Peking cabbage - cultivation, especially planting of the best varieties

Delicious and juicy Peking cabbage is becoming more popular every year. From it you can cook many different dishes that are not only delicious, but also useful. What is a Peking cabbage, growing and caring for a plant is an important information for beginning gardeners.

Peking cabbage - description

The plant, belonging to the family Cruciferae, was first planted in China. In America and Europe, this culture was spread only in the 70s. Peculiarities of cultivation of Peking cabbage do not mean creating special conditions, so many people plant it on their plots. People call it "Chinese salad" or "pekinka". Describe this plant can be such facts:

1. There are three varieties of this vegetable: semi-baked, headed and leafy.
2. They treat Peking cabbage to two-year-old plants, but in most cases it is used as an annual culture.
3. The vegetable has a rosette of leaves with a juicy median vein and a delicate texture. The edges are wavy or serrated. Color combines yellow and green hues.
4. Varieties at which cylindrical heads are formed have leaves of elongated-oblong form.

Peking cabbage - varieties

It is best for breeding to choose hybrid varieties bred by breeders. Among the most popular one can distinguish such variants:

1. "Russian size". A hybrid resistant to unfavorable conditions, which after maturation ripens in 80 days. With proper care, Peking cabbage grows to 4 kg.
2. "Cha-cha." The highest yield this grade yields when grown in the mid-zone conditions. If you temper the planting material and plant the plant in early spring, then the first fruits can be harvested after 55 days, so this variety can be called mid-season. On average, they weigh about 2.8 kg.
3. Orange Mandarin. This variety is early maturing, so it can be planted throughout the summer. Under favorable conditions, the harvest is collected 40 days after planting. The first heads will have a weight of about 1 kg. It is worth noting the resistance to low temperatures, so this sort can be safely planted in Siberia.
4. The Vorozhey. This is a semi-bouquet variety that has expanded elliptical flat leaves with a slight edge. It is better to grow as a salad vegetable.
5. "Nika". A hybrid variety that yields crops early. The cobs are broad and elliptical in shape. In the section they are yellow. Let's notice, that among other grades such Peking cabbage differs presence of a wax plaque and wrinkles.
6. "Vesnyanka". Another early ripening variety, which stands out for its resistance to arming. Since the emergence of seedlings and to the possibility of harvesting, in most cases, 35 days pass. Such Peking cabbage is considered an excellent salad culture.
7. "Wineglass". Such a variety is medium-sized, and harvesting will be possible in 70 days after emergence. The leaves have an elliptical shape, and they are very dense and are colored yellow-green. Such a variety is whimsical and for obtaining a good harvest, it is necessary to create favorable conditions.

Planting of Peking cabbage in the open ground

Unlike many vegetable crops, the seeds of Peking cabbage do not need to be soaked before sowing. At the same time, experienced gardeners recommend using not so purchased seeds, but own soaking in a damp cloth to ensure the suitability of the seed. If after five days sprouts did not appear, then it is better to buy seeds in the store. Cultivation of Peking cabbage from seeds should be carried out according to the rules, which concern the choice of a suitable place and the correct preparation of the holes.

Pecan cabbage planting peculiarities

There is a small list of requirements for growing conditions, which should be taken into account:

1. Pay attention to the quality of the soil, which must be fertile. The selection details are shown below. The earth should be fertilized in autumn, using 4.5 kg of manure per 1 m ² .
2. Choose a site for planting Peking cabbage in the spring, so that the light day lasts no less than 12 hours. Otherwise, the risk of flowers and seeds is increased.
3. It is recommended to pay attention to the humidity of the air, so in clear weather the indicator should be 80%, and the humidity of the ground is 65%.
4. It will be good to develop Peking cabbage, the cultivation of which occurs in the territory where formerly grew cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, onions and garlic. It is not recommended to plant vegetables after radish, turnips and other cruciferous plants.
5. To protect cabbage from exposure to dangerous direct sunlight or cold snap, you can hide the beds with agrofiber.

Distance between Peking cabbage during planting

Cultivation can be carried out by seeds or seedlings, so we will analyze both options:

1. The rules for planting Peking cabbage seedlings mean placing the seeds in pots with soil to a depth of not more than 1 cm. It is best to plant so that the distance between future plants is 1-2 cm. Shoots should appear after a few days. Transplant seedlings in the open ground can be, when there are 4-5 real leaves.
2. When planting Peking cabbage seed, cultivation in the open ground involves the preparation of beds, which should not be wide. Between the holes and rows there should be a distance of 25-30 cm. At the sides, you can make narrow trenches, where excessive moisture will drain off when watering.

Planting dates of Chinese cabbage

The basic rule that must be taken into account, if desired, to grow such cabbage is a suitable planting time. The best period is the early spring (April 15-20) or the middle of summer (July 20 to August 10). If the planting time of Peking cabbage is not taken into account, then the plant will shoot arrows and blossom, so a good harvest can not be counted. Early varieties can be harvested after 40-55 days after planting, and later - in 60-80 days.

Chinese cabbage - cultivation and care

If you properly take care of this vegetable culture, you can get a good harvest. Cultivation of Peking cabbage in the open ground implies the regular removal of weeds that impede proper growth. Prevent their appearance by mulching , for example, using dry grass. In addition, using this method, you can keep moisture in the soil longer. To obtain dense sockets of Peking cabbage, the cultivation should include a procedure such as binding heads. To spend it is at the beginning of the appearance of the ovary.

Peculiarities of growing cabbage in the country - soil

There are no special requirements concerning the soil where this vegetable culture will be grown, and with proper care one can get a rich harvest. Gardeners recommend choosing light and fertile soils that pass moisture well and do not retain moisture, that is, the clay content should be excluded. It is best to cultivate and care for Peking cabbage on loam.

To grow seedlings, it is best to mix humus with coconut substrate, the second component should be twice as much. Another suitable option is a mixture in equal proportions of turf and peat. Peking cabbage, grown in the open ground, will develop well in the soil if 0.5 l of humus is added to each well.

Peking cabbage - growing temperature

For quick and proper development, watch for temperature conditions. Peking cabbage, the cultivation of which does not require the creation of special conditions, is cold-resistant. Seeds can germinate at 4-6 ° C, and seedlings can withstand and little freezing. To form a good head, the cultivation of Chinese cabbage should be at a temperature of 13-20 ° C. If the indicators are less than the specified value, then there is a high risk of starting the boom.

The conditions of cultivation of Peking cabbage - watering

As for many garden crops, it is important for cabbage to grow in the required amount of moisture during cultivation. Make sure that the soil is not dry, but it should not turn sour because excessive moisturizing causes fungal diseases and decay of the root. Caring for Peking cabbage in the open ground implies the implementation of watering every three days, if there was no precipitation. When growing in a greenhouse, irrigation is carried out about once a week.

Cultivation of Peking cabbage in the country - feeding

To obtain a good crop, mineral fertilizers should be used, but they can not be applied, as in the cultivation of white cabbage, otherwise nitrates will accumulate in the leaves. It is worth noting that it is better to carry out top dressing of Peking cabbage in spring, leaving and planting in this case means the use of complex fertilizers. The plant reacts well to compounds rich in potassium. It is recommended to pour a handful of wood ash under the cabbage root, which will not only be a good fertilizer, but also protect against pests.

Peking cabbage - diseases and pests

To get a good harvest, it is important to follow the plantations in order to notice possible problems at the time. Cultivation of Peking cabbage and outdoor care means combating the following diseases and pests:

1. Excessive humidity provokes the appearance of white, gray and black rot, as well as fungal diseases.
2. In dry weather, various pests reproduce, for example, slugs , cruciferous fleas and bugs, cabbage butterflies and other insects. To control pests, such means are used: infusion of garlic, a solution of ammonia and others.