Cabbage is a fairly unpretentious crop that requires a lot of light. At early sowing cabbage sprouts can die from lack of sunlight. For this reason, it is very important to correctly calculate the timing for sowing seeds. late cabbage, which in the future will be grown in open ground.

Sowing seedlings

White cabbage is usually planted for seedlings in the second decade of March. Seeds are sown gradually, every few days, to extend the harvest time.

Sowing cabbage must be done taking into account the precocity of this variety. Different varieties cabbage must be planted in the garden in different ages:

• late varieties - aged 50 to 60 days;
• mid-season - from 40 to 50 days;
• early ripe varieties- from 30 to 40 days.

It is also necessary to add 4-5 days to this period, which are necessary for the seeds to germinate successfully and 3-4 days for the seedlings to take root after transplanting into the ground. Thus, we can calculate the timing of sowing seeds with great accuracy. different varieties white cabbage.

Growing any garden plant begin with variety selection which is the most suitable for your conditions. First you need to figure out for what conditions and when you need to get a crop of cabbage.

It will seem strange, but the answer will determine, in addition to the variety for planting, the time when it is necessary to plant seeds in order to obtain seedlings of a suitable age. For example, if you need to get a crop around the middle of summer, which will be used for cabbage salads, you need to choose early varieties for planting: Kazachok F1, June and others. If the crop needs to be grown for the purpose of fermentation, it is best to choose mid-season varieties for planting seedlings: Amager, Belorusskaya. But to store the crop in winter time for the purpose of selling heads of cabbage high price it is necessary to choose late varieties for planting seedlings: Kolobok, Geneva.

1. It is worth considering that early varieties do not give big harvest. Most varieties form loose and small (about 1.5 kg) heads of cabbage. But they are able to give the first harvest after 90, maximum 120 days.
2. Mid-late varieties perfect for use in food in the summer, they can be stored and salted for some time. They are able to produce the first crop in about 150-170 days, however, there are medium-early varieties in white cabbage that form a head after 130, maximum 150 days.
3. late cabbage ideal for long-term storage(some specimens may lie in the basement until spring). Kachan is formed for quite a long time - from 160 to 180 days.

Seed preparation

Before planting seedlings, which will be planted in open ground, it is worth carefully preparing the seeds in order to destroy all the germs of various diseases and speed up the germination time. For disinfection, the seeds are soaked in water, the temperature of which is maintained at around 50 ° C. After such a procedure planting material placed on some wide saucer, which is covered with a damp cloth on top. In this state, the seeds must be kept in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

Soil preparation

For cabbage seedlings, especially late varieties, it is strongly not recommended to use garden soil, as it may contain a large number of various diseases that young plant will be unable to cope. Nutrient soil mixture can be made independently:

1. we take an equal amount of soddy soil and coarse sand;
2. to disinfect the soil and destroy harmful (pathogenic) microorganisms, we spill it hot water, after which we sift the composition;
3. we add to the composition of 10 tbsp. l. wood ash for every 10 liters of substrate.

Ash is also able to destroy all the infection in the soil. In addition, it lowers acidity and reduces the risk of blackleg, a dangerous disease that affects seedlings with rot, which cannot be cured, to almost zero.

Sowing seeds must be done in separate pots or special boxes for seedlings, you can also use plastic cassettes. Pour the soil pre-mixed with soil into the container.

You can also prepare other soil mixtures, which differ, as a rule, from each other in the main component. For example, instead of sod land you can make peat in the same amount. However, when choosing ingredients, Special attention look for air-intensive components that have a large margin nutrients. It remains only to treat the soil composition with a solution of potassium permanganate and you can start planting seeds.

It is strictly forbidden to use the soil that was in the beds where they grew cruciferous crops, because these plants most likely infected the soil with elements that affect cabbage. This can cause a decrease in the quantity and quality of the crop, and in the most severe cases, lead to the death of the plant.

Before you start sowing, you need to thoroughly moisten the soil. Seeds are sown in grooves, which are cut every 3 cm, and the space between the seeds should be at least 1 cm in rows, the distance between the grooves should be 3 cm. until the 20th of April.

Before sowing, containers that are intended for seedlings must be thoroughly washed and treated with disinfectants (permanganate solution is perfect for this purpose).

Sowing seeds

We pour a drainage layer on the bottom of a shallow box (from 4 to 5 cm), which does not exceed 1 cm thick. For these purposes, you can use eggshell, expanded clay or small pebbles. After that, pour the soil into the container and water it thoroughly. Grooves should be carefully cut in the ground every 3-4 cm. The seeds are buried in the soil by about 1 cm. In no case should the seeds be placed too close, otherwise you will have to break through the seedlings later. Then the seedlings are sprinkled with soil, slightly compacted and the soil is sprayed from the spray gun.

Containers with seedlings can be covered with glass or plastic wrap, then place them in a bright room with a temperature of 18-20 ° C. The first shoots can be expected already on the fourth or fifth day.

It is especially important to keep the soil constantly moist so that the swollen seeds never dry out. The best way to do this is with a spray bottle.. However, do not forget that excess moisture can also adversely affect the condition of the seeds. Excess water in the soil is very much the cause of rotting of seeds or the appearance of a black leg in seedlings.

Seedling hardening

When the first seedlings appear, it is necessary to start hardening the seedlings.

To do this, the container with young seedlings is brought into the room, the temperature of which is maintained within 8−10 °C. This contributes to the fact that the seedlings will not stretch much in the future, even with a lack of sunlight.

After about a week, the cabbage can be returned back to a warm room. It would be best to place the seedlings during growth on an insulated balcony, in a room on the windowsill, or allocate a place for it in a polycarbonate greenhouse.

During this period, it is especially important to maintain optimal temperature regime, which in the daytime is 14-17 ° C, and at night or in cloudy weather - 9 ° C.

Cabbage dive

After the first true leaves were seen on cabbage seedlings, it needs to be transplanted into a common box using a 5 × 5 cm scheme. The soil must be disinfected warm solution potassium permanganate before diving.

Now the pickled cabbage seedlings must be placed in a room with an air temperature ranging from 20 to 22 ° C. It is very important to do this so that young plants do not weaken in cold air, they can grow new roots, as a result of which they take root much faster. After two days, it is necessary to harden the seedlings again. To do this, a box with seedlings must be placed in a room where the air temperature in the daytime is 13-14 ° C, and in cloudy weather or at night it is near 9 ° C.

Cabbage seedlings in early spring are recommended additionally highlight artificial lighting . To do this, you can use fluorescent lights or special phytolamps. It is necessary to do this, because for the proper development of the plant is not enough natural light this time of year.

If it was decided not to dive seedlings, the plants should be immediately transplanted into separate containers. Cabbage roots with such a transplant will practically not be injured. Do not forget that you can not moisten the soil too much, because there is a high risk of a dangerous disease - the black leg.

In order for cabbage seedlings to develop quickly and correctly, care must be taken to ensure that daylight hours last at least 12-15 hours a day.

Remember, for proper development, seedlings need in constant feeding. You need to feed cabbage in without fail- do not neglect this rule. The first top dressing is carried out approximately 9 days after germination, the next - after a couple of weeks. The last time fertilizers are applied a few days before the crop is planted in a permanent place (in open ground or in a greenhouse). Doing this is necessary to increase the immune system of seedlings. Finished liquid formulations are best suited for this, however, it is necessary to choose those preparations that are intended for seedlings (read the instructions on the package for sure).

Under no circumstances should the temperature regime be violated. Cabbage requires careful systematic watering. Only by fulfilling certain conditions for growing, you can bring up a strong and healthy seedlings.

Disembarkation to a permanent place

After you have grown quality seedlings, should be planted in the garden. However, two weeks before this, it is necessary to first harden the plants, accustom them to the effects of cold temperatures, wind, sunlight, which affect the cabbage under open sky. It is not recommended to transfer the seedlings to the street at low air temperatures, since with such a transplant, after a month, the seedlings will throw out the flower arrow.

To obtain high-quality heads of white cabbage, it is important to use fertile soil. Loamy soils, which are located in areas with good ventilation, are best suited for such a culture.

Do not forget that for cabbage, you need to fertilize the soil in the fall. For each square meter land for planting is brought in half a bucket of manure. In acidic soil, you can add 1-2 tbsp. l. wood ash in each hole, while mixing it with 2-3 cups of good compost. Several seedling bushes can be planted in one hole at once, and then after a couple of weeks, remove weak specimens and leave one of the strongest and strong seedling cabbage.

Plants are recommended to be transplanted at the beginning (for early varieties) or at the end of May (for late varieties). The soil in the boxes must be moistened 12 hours before planting seedlings in open ground. White cabbage early cabbage it is necessary to plant in beds, following the scheme 45 × 25 cm, and late-ripening varieties - using the scheme 35 × 60 cm. Planting seedlings on the beds should be carried out in cloudy weather or in the late afternoon on a sunny day. In the early days, it is recommended to cover the plants at lunchtime from the hot sun with agrofibre.

Post disembarkation care

After the seedlings of white cabbage have been planted in a permanent place, it is necessary to perform several important recommendations plant care.

Necessary operations that must be performed:

Keep in mind that seedlings can be planted no thicker than 4-5 cm, the depth of the holes must be made based on the size of the roots of the planted plant. The wells need to be watered only before planting cabbage bushes, about 1 liter of water is poured into each of them, after which a young plant is immediately planted in it. The stem should be deepened so that later you do not have to sprinkle the bottom leaf of cabbage.

The culture grows well on soil after legumes and cereals. Cabbage develops well if pumpkin crops or root crops (potatoes, turnips, beets, etc.) grew in the area before it.

Subject to simple technologies and recommendations can be made proper cultivation white cabbage, which will provide its owner at home with a good and high-quality harvest. The culture can be preserved for the winter by salting it in jars, or stored in the basement, and then sold in early spring at a good price.

Growing healthy seedlings of cabbage is the first task facing the gardener on the way to getting a crop. The next problem is how to plant plants in open ground in a permanent place with the least losses. There are subtleties here.

Preparing seedlings for planting

Before planting seedlings in open ground, it must be properly prepared. This process consists of several procedures. First of all, regulation of watering, fertilizing and hardening:

• stop watering a week before planting. Immediately before disembarkation, about 2 hours in advance, water abundantly;
• 2 weeks before planting, feed with mineral fertilizers - dissolve in ten liters of water a tablespoon of urea and potassium sulfate, pour 150 g per plant;
• 15–20 days before disembarkation, begin hardening - take it out into the open air at a temperature of + 5–6 0 C in a sunny place (duration of the procedure is 20 minutes with a daily increase in time by 5 minutes).

Landing dates

The timing of planting seedlings varies over a fairly long period of time. They depend on weather conditions, region of cultivation, varieties and species of cultivated plants. General rules, combining all the conditions are as follows: cabbage should have 4–5 true leaves and a height of about 10 cm (this is at the age of 40–45 days); temperature environment at night it should not be lower than +5 0 C. Approximate dates - May or early June. For landing choose cloudy weather or perform work in the afternoon.

Site preparation

The growing area should be flat and well lit. The most acceptable are loamy soils with a neutral reaction. good predecessors for cabbage are legumes, root crops and cucumbers. All types of cabbage are demanding on soil fertility, so when preparing the beds, attention should be paid to fertilizing.

In autumn, before digging, they make organic fertilizers: manure, humus, compost at the rate of 1 bucket per m 2. In the spring, mineral - 1 tablespoon of urea, the same amount of superphosphate and a glass of wood ash per 1 m 2. If organic fertilizers were not applied in the fall, be sure to do it in the spring - humus significantly improves the structure of the soil. To save fertilizer, they can be laid directly in the holes or rows. In this case, add 0.5 kg of organic matter, a teaspoon of nitroammophoska, 0.5 cups of ash per plant and mix everything well with the soil.

How to plant seedlings of cabbage in open ground

It is necessary to transplant seedlings with a clod of earth into a prepared hole. Its depth should be slightly greater than the size of the root system and ensure the deepening of the plant to the lower leaves.

Seedlings of early varieties should be placed in a row after 25–30 cm, between rows 35–40 cm. For late varieties of white cabbage, which has large forks in the maturity phase, the distance in the row should be increased to 0.5 m. photophilous.

How to plant - video

Bright sunlight can damage immature plants, so it is advisable to shade the beds for the first few days.

After planting, the seedlings need to be watered and, to prevent cracking of the top layer, sprinkle the holes with dry earth.

Planted seedling care

Planted cabbage should be watered every 3-4 days, 2-3 liters of water per plant. After about a month, watering once a week at 10–12 liters per m 2, if established hot weather, then two times. Good results when growing vegetables gives the use of systems drip irrigation. In this case, watering can be carried out at any time of the day (not only in the morning or in the evening).

Loosening the soil should be carried out after each rain or watering. Its depth should be about 7 cm. When loosening, so that the irrigation moisture does not spread, you need to fix the holes.

The first top dressing is carried out 2 weeks after planting. During this period, the most effective will be the use complex fertilizers, which include macro- and microelements. Now there are special top dressings for various kinds seedlings, they can be very useful, of course, with strict adherence to the instructions. If there are no such fertilizers, then use mullein infusions (1: 5) or bird droppings(1:10) 0.5 liters per plant.

The second feeding - 10 days after the first. Apply mixture ammonium nitrate, superphosphate and potassium chloride (1:2:1) at the rate of 40–60 g / m 2.

In order to prevent the appearance of pests (snails, slugs, aphids), plants and the soil around them are powdered wood ash- one glass per m 2.

Best Companion Plants

The correct selection of plants that are planned to be planted nearby contributes to better development cabbage and to some extent protects against diseases and pests. These crops include lettuce, celery, leeks and beans. Dill planted nearby will improve the taste.

Compatibility of cabbage with other vegetables: examples in the photo

The smell of celery repels pests
Onions have a beneficial effect on the growth of cabbage
Beans enrich the soil with nitrogen
All types of salads are well compatible with cabbage

Many types of cabbage are grown in our fields and gardens - white and red cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts. All of them have similar cultivation practices, and if you follow these simple recommendations, the quantity and quality of the crop of any of them will be slightly higher.

Cabbage is one of the most frequent "inhabitants" of vegetable gardens in our country. This vegetable perfectly takes root in different climatic conditions, has a good yield and excellent palatability. Late cabbage is very popular among gardeners, as it is suitable for long-term fresh storage, pickling, pickling and other types of processing.

Late-ripening varieties of cabbage are quite unpretentious in the choice of soil, so even heavy soil is suitable for planting them. They are grown mainly through seedlings, which allows you to get strong plants and a rich harvest. Knowing, you can provide yourself with a supply of vitamins and other useful substances for the whole winter.

Terms of planting late cabbage for seedlings

Late cabbage should be sown for seedlings from mid-April to early May. Thus, already in the first half of June it will be possible to transfer seedlings to open ground. In regions where summer is short due to climatic conditions, it is possible to plant seeds for seedlings a little earlier - from the end of March.

Experienced gardeners are advised to determine when to sow late cabbage for seedlings, focusing on the desired harvest time. So, late-ripening varieties fully ripen, on average, in 190 days (including the time for growing seedlings). To calculate the optimal date for planting seeds, you need to subtract this number from the planned time for harvesting vegetables. It should be borne in mind that different types of late cabbage ripening periods may differ from each other.

Variety selection

You need to choose a variety of late cabbage, guided by the goals of its cultivation. Different hybrids have different taste characteristics and are not equally suitable for storage. The most common late-ripening varieties are considered:

• "Moscow late 015";
• "Amager 611".

They are great for growing in European climate, differ high yield and suitable for long term storage.

Best for fermentation and pickling are suitable varieties such as:

• "Guarantee F1";
• "Centaur F1";
• Askania F1.

Supermarket F1 is recognized as a universal variety, since it can be used both for conservation and for fresh storage.

Cabbage seeds should be bought only in trusted stores that sell certified products and follow the rules for its storage. Many summer residents recommend purchasing several varieties at once from different manufacturers in order to increase the likelihood of getting good harvest.

Seed and soil preparation

Before sowing cabbage seeds for seedlings, they must be disinfected. To do this, the seeds are placed for 20 minutes in water heated to +50 degrees, and then for another 1 minute in cold water. Then they are poured with a solution of trace elements for 12 hours, the field is washed and left for a day in the refrigerator. Often, seeds are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, but heat treatment is much more effective.

It is worth noting that it is worth carrying out the above procedure only for seeds of our own harvest and those that have not been processed in production.

The soil mixture for planting cabbage should consist of peat, soddy soil and sand, which are mixed in equal proportions. You can cook it yourself or buy a ready-made substrate in a gardening store. At the same time, it is categorically not recommended to use garden soil, since it can be infected various diseases.

Planting late cabbage for seedlings

The technology for sowing late cabbage for seedlings does not differ from sowing other varieties: the seeds must be planted in the soil mixture to a depth of 1-1.5 cm and seedlings should be provided with regular watering, optimal temperature and good lighting. can be done in two ways:

• With a pick- low boxes (5-6 cm) are filled with a substrate, in which grooves are made 1-1.5 cm deep. Seeds are placed in these "beds" at a distance of 2 cm from each other, the ground is lightly tamped and watered. After the first true leaf appears on the seedlings, they are transplanted into individual containers with fresh soil (dive).
• Without a pick- seeds are sown 2-3 pieces at once in separate containers ( disposable cups, peat tablets, cassettes with special cells, etc.). Slightly grown seedlings are simply thinned out, leaving only one of the strongest sprouts.

In order for the seeds to germinate quickly and amicably, it is necessary to provide the crops with a temperature of + 18-20 degrees. After the appearance of sprouts, the microclimate in the room is changed, cooling the air to 7-10 degrees so that the plants do not stretch out and fall off. Throughout the entire period of growth, seedlings need intensive lighting - daylight hours should last at least 12 hours.

You don’t need to water the sprouts very often, only when it starts to dry out. upper layer soil. Excessive moisture in the substrate can lead to blackleg disease in plants.

You also need to do it twice foliar top dressing seedlings: in the phase of two true leaves and immediately before hardening of seedlings (2-3 weeks before planting in open ground). For the first time, the sprouts must be sprayed with a solution of trace elements (0.5 tablespoons per 1 liter of water), and the second time with a solution of potassium sulfate and urea (1 tablespoon per 10 liters of water).

Planting seedlings in open ground

It is possible when she has reached the phase of 5-6 true leaves. 2-3 weeks before this plant must be accustomed to external environment(harden), for which it is enough to take them out into the fresh air for several hours every day.

For planting cabbage, you need to choose areas well lit by the sun, where potatoes, cucumbers, cereals or legumes used to grow. If other cruciferous plants grew on the selected beds, then you can plant cabbage there only after 4 years.

To plant seedlings in previously loosened and leveled soil, holes must be made at a distance of 70 cm from each other, maintaining an interval between rows of 60 cm. Plants are placed in ready-made holes along with a clod of earth so as not to damage root system. Then the ground near them is tamped and watered, directing water under the root of the seedlings.