From the article, the reader will learn all the details of growing cabbage seedlings at home, about how to sow immediately into open ground. The article tells how to plant seedlings in a permanent place and care for them. Cabbage can be grown in two ways - seedling and non-seedling. The first is aimed at getting an early harvest. Here is the time frame for planting the seeds of certain types of cabbage:
- white cabbage (hybrids, early varieties), red cabbage - from 10 to 25 March;
- white cabbage late and mid-season - April 5-15
- kohlrabi - March 10-30;
- broccoli, colored - March 15-25;
- Brussels - in late March and early April;
- Savoyard - from March 15 to April 10.
Preparing and sowing cabbage seeds
Presowing treatment of cabbage seeds of different types is the same. First, pour the seeds of the selected variety into a triple layer of bandage or gauze. To disinfect them, it is necessary to place them in hot water, the temperature of which is + 50 ° C, for 15 minutes, after that - in cold water for two minutes.
Further, the cloth with seeds is placed on a saucer, kept for a day at room temperature, making sure that the gauze is wet all the time. Then the swollen seeds are removed to the lower shelf in the refrigerator so that they are hardened here for 24 hours.
After that, the seeds are dried until flowable and sown. The quality of the soil is very important. The land should not be "random" - from the street, garden. Since in such a soil there are pathogens of fungal diseases that are dangerous for seedlings. Purchase special kale seedling soil from a reputable store. You can ignite it for 15 minutes in the oven at + 200 ° C or 5 minutes in the microwave, turning it on at full power.
The cooled earth is poured into a clean seedling box, previously washed with laundry soap. Spill the soil with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, sow cabbage seeds at a distance of 2 x 2 cm from each other and sprinkle on top with the same soil 1 cm. After that, the box must be covered with a transparent film and removed to a warm place.
Growing cabbage seedlings in a box
It is very important not to miss the emergence of seedlings. As soon as the first "loop" appears from the ground, immediately place the box on the windowsill or on the glazed balcony (if the temperature does not drop below +10 ° C there).
It is important not to allow the seedlings to be pulled out so that the seedlings grow strong. This is facilitated by the optimal temperature, irrigation regime. As soon as the first shoots appear, place the box with them closer to the light, where the temperature in the room is + 15 + 17 ° С. If it is higher, the seedlings will begin to stretch. Watering is needed very moderately, since excessive soil moisture at this stage of cultivation contributes not only to the stretching of the seedlings, but also to its infection with the "black leg".
If you notice that the stalk near the ground has become thin and black, the plant has fallen, it means that it is sick with a "black leg". Pull it straight up by the root and remove, and transplant healthy seedlings into another soil. You can try to save diseased plants. To do this, spray the stem and the ground around them with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate, and sprinkle the soil around the stem with ash and stop watering the seedlings altogether.
Pickling cabbage
When the seedlings are 20 days old, transplant each into a separate container. Small seedling cups with a diameter of 5 and a height of 6 cm are suitable. Carefully, using a small spatula or a coffee spoon, remove the plant along with a lump of earth, plant it in a glass half or 2/3 filled with moist soil, cover the stem with earth until the cotyledon leaves. Place cabbage plants to take root on a windowsill, which is not exposed to direct sunlight and a temperature of +20 ° C.
In such conditions, the seedlings will stay for 3 days, during which they will have time to take root. After that, put it where the temperature is + 13 + 14 during the day, and + 10 + 12 ° C at night.
Planting cabbage seedlings in a permanent place
Young cabbage plants are planted in open ground from April 25 to May 5 (depending on weather conditions). Cruciferous plants - turnips, radishes, cabbage, turnips, radishes, watercress, rutabaga - should not grow in this place for 3–4 years. To do this, dig up the bed, loosen it with a rake, make holes with a shovel at a distance:
- 30 x 40 cm for early and hybrid varieties of cabbage, 50 x 60 for medium and 60 x 70 for late varieties of red and white cabbage;
- 30 x 40 cm for kohlrabi;
- 60 x 70 cm for Brussels;
- 30 x 50 cm for broccoli;
- 40 x 60 cm for the Savoyard;
- 25 x 50 cm for cauliflower.
Put 2 handfuls of humus in each hole, one each of sand and peat, 50 g of wood ash, you can add half a teaspoon of nitrophosphate, mix everything and spill the holes abundantly with water. Dip the root of the plant directly into the water, sprinkle it with wet soil, and on top with dry earth, so that a soil crust does not form. If the seedlings are slightly elongated, plant them in such a way that the first pair of true leaves are at the level of the soil. If the weather on the following days promises to be sunny, be sure to shade the plants. This can be done with newspapers, nonwoven fabric, or burdock leaves if they have grown by this time.
Gently water the seedlings every night with a spray can. When the seedlings take root after 5-7 days, remove the shelters. They are left only if night frosts are expected.
Growing cabbage in the garden
If you want to use the seedless method, plant the seeds right away in a permanent place. To do this, dig up the soil here in the fall. As soon as the snow melts, pour boiling water over it, cover it with foil for two days so that the earth thaws.
After that, loosen the ground by 5 cm, make grooves to a depth of 1 cm, with a distance of 20 cm between them. Spill the grooves with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, sow the seeds prepared as described above.
Place low arcs above the crops, put a transparent film of high density on them. If warm days come, open it slightly on one side. When the seedlings reach 20-30 days of age, plant them in a permanent place.
Caring for cabbage plants
Cabbage is very fond of abundant watering. Give her enough moisture. Water in the evening, if the weather is hot and dry, then do it every 2–3 days. On cloudy days, you can water abundantly once every 5-6 days.
Combine loosening with hilling. Excellent results are obtained by adding peat to a height of 5 cm. It will become an excellent mulching material, dampen the growth of weeds, will help to maintain moisture, while providing the plant with nutrition.
The main pests of cabbage
In hot, dry weather, cruciferous fleas are harmful to seedlings. To preserve young plants, they are powdered with sifted wood ash.
In wet weather, slugs become the main pest of cabbage. They can be fought with chemical and folk remedies. If you chose the former, sprinkle the ground on the cabbage plantation with a special agent created to combat this pest. If you do not want to use chemicals on the site, dust the soil in these places with dry mustard or ground black pepper. You can collect slugs by hand and then destroy them.
Cabbage butterfly larvae can also damage these plants. Therefore, gardeners are trying to plant seedlings at an early date, when there is still no emergence of these insects. From folk remedies, you can advise an infusion made from 10 g of white mustard powder, which is dissolved in 1 liter of water. The liquid is infused for 2 days, before spraying, it is diluted with water in a ratio of 5: 1. Tomato stepchildren will also help to cope with this scourge, they are laid out in the aisles.
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