Among the vegetables of the Cruciferae family almost all species are biennials. Growing white cabbage is more popular than other types - rapeseed, radish or sowing radish. A large mass of cabbage, resistance to frost and a variety of hybrid varieties are considered the benefits of this vegetable.
Planting white cabbage
Since cabbage is biennial, in the first year it forms only gray-gray leaves with a smooth surface, closely adjacent to each other. The knowledge of how to properly plant white cabbage for high yield is not enough: it is important to consider the variety, the planting scheme, the composition of fertilizing and other factors. Preparation for planting includes:
- Weed removal. Cabbage begins to suffer from diseases if the beds under it were not thoroughly weeded and cleared of weeds. Near them, the cabbages practically do not develop.
- Creating a suitable fertile soil layer. The top part of the bed should be covered with loam: the cultivation of white cabbage requires a high content of humus with a low level of acids or even without them.
- Autumn processing of the site. After harvesting the previous vegetables, the ground is loosened and a small amount of lime materials is applied - chalk or dolomite flour.
How to plant white cabbage seedlings?
The majority of farmers prefer seedlings to seed reproduction. Its main advantage is the opportunity to harvest in the first year, provided that seeds of early ripening varieties are used. Planting white cabbage in the soil seedlings significantly reduces the time of the stay of the vegetable on the ridge, while minimizing the risks of the appearance of rot and other diseases. It consists of several stages:
- Planting in peat or plastic pots of small volume. When transferring to the ground, the root system is easily damaged, so it can be prevented by preventing its proliferation. The plastic container can be cut and placed with an earthen lump in the groove in the bed.
- Preparation of wells. In the garden are digging holes deep not less than 10 cm. In each of them put on a handful of humus.
- Transplanting. For the cultivation of white cabbage in the soil, the soil should not be compacted: the top layer is sprinkled with dry loose soil, if desired, by mulching it with sawdust or needles.
How to plant white cabbage seeds?
Bezrassadnaya planting gives the vegetable culture an important advantage: the root system is formed without "stress" in the form of a transplant, so it has increased immunity to colds and diseases. The growth of the aerial part is suspended due to transplantation for 10-15 days. Cultivation of white cabbage seeds is recommended for this plan:
- Disinfection of seeds. Before planting, the seeds are soaked for 2-3 hours in a weak solution of potassium permanganate to ensure the prevention of rot and "black leg".
- Seed sowing. They are immersed in a damp soil for 2-3 cm for 3-4 seeds per nest, the first shoots of which appear on the 7-9 day after sowing.
- Loosening after the appearance of the first cotyledonous leaf. If a part of the plant looks weak or damaged, it is torn from the bed.
How far to plant white cabbage?
Observance of a certain distance between plants is necessary in order that their root systems are not intertwined with each other, and the leaves are not infected with diseases that are present in the neighboring head. The distance between rows, observed when planting white cabbage, depends on the variety and size of the head:
- weight fork cabbage from 1 to 2.5 kg - 30 cm;
- weight fork up to 4 kg - 40 cm;
- weight fork from 4 kg and above - 50 cm.
Place of planting of white cabbage
Suitable for planting cultivated soil, rich in peat or nitrogen. Sour and waterlogged soils threaten this vegetable with bacteriosis. The planting of white cabbage in the ground is expedient provided that the correct predecessors - potatoes, cucumbers and legumes. The list of other site selection rules includes:
- impurity drainage in the soil to facilitate air access;
- average level of illumination - without open sun and strong shadow;
- "Backstage" from tall plants on neighboring beds;
- location at a distance from fruit trees.
Terms of planting white cabbage
The timing of planting seedlings or seeds in an open ground or a greenhouse depends on the region and its climatic features. Cabbage does not belong to the "first planting crops", which are transferred to a permanent place of growth after the first warming. Planting and care of white cabbage can be shifted due to meteorological conditions, but it is worthwhile to orientate when planting seedlings for the following periods:
- southern regions - in the 10-15th of March;
- the middle lane is on March 25-30;
- regions with a harsh climate - May 1-15.
Growing white cabbage in the open ground
After the transfer to the ground should pass at least 20 days, so that it was possible to understand which seedling gave successful shoots, and which - will be lean. With a sudden cooling, shoots can be covered with plastic wrap for 1-2 weeks. As the main secrets of growing white cabbage are considered:
- Timely picking . If the plants do not go well in growth on the bed, they remove some of the diseased leaves or one third of the root.
- Loosening after rain. Humidified soil loosen to a depth of 3-5 cm.
- Restriction in growth. The outwardly sprouting outer leaves of the vegetable are cut off to increase the mass of the crop.
Peculiarities of growing white cabbage - watering
After transferring to the soil, the seedlings are watered abundantly the next day, directing the stream of water under the root. Growing sprouts of white cabbage in the future assumes such a scheme of watering:
- 1-2 weeks after disembarkation - every 2-3 days;
- 3-4 weeks - 1 time in 5 days;
- from 2 months - once a week.
Growing white cabbage - top dressing
The use of organic safe fertilizers allows to increase the yield and accelerate the process of ripening the vegetable. A good green mass can be provided if you begin to feed cabbage for 20 days after planting in the open ground. In total for the period of its growth, it will be necessary to make 3-5 soil enrichments with fertilizers added to warm water for irrigation. A suitable fertilizer for planting white cabbage is included in the following list:
- mullein ;
- superphosphate ;
- nitrofosca ;
- potassium sulfate;
- chicken droppings.
Care for white cabbage in the open field
In addition to timely irrigation and fertilization, cabbage is required and arch care. At least once a month, the top layer of soil is enriched with turf ground or a substrate with ash. It is not enough to understand how to care for white cabbage - it is important to regularly monitor its condition, examining the leaves and the root of the plant. If it is necessary to carry out the treatment, the selected preparation is mixed with water and sprinkled with leaves of the plant.
Diseases of cabbage
Vegetable is amenable to medicinal preparations, but it is not recommended to treat it with poisonous chemicals. This complicates the process of fighting some diseases, so timely diagnosis comes to the fore in preventing the development of infection in beds. Growing and caring for white cabbage can puzzle gardener with one of the following diseases:
- Cabbage whales. Parasitizing fungus affects young leaves or plants in greenhouses. Maybe they can even plant seedlings. On the root and leaves from the fungus appear ugly growths.
- Powdery mildew. It is also called peronosporosis - this fungus affects all varieties of cabbage with a white coating and stains of yellow color.
- Fusarium. Growing white cabbage often overshadows this fungus, which becomes visible only when cutting a leaf. The flesh of the plant is covered with brown veins.
- Mosaic virus. With a dirty tool and insect peddlers, he gets into the stem tissue of cabbage leaves and causes irreversible changes in it. On it appear necrotic patches, because of which the leaves wither and die.
- Blackleg. With thickened planting, excessive watering or insufficient light, the root cervix becomes darker and thinner in plants. Young seedlings are deformed and fall off.
- White rot. This infectious disease is similar to mold. She covers cabbage leaves with white mucous stains with a "fluffy" coating.
Cabbage pests
In addition to infectious and fungal lesions, there are diseases caused by pests . They have a common symptomatology: the root of the vegetable culture is drying up, the leaves show plaque and foci of desiccation. Control of pests of cabbage can be conducted both folk remedies, and professional preparations called insecticides . On the beds with this plant, there are often parasites such as:
- Spring cabbage fly. The flying insect first affects the roots of the plant, then begins to eat root crops.
- Cabbage scoop. The pest causes a massive loss of cabbage, because the caterpillars of these butterflies feed on juicy leaves.
- Cabbage aphids. A small sucking parasite is fixed by colonies on the stalk of cabbage, obtaining moisture and nutrients from them.
- Cruciferae flea. Destroys the growth point, the insect leaves through holes on the leaves.