I have a weakness for cabbage dishes, I adore it in any form. In the diet, it is an irreplaceable product that combines excellent taste, benefits and low cost. I grow several heads of cabbage in the beds. They were not always large and strong. But over time, I learned how to get just excellent cabbage. To do this, I follow the rules of her growing and caring for her.
Choosing a variety
It is known that there are cabbage varieties that differ in maturity dates. It is worth deciding what you will ultimately cook from a vegetable. Early cabbage is more suitable for salads, but sauerkraut will only come from late-ripening varieties. With this in mind, I choose which cabbage to plant.
Determine the sowing time
You can determine the timing of planting cabbage in this way: from the beginning of sowing to the moment of planting in the ground, about 60 days should pass. When I plant different varieties:
- early from early March to March 25;
- mid-season from March 25 to April 25;
- late ripening from early April to April 20.
We carry out pre-sowing preparation
Before sowing seeds in the ground, I do pre-sowing treatment without fail. This will help the seedlings grow strong and healthy. What am I doing:
- I disinfect seeds in potassium permanganate;
- I enrich with nutrients by immersion in a warm solution of fertilizer containing trace elements for a day.
We sow the seeds correctly
I spill the soil mixture well with water, the seeds germinate better in a humid environment. After that, I sow the seeds to a depth of 8-10 mm and put them in a warm place. Before the emergence of shoots, I try not to water anymore, so that a black leg does not appear.
When the first sprouts come out into the light, I move the container with seedlings to the windowsill. It is ideal to find a place where the temperature will be 6-10 degrees. For example, a glazed loggia. The seedlings should be there before the first true leaf appears.
In the future, a suitable daytime temperature for young cabbage is 14-17 degrees, and a nighttime temperature of 6-10 degrees.
It is necessary to provide the seedlings with good lighting for 12 hours. For this, I will organize a backlight.
After the appearance of green leaves, I process the cabbage with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or copper sulfate.
I water the seedlings as needed.
We dive seedlings
The appearance of the first true leaf indicates that the plant needs additional nutrition. Therefore, I proceed to the picking, after watering the seedlings.
I plant the plants in peat-humus pots. You can use other containers. I bury each sprout into the soil up to the cotyledon leaves.
We plant seedlings in the garden
Before planting, I harden the seedlings: I take them out into the fresh air, in the sun for a while.
By this time, the plants have at least 4-6 true leaves, and the growth is 15-20 cm.
I plant early varieties in early May, mid-ripening in the second half of May, and late-ripening from late May to mid-June.
I prepare the soil for planting in the fall. This culture does not tolerate acidic soil, therefore lime when necessary. I choose a sunny place.
Pour humus, ash and 0.5 teaspoon of nitrophosphate into the prepared pits, water it. I place the seedlings with a lump of earth in the hole and sprinkle them with soil on top, tamping slightly.
Care
Cabbage loves good hydration. I water every other day, if there is no rain. I loosen and huddle.
I feed it twice a season: the first time with nitrogen two weeks after planting, the second time with potash and phosphorus fertilizers during the period of head formation.
These simple ways help me grow good cabbage. Enough to eat, and send for storage, and ferment.
Read also: Let's figure out whether it is worth leaving the polycarbonate greenhouse open in winter or not.
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