Favorite time in the country is harvesting, when you see that all the work was not in vain. Some varieties of cabbage ripen as early as the end of June. How I look forward to when it will be possible to cook the first borscht from my vegetables! Cabbage, beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes - all this can already be put into soup. I have never eaten tastier borscht from young vegetables from the garden.
Early cabbage has its own rules for harvesting and ripening.
How to harvest early cabbage
The quality, taste, and safety depend on how you collect this vegetable. I do it like this:
- When planning to cut cabbage for food, I do not pay attention to the weather. But if the heads of cabbage will be sent for storage, then I choose a dry sunny day when it is not hot.
- Two weeks before harvesting, I stop watering the plantings so that the forks do not crack and last longer.
- I clean the cabbage under a canopy.
- I carry out the selection: I leave good heads of cabbage without signs of damage and suspicious spots for storage, and I process small, loose, spoiled by pests and cracked ones.
If it is impossible to remove the cabbage on time, I stop the sap flow in the plant, bending the head of cabbage and pinching the stalk. On this you can win 2-3 days.
Harvesting ahead of time leads to a decrease in taste and a decrease in the duration of storage. Cabbage withers, tastes bitter.
Signs of ripening early cabbage
Different varieties do not ripen at the same time. The date of planting for seedlings can serve as a guideline. There are features of the ripeness of cabbage:
- the head of cabbage has grown to the size in accordance with the declared one;
- the forks are tight to the touch;
- growth is over;
- a white spot formed at the top of the head of cabbage;
- the lower leaves became rough, turned yellow.
The size and weight of early cabbage is smaller than other varieties. 300 g is the norm for her.
Harvesting time for early-ripening cabbage varieties
I use cabbage of these varieties mainly for food: I make salads, carcasses, cook cabbage soup and borscht. Uneaten heads of cabbage do not last long, as they have a short shelf life - about two months. I send the crop to the basement or other cool dark place where it will not wither. I don’t pile the forks in a heap, but put them in boxes so that there is space between them, or I hang them from the ceiling in nets. For long-term storage, it is still better to choose late-ripening varieties.
Currently, breeders have bred new varieties of early cabbage, the shelf life of which can stretch for 5-6 months under optimal conditions.
The maturity of this crop occurs approximately 60 days after planting the seedlings. About 115 days pass from the time of sowing with seeds.
The mild climate allows cabbages to be planted early and harvested early as well. And in cold weather, the time for planting and harvesting is shifted.
How to properly cut cabbage
I cut the cabbage according to certain rules so that it lies longer without signs of damage:
- I don’t cut the stalk just under the forks, but leave about ten centimeters and plus a couple of covering leaves to protect against damage and diseases by the fungus.
- I make the cut as straight as possible.
For cleaning I use a small hatchet. The day before I sharpen it sharper. I cut off the excess leaves with a knife.
For longer storage (if there are a lot of cabbages), I don’t cut the heads, but twist them along with the root. First, I dig with a shovel to make it easier to unscrew.
I clean early ripe cabbage in a timely manner, and it pleases with its taste and is stored for a long time. To stretch the ripening time of cabbage, I plant not at a time, but in bursts.
Do you grow early cabbage? When do you plant and harvest? Share your experience in the comments.
Read also: King of cauliflower Movir-74: all about the virtues and cultivation
Another related article: Cauliflower for the Urals - 6 suitable varieties for the region
Friends, do not forget to subscribe to the channel and leave a LIKE if the article is useful!
#cabbage#harvesting cabbage#helpful tips