting. Effective spraying with a decoction of tobacco, for which you need to pour the tobacco dust (400 g) with water (2 L) and boil for 2 hours. The cooled solution is filtered. Then it is necessary to add soap (50 g) and dissolve everything in a bucket of water.

Cultivation of early cabbage in a greenhouse

Cabbage is one of the main crops planted in greenhouses. They mainly grow early cabbage. When to sow seeds with this method?

To grow an early cabbage in a greenhouse, seeds should be sown in early February. In early April, planted seedlings at a distance of 35-40 cm seedlings should have 3-4 real leaves, pre-tempered.

The appearance of seedlings can tell you about the harvest. In plants that have green leaves, a weak root system. And this means that the seedlings will not take root well. The shape of the sheet can be used to judge the shape of the head. If the leaves are large, and the leg is short and thick, then there will be big heads.

The soil on which cabbage will be grown in a greenhouse should be well-fertilized, dense, loamy and well retain moisture. It is necessary to regularly loosen the soil with top dressing with manure solution.

The temperature range for growing cabbage is from 5 to 20 ° C. Young seedlings need additional lighting. During the formation of the head, the plant needs a lot of moisture.

Harvesting

In early cabbage varieties cabbage heads appear about 55-60 days after seedlings were planted, that is, in late June-early July. Ripening of heads is not simultaneous, therefore it is necessary to remove them in several receptions, cutting off with a sharp knife. At the same time leave 2-3 leaves and a cob-length up to 2 cm.

Important rules

Thinking about how to grow an early cabbage, first of all you need to take care of the quality of seedlings, and for this you need to remember a few important points:

1. Before sowing seeds, they must be prepared in order to avoid infecting plants with infectious diseases.

2. The soil mixture used should not be heavy. If soil is used from the garden, it must be treated with cold outside or on the balcony, heat treatment is also necessary. The best option is to purchase a special ready-mix.

3. It is very important to observe the timing of sowing. Early cabbage is sown in mid-March. To extend the harvesting period, it can be sown in two to three days within two weeks.

4. The container with the seedlings should be located in a place where there is enough sunlight. Otherwise, seedling may be pulled out. Additionally, illumination with fluorescent lights is necessary in order to achieve a total daylight duration of 12-14 hours.

5. After the first real leaflets appeared, the seedlings must be hardened. In addition to the low temperature, the seedlings are hardened with bright light. To do this, it must be taken out into the street. This helps to avoid stretching the seedlings.

6. Watering should be moderate to prevent rotting roots. For irrigation, water with a temperature of 22-23 ° C is used.

7. Before moving the seedling to the site, it is not watered. Plants that slightly wilted, do not break.

Compliance with such simple rules will make it possible to obtain a wonderful harvest of this useful crop.