How to grow a good crop of white cabbage. Cultivation of cabbage: simple tricks for a big harvest

Cabbage is a vitamin vegetable, without which many simply cannot imagine their diet. The product is used for preparation of salads, hot dishes, preservation. Despite the fact that there is a culture in every garden, not all summer residents pay due attention to watering. Because of this, the plant grows poorly, often gets sick, and sometimes does not even tie heads. How to water cabbage in order to harvest the most generous crop?

Culture information

Cabbage is a garden plant with large leaves that close together and form a dense head of cabbage. The culture will bear fruit abundantly if water and top dressing are applied in a timely manner. When choosing a species for cultivation, you need to take into account its characteristics, weather conditions.

young cabbage

Which varieties are most in demand:

• June - an early ripe variety, heads of which ripen 60-65 days after planting seedlings. The maximum mass of dense light green heads of cabbage is 2.5 kg;
• Cossack F1 is an ultra-early variety. Heads of cabbage ripen after 65-70 days after sowing. Fruit weight - 1.5 kg. The species is resistant to fungal diseases and pests;
• Aggressor F1 is a late high-yielding variety. The mass of a rounded flat head often reaches 4.5 kg;
• Amager 611 is a late variety, the growing season of which lasts 150-160 days. Heads are dense, green-white. Weight - 4-5 kg;
• Snow White - the duration of the growing season is 145-160 days. With careful care, heads of cabbage grow up to 4 kg. Due to the dense structure, it can be stored for 6 months;
• Centurion - hybrid plant. From the moment of planting to harvesting, 100-110 days pass. The mass of a head of cabbage varies from 3 to 3.5 kg. It has a high immunity to many diseases of the cruciferous family.

How to properly water cabbage

Important! Cabbage is recommended to be watered with slightly warm water. The optimum temperature of the liquid for moistening the soil in a garden bed with plants belonging to the Cruciferous family is + 18- + 23 C. If the irrigation solution is not warm, but cold, the plants experience severe shock and stop developing. Moreover, due to regular irrigation with ice water, heads are formed slowly or not tied at all.

To bring the liquid to the desired temperature, the day before the manipulation, it is poured into black barrels, which are placed in a well-lit place. AT southern regions containers are placed in partial shade, since under the scorching rays the water overheats. hot water can not be used for watering cabbage.

How often to water cabbage? The interval depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region and the weather conditions of the current year. The higher the average daily temperature, the more moisture the crop needs for normal growth. In rainy times, water is applied under the plants only occasionally or not at all.

Watering the first shoots of cabbage

How often to water seedlings of different varieties of cabbage? To make it easier for plants to take root, water is applied 2-3 times a day. Best time for watering - morning and evening. It is impossible to irrigate the plants during the day, as the water will quickly evaporate and will not have time to saturate them. According to this scheme, cabbage of all kinds is watered for 2 weeks. If a greenhouse is chosen as a permanent residence, the frequency of irrigation is adjusted based on the condition of the soil. In order for excess moisture to evaporate quickly, the room must be opened.

How to water cabbage seedlings correctly? The soil that the cassette contains, or the seedling box, is gently moistened with a small watering can. Watering is carried out as the substrate dries.

Note! Watering varietal cabbage after planting should be regular, but moderate. During this important period, excess moisture is as detrimental to the culture as its lack. Since planting in open ground is a decisive step, which determines whether the gardener will have homemade vegetables, you need to approach the process very meticulously.

The intensity of watering directly depends on the growing season. So, freshly planted seedlings and plants forming a head of cabbage are most in need of moisture. As for the time frame, the most abundant watering of late cabbage falls in August-September, and early - in June.

So that the roots do not suffer from contact with nutrients, increase the volume of water during each top dressing. On all other days of the growing season, the soil should be moderately moist. It is impossible to bring the bed to the state of a swamp or desert. How much water does this crop need? The average figure for adult cabbage is 12 liters per 1 sq. m area, 2 times a week.

Important! Watering is stopped 2-3 weeks before harvesting, as excess moisture provokes cracking of heads of cabbage. This rule especially applies to late-ripening varieties, the fruits of which are left for long-term storage.

Beds with cabbage

Ways to moisten the soil

There are several ways to bring water into the garden. Features of each of them:

1. Along the furrows. Water is introduced into the recesses made between the rows. This method is used only for irrigation of mature bushes. The main advantage is optimal humidity for tying and ripening heads of cabbage, the disadvantage is that the soil can be waterlogged;
2. Sprinkling. How to water cabbage? Watering is carried out from above on the plants, as a result of which not only the soil and leaves are moistened, but also the air in the garden. This method is considered the most optimal, since it is almost impossible to oversaturate the soil with moisture. In addition, watering can be combined with the application of fertilizers and insecticides. But the method also has disadvantages: the soil is unevenly wetted, the crust after watering;
3. Drip irrigation. The newest, but no less effective than the previous two, method of irrigating garden plants. Its essence lies in the fact that water is supplied directly under the root through an irrigation hose with small holes. Such a system can be used on difficult terrain and in adverse weather conditions. Moreover, water for watering cabbage requires significantly less than when using other methods. Drip irrigation also has disadvantages: the high cost of equipment and the need to purify water.

Which way is better? They are all effective, so you should choose the best one for your plants based on your own preferences, physical and financial situation.

Ways to combine watering and top dressing

Very popular as a fertilizer are:

1. Ammonia. 50 ml of the substance is added to 5 liters of water and the seedlings are watered under the root. Such top dressing saturates the plant with essential trace elements and performs the function of an insecticide. Any pest bypasses the "fragrant" bed;
2. Iodine. During the formation of leaves and the ripening of heads of cabbage, cabbage is fed with a solution of 5 drops of iodine and 10 liters of water. Processing is carried out after watering or rain. To avoid contact with the concentrate, watering the cabbage is carried out in a protective suit;
3. Combined mix. To prepare the solution, add 15 g of urea and potassium chloride, 23 g of superphosphate to a standard bucket;
4. Superphosphate and wood ash. In a bucket of water, stir 3 tbsp. phosphate, 1 tbsp. ash.

The Beijing type of cabbage responds especially well to the combination of water application with the application of complex mineral fertilizers.

To collect good harvest cabbage, you need to produce for plants proper care, one of the main stages of which is watering. Water for vegetable crops is applied based on weather conditions and the growing season. In cabbage watering, it is very important to stick to the golden mean, so before you follow the watering plan, you need to check the condition of the soil.

One of the most popular vegetable crops is cabbage. The cultivation of this plant was carried out by the ancient peoples of Rome, Egypt and Greece. For the first time, a vegetable was brought to our lands from Europe at the time Kievan Rus, after which it became one of the favorite products, which it has remained to this day.
Several popular subspecies of cabbage are used for food: white, cauliflower, Beijing, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts.

Cultivation of white cabbage: important features

Today, white cabbage is the most popular. This cabbage perfectly combines adaptation to our climatic conditions with ease of cultivation and high nutritional value. It contains a very large amount of vitamin C, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron salts. In addition, it is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, H, K, U and phytoncides. Cabbage juice due to the content of the aforementioned phytoncides has bactericidal, bacteriostatic and antiviral properties. It is intended to relieve the symptoms of rheumatic pains and to treat stomach ulcers (Vitamin U also helps here). That's why healing properties white cabbage are priceless.

White cabbage is a biennial plant that in the first year creates a head with large spiral leaves, the so-called head, which is the edible part. In the second year, the cabbage produces seeds and fruit shoots. It is a typical temperate vegetable that will tolerate temperatures as low as -5°C, but grows best in the 15-18°C range. Temperatures above 30°C slow head formation.

Although cabbage has been growing for a long time in our climate, it requires a lot of rainfall (above 600 mm) and high humidity. Therefore, cabbage always requires proper irrigation. This does not apply to early varieties that use the water left in the spring in the soil. Cabbage has the highest water requirements during the heading period.

White cabbage prefers clay soils, but grows well on chernozems and loams. Don't grow it in too heavy soils because you won't get right size and head shapes, while light sandy soils are too dry for cabbages and water evaporates too quickly.

Cabbage cannot be grown in the same place for more than 4 years. It grows well after clover, potatoes, cucumbers and celery. White cabbage has the highest nutritional micronutrient requirements of any vegetable. Cabbage is very deficient in magnesium, so special attention should be paid to the form and amount of magnesium fertilizer used.

How to grow cabbage seedlings

Vegetables from your garden are a good help to our table. Among the vegetables that will please us with a stable harvest is white cabbage. Cabbage varieties grow from one hundred to one hundred and twenty days. Traditionally, to speed up the harvest, planting cabbage seedlings is used. For planting in open ground, cabbage seedlings must be between forty-five and fifty days old.

When to plant cabbage seeds for seedlings

Before choosing a cabbage variety and starting sowing, you need to determine the date when to plant cabbage seedlings. It's easy to calculate. We need two numbers:

1. date of planting seedlings of cabbage in the garden;
2. seedling age.

If the weather is favorable and you plan to plant seedlings in the ground on the first of May, seeds for seedlings should be planted in the middle or at the end of March. As you can see, the formula is simple. Subtract forty-five or fifty days from the date of planting cabbage in the beds. Thus, we will get the date when cabbage seedlings can be planted.

Preparing cabbage seeds for seedlings

Select cabbage seeds for planting by variety and expected maturity time. Early cabbage is intended for raw consumption, mid-ripening - for harvesting and conservation, and late varieties are perfectly stored throughout the winter.

The quality of the crop largely depends on the condition of the seeds. Pre-dip them in a solution of salt (1 tsp) and water (0.5 l). The material that has surfaced must be discarded, and the material that has sunk to the bottom of the can must be dried. He will go for planting seedlings. It is also recommended to disinfect the seeds before sowing in order to destroy harmful and pathogenic microorganisms. For this, one of the methods is suitable:

• wrap the seed with several layers of cotton fabric, and dip in water heated to 46-48 ° C for 20-25 minutes;
• soak the seeds for 1 hour in a mixture of crushed garlic (1 tablespoon) and heated water (200 g), then rinse;
• for 30 minutes, dip the seeds in a solution of potassium permanganate.

After disinfection, be sure to dry the seeds. Prepare a light soil mixture of ash, sand, peat or humus, soddy soil. You can also purchase ready-made land for growing seedlings.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Stages of planting seedlings:

• pour the soil into the prepared containers with a layer of no more than 3-4 cm;
• make grooves up to 1 cm deep, irrigate them with plenty of water;
• place the seeds in the grooves at a distance of 1 cm, crush with soil, lightly tamp;
• cover the containers with foil, and leave at a temperature of up to 20 ° C.

Shoots usually appear on the 5th day after planting. As soon as you see them, remove the film and reduce the temperature of the maintenance to 8 ° C to slow down the intensive growth, which will only worsen the quality of the seedlings at this stage.

Caring for cabbage seedlings

Cabbage seedlings need careful care. Throughout the growing period, follow the recommendations:

• the optimum temperature of the content is 8 ° C at night, and 15 ° C during the day;
• lightly irrigate the ground in containers as the top layer dries;
• provide daily 12-hour coverage;
• make sure that the seedlings are not affected by pests or diseases;
• 1.5-2 weeks after germination, dive the seedlings into separate containers (if the seeds were originally sown in a separate container, picking is not required);
• a week after diving, feed the seedlings with a nutrient mixture of water (1 l) and superphosphate (5 g), ammonium nitrate (3 g), potassium supplement (3 g);
• irrigate the soil with water before fertilizing;
• 2 weeks after the first feeding, and just before transplanting the seedlings into the soil, re-fertilize.

Planting seedlings of cabbage in open ground

When early ripe seedlings give from 6-7 leaves, and stretch to 13-18 cm in height, they can be planted in open ground. This usually happens in early May. For mid- and late-ripening varieties, 4 leaves are enough. Landing is carried out from the last days of May to the middle of June, and from the middle to the end of May, respectively.
The place for planting should be well lit, the soil is not acidic - sandy and loamy (for early varieties), clayey or loamy (for medium and late-ripening varieties). The beds should not be dense, leave a distance of 40-60 cm between the bushes.
Landing steps:

• dig holes a little larger than the glass in which the seedlings are planted;
• put a nutrient mixture at the bottom of the pits: 200 g of peat and sand, 400 g of humus, 50 g of ash, 3 g of nitrophoska;
• pour fertilizers with plenty of water;
• lower the seedling together with an earthen clod into the hole, sprinkle with soil, tamp.

Cover the seedlings from the sun or frost with a light cloth or paper as needed, and water daily in the evening.

cabbage care

Stronger grown cabbage sprouts in the heat should be watered abundantly - at least 1 time 2-3 days. In cool weather, it is required to reduce watering to 1 time in 5 days. Regularly loosen the soil around the bushes, hill them, remove weeds. You can add a 6-centimeter layer of peat mulch - this will improve the nutritional value of the soil and maintain optimal moisture.
After planting in open ground, fertilize the cabbage twice:

1. during the period of intensive leaf growth - a solution from a bucket of water and 10 g of ammonium nitrate (based on 6 cabbage bushes);
2. during the formation of heads - a bucket of water with the addition of urea (3-4 g), superphosphate (5 g), potassium sulfate (7-8 g) (based on 6 cabbage bushes).

Monitor the condition of the cabbage during the growth period. From slugs, a powder of tobacco dust and ash will help, and an infusion of tomato leaves or onion peel with the addition of tar soap will destroy aphids. For cabbage with formed heads, it is not advisable to use spraying with chemicals, because this will affect the quality of the product.

Cabbage Pest Control

All gardeners who put their heart and effort into sowing, planting and caring for vegetables must be prepared to protect their subjects from disease and pests. The sad fact is that there are many dangers waiting for your delicious vegetables. It is good to get to know the aggressor in advance in order to prepare for plant protection properly and on time. No one wants to use chemicals once again in the garden. We invite you to get acquainted with simple organic methods for protecting cabbage.

Cabbage Fly (Delia radicum) - a favorite place for laying eggs is loose soil - females lay eggs on the root collar of the cabbage, and then the larvae feed on the underground parts of the cabbage. Plants whose roots were attacked by cabbage fly larvae quickly died. To protect the cabbage, we must close the soil around its roots:

• When you plant cabbage seedlings in open ground, we always firmly compact the soil around the root collar with our hands.
• When sowing cabbage seedlings at the base of the root collar, we put mats made of cardboard or old carpeting. You can also use an old CD for this purpose.
• We lay a fine white micro-mesh on the cabbage itself, which will not allow pests to penetrate from the air.
• Between beds, we plant plants like lettuce, dill, or calendula to fool the cabbage fly.

Birds tender juicy leaves of your cabbage seedlings will peck. And thus, she can completely perish. To protect the cabbage from birds, we must make it difficult to access the plants:

• For example, with the help of any scarecrow, we attach a plastic tape to a stick, which, at the slightest wind, produces rustling sounds;
• You can use the same micro grid or any other grid;
• To confuse the birds in the aisles, we plant lettuce, dill or marigolds.

Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris brassicae) - the famous white butterfly, whose caterpillars especially like to eat cabbage. Females of the first generation lay their eggs mainly on wild crops, but in July-August, the next generation of butterflies prefers cabbage. Let's try not to let the butterflies lay their eggs on the plants, and when the caterpillars are already appearing, let's remove them regularly:

• Use the micro-grid on the beds;
• Use biosecurity in the form of Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria;
• Between the rows we plant lettuce, dill or calendula to confuse the butterflies.
• Nasturtium is a favorite dish of cabbage caterpillars, so by planting them near the cabbage, we can lure the caterpillars out of the cabbage beds.

Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) - appear in the garden on dry and hot days and leave characteristic small holes on the leaves. To scare them away, we can:

• Always keep the soil moist;
• Use micro mesh;
• Plant lettuce, dill, or marigold between rows to loosen fleas.
• To plant a radish on the corners of a cabbage bed in order to "pull" fleas out of it - we will still eat only its root, and radish leaves can be sacrificed for the benefit of cabbage;
• Strongly scented herbs such as thyme or mint can mask the smell of cabbage and fool fleas;

Cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae) cabbage beds arrive in early June and quickly take over the leaves of the destroyed plants. Here is a proposal for ecological control of cabbage aphids:

• Since the pests overwinter at the egg stage on the remains of plants left in the garden, always try to remove and destroy any remains of collected plants;
• In the fight against cabbage aphids, the biological weapon is the larvae of the seven-colored ladybug. To lure these beneficial insects into the garden, we plant umbrella plants such as dill, coriander, fennel, cumin among the rows of cabbage.
• There are many recipes for combating aphids with folk remedies. The cheapest and effective remedy- vinegar. A solution of 200 g of vinegar in a bucket of water plus 40 g of soap is sprayed with cabbage, be sure to process lower part sheet.

Unfortunately, folk remedies do not always give a 100% result in pest control, therefore it is very important point prevention is: complete cleaning of the garden from plant residues in the fall, spring digging and systematic weeding.

harvesting cabbage

Harvest when temperatures start to drop to -2-(-3)°C at night. Stop watering a few days before. Dig up the plant with the root, divide by size. After 24 hours, cut the stalk 2-3 cm below the head, leaving a few lower leaves. Remove the whole cabbage for storage in a dry cellar or basement, use damaged heads immediately.

For a crop such as white cabbage, cultivation must be carried out in accordance with all the rules, to monitor the absence of diseases and pests on the leaves. Carefully caring for the sprouts, you will get an excellent harvest that will become a source of vitamins throughout the year.

It often seems to novice summer residents that there is nothing difficult to grow cabbage: after all, such excellent heads of cabbage grow on collective farm fields every year. But when you try to grow cabbage in the country, you often come across the fact that there is no such crop! This is because important agricultural practices are not followed, which I will tell you about in this article.

If you want to know how to grow a good cabbage crop in open field be sure to use these five important tips, without which you will not get large and strong heads of cabbage.

1. Temperature regime

One of the biggest mistakes beginner gardeners make is not knowing that cabbage can't stand heat and drought. Therefore, do not plant it in greenhouses or greenhouses! You will get a good crop of cabbage only in open ground. You can grow seedlings in a greenhouse (it's easier than), and then you must definitely transplant the cabbage seedlings into open ground.

The optimum temperature for cabbage growth is 22 degrees. With an increase in temperature, the growth rate of cabbage will slow down, and if the soil also dries out, then the plant will stop growing at all.
Therefore, on very hot days, it is necessary to shade the bed, it is recommended to make a canopy for cabbage so that the plant is in the shade and loses less moisture. The canopy can be made from white spunbond or burlap.

2. Regular watering

Head cracking is another problem faced by summer residents who water cabbage only once a week, on weekends. Without moisture, the growth of heads of cabbage slows down, and with abundant watering it rapidly accelerates. Too rapid growth of the plant, caused by excess moisture, leads to cracks in the heads.
To avoid this, you need to shade heads and mulch the soil. And if after a long drought it rains heavily, it is worth cutting (for example with a shovel) the roots of the plant on one side to reduce the flow of moisture.

3. Soil care

It is very important to loosen the ground every one to two weeks. It is also worth hilling the plant - this will increase its stability. Early and medium varieties of cabbage can be spudded twice per season, and late - three. The best moment for hilling will be the time after rain or watering, as then the earth will adhere well to the stalk of the plant.

4. Pest control

Another problem that you face when growing cabbage outdoors is insect pests that can leave you without a good harvest. They must be fought!

On sale there are effective drugs to combat cabbage pests. But those who do not want to use chemistry on their site can use the following eco-friendly method:

A mixture of ash and shag (1: 2, one Matchbox per 2 sq.m.). You need to pollinate the heads of cabbage and the soil under them two to three times a week, but before that it is worth moistening the plants - this contributes to the adhesion of the mixture.

5. Top dressing

And the last thing without which you can’t grow a good crop of cabbage is top dressing.
After planting cabbage in the ground, you need to feed it! Top dressing of early varieties is carried out twice a season. Medium and late varieties need to be fed three to four times throughout the season.
Fertilizers (half a liter of mullein, 30 g of azofoska and 15 g of "Mortar" or "Kemira") must be diluted in 10 liters of water and dosed, one liter, poured into each well.

What plant was the ancestor of garden cabbage, no one knows for sure. The homeland of white cabbage is considered the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is known that 4 thousand years ago cabbage was already grown as a crop. During the time of Kievan Rus, it was brought from Western Europe and took its rightful place among other vegetable crops. In the nineteenth century, there were about thirty of its varieties, and now there are hundreds of them.

Description and characteristics of white cabbage

According to the scientific classification, garden or white cabbage (lat. Brássica olerácea) is a species of the genus Cabbage of the Cabbage (Cruciferous) family. Cabbage is a biennial herbaceous plant, as well as its fruits.

The plant has a low branched stem with a large number of leaves that form a rosette at the bottom. During the first year of vegetation, the leaves, tightly adjacent to each other and curling around the stem (stump), form a head of cabbage, which is eaten. Heads of cabbage can have a flat, round-flat, rounded, conical and oval shape. In the second year, tall (up to 1.5 m) flowering shoots grow, on which fruits are formed in the form of pods with seeds.

White cabbage - biennial herbaceous plant

In cooking, cabbage is used raw (salads), pickled and pickled, and also cooked various dishes (braised cabbage, cabbage rolls, fillings, casseroles, cabbage soup, borscht, etc.). The number of different recipes for cabbage dishes is simply incalculable.

The biochemical composition of cabbage is diverse, it contains: fiber, proteins, carbohydrates, organic acids and nitrogenous compounds. The amount of vitamin C (30–70 mg/100 g) is comparable to that found in lemons. There are also vitamins PP, E, A, U, a number of B vitamins and a wide variety of minerals.

cabbage contains a lot useful substances and is widely used in cooking.

Cabbage as a source of vitamin U, which is an antiulcer factor, is used in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The juice from the leaves helps to lower blood sugar, remove cholesterol and excess fluid from the body. A well-known folk remedy for inflammatory processes is a cabbage leaf.

In some cases, cabbage can be harmful: with pancreatitis, acute enterocolitis, increased acidity of the stomach, a tendency to spasms of the intestines and bile ducts, it is contraindicated, as it can irritate the mucous membrane digestive tract and cause increased pain.

White cabbage has a great external resemblance to red and Savoy cabbage. It differs from other cabbage varieties not only appearance, but also a number of other properties.

• In broccoli and cauliflower, the edible part is the inflorescence, in kohlrabi, the stem.
• kohlrabi, broccoli, brussels and cauliflower frozen for storage, these types of cabbage, unlike white cabbage, are not stored fresh for long.
• All other types of cabbage have a higher content of protein, vitamins, micro- and macroelements, and also have a finer cellular structure (with the exception of red cabbage - its fiber, on the contrary, is coarser than that of white cabbage).

Despite the fact that other types of cabbage are superior in nutrient content, this does not reduce its value and popularity due to its relatively low cost, excellent keeping quality and other unique properties.

cabbage varieties

The State Register of Breeding Achievements of the Russian Federation contains more than 400 varieties and hybrids of white cabbage. According to the maturation period, the varieties are divided into the following groups: early-ripening, mid-ripening, medium-late, late-ripening.

Table: popular varieties of white cabbage by ripening time

Group of varieties and main representatives	Usage	Shelf life
Early ripening varieties (90–120 days): June, Zarya, Early Ditmar, Aurora F1, Express F1, Amazon F1	For fresh consumption	Not stored for a long time
Mid-season (130–150 days): Nadezhda, Slava 1305, Belorusskaya 455, Natasha F1, Rinda F1, New York F1	Used both fresh and for fermentation	1–4 months (depending on variety)
Mid-late (150–170 days): Gift, Blizzard, Mother-in-law, Dobrovodskaya, Megaton F1, Aggressor F1	For fermentation and short storage, can also be consumed fresh	2–5 months (depending on variety)
Late-ripening (160–180 days) are divided into two subgroups:
Universal: Kharkiv winter, Snow White, Extra F1, Orbit F1	Good for pickling and cooking	Up to 6 months
Intended for long-term storage: Wintering 1474, Lezhky F1, Amager 611, Kolobok F1, Atria F1	For long-term storage (some varieties can be used for fermentation)	6–8 months

Such a variety of varieties of white cabbage makes it possible all year round to have fresh produce of this crop.

Landing

Cabbage can be grown in seedlings and by sowing seeds in open ground. In the southern regions, for growing early cabbage in film greenhouses with heating, seeds for seedlings are sown in January-February. The deadline for planting seedlings of medium-late cabbage in open ground in middle lane Russia and the northern regions - the end of May or the first days of June. Seedlings are grown at home or in a greenhouse. When planting seedlings of early varieties of cabbage in open ground, follow the scheme 35–40x50, for medium and late-ripening varieties, the distance between plants is increased to 45–50x70–80.

Pre-grown cabbage seedlings are planted in open ground

When sowing seeds in open ground, a planting scheme is observed that corresponds to the variety category. At first, crops are protected with a covering material or film.

How cabbage reproduces

If it seems to someone that it is possible to take seeds from a plant that accidentally released an arrow in the first year of the growing season, then this is a big mistake. Plants that grow from such seeds may not retain the properties of a particular variety and may not even form heads. To obtain high-quality cabbage seeds, there are rules.

How to get seeds

Complete planting material can be obtained only in the second year of cabbage life. It is necessary to select the strongest heads of cabbage, without signs of disease, which are called mother liquors. Before the onset of frost, they are removed with roots and a clod of earth. Before laying in storage, 2-3 covering leaves are left on heads of cabbage. Cabbage is pollinated with wood ash, the root system is dipped in a clay mash and stored at a temperature of 1–2 ° C.

In March or April, the stumps are cut out in the shape of a cone so that the upper bud remains intact, and the petioles on the stalk are 2–3 centimeters long. Prepared stumps are placed in wet peat or humus. Planted queen cells in April or the first half of May. Stumps are placed at an angle and deepened to the base of the head of cabbage.

Stumps (mother liquors) are cut out in the shape of a cone and, when planted, are deepened to the base of the head of cabbage

Distance between testes different varieties must be at least 500–600 meters, otherwise cross-pollination may occur. The beds are provided with standard care: watered, loosened, weeded, fed twice with nitrogen fertilizers. Seeds are harvested as the pods ripen and dry.

How to grow cabbage from a stalk

Is it possible to get not seeds, but another crop of cabbage from a stalk? It is possible, but not everywhere and not from any stalk. There is the experience of gardeners who received two crops in one season from the same plant, but this is only possible in regions with a warm climate where early cabbage is grown.

When harvesting early cabbage (for example, June) in the first days of July, after cutting the heads, the stalks are left in the ground. After a while, small heads will begin to form in the axils of the leaves. It is advised to thin them out and leave two sprouts on each stalk. The lower leaves from the previous heads are not cut off for better moisture retention. And then - watering, loosening, top dressing - everything is as usual. And by mid-September, a re-harvest of heads of cabbage weighing about 500–700 grams is obtained.

Outdoor cabbage care

On the one hand, there is nothing super complicated in the requirements for growing cabbage, but, on the other hand, failure to comply with at least one of them will necessarily negatively affect the crop. You just need not break the rules - and everything will work out.

Soil and crop rotation requirements

Cabbage can grow on different soils, except for very light sandy and gravel, which do not retain moisture well. The ideal soil for cabbage is fertile loam with a light structure and low-lying peat bogs. Such soils are able to retain moisture and at the same time be well permeable to air. The optimum acidity is pH6.4–7.0. Acidic soils should be limed every 5-6 years. To do this, in the fall, along with digging, dolomite flour or fluffy lime is added in the amount of 5 kg / 10 m 2.

Cabbage cannot be re-grown in one place, and also planted after other cruciferous plants earlier than 3-4 years later. Non-compliance with crop rotation and the cultivation of related crops next to cabbage leads to the spread of diseases characteristic of this plant species. Cabbage grows best after haze, lily, nightshade and legumes, and these are also its best neighbors.

Light and temperature

Cabbage is demanding of light and does not tolerate the slightest shading. The place for its cultivation should be completely open. With a lack of light, leaves begin to grow intensively, and heads of cabbage may not form at all. For the best development of plants, the length of daylight hours should be 16-18 hours.

A place for planting cabbage is chosen open and well lit.

Cabbage is known as a cold-resistant plant. The degree of its resistance to low temperatures depends on the variety and stage of development of the plant. Seed germination begins at a temperature of 2–3°C. The optimum temperature for rapid germination is 18–20°C. Seedlings grow best at 12-15°C. Seedlings that have been hardened and are well established outdoors can withstand temperatures as low as -7°C during short frosts. For mature plants, temperatures between 15-18 to 25°C are best suited for good development. In the south of Russia, non-heat-resistant at high temperature wither. Ripe heads on the vine can withstand temperatures from -2°C to -8°C depending on the variety.

Moisture requirements, watering and hilling

The optimal soil moisture for growing cabbage is 80%, air - 50–75%. If cabbage is grown for long-term winter storage, then the relative humidity of the soil in the second half of the growing season should be 70–75%. With a lack of moisture, cabbage develops poorly and heads do not form.

Table: terms and norms of watering white cabbage

The frequency and rates of watering are adjusted depending on the amount of precipitation. It is recommended to maintain the soil in such a state when a lump of earth taken in hand, if rolled between the fingers, sticks together into a ball. If the soil crumbles, it needs to be watered. Despite the exactingness of moisture, cabbage does not like waterlogging. Excess moisture can lead to the spread of fungal diseases and cracking of heads.

To get a good harvest, cabbage is regularly watered.

After watering, the soil must be loosened, it is especially important to do this on heavy soils. Loosening is usually combined with hilling. The first hilling of early varieties is carried out 2 weeks after planting seedlings. Late cabbage begins to spud a little later - after 3 weeks. Then they continue to hill up every 2 weeks and do this until the leaves close.

top dressing

Cabbage takes out a lot of nutrients from the soil, therefore, it needs additional feeding, their amount depends on the growing season, and for early varieties it is reduced.

Table: terms and norms for feeding white cabbage

Feeding time	The composition of the nutrient mixture based on 10 liters of water	Dosage per plant
2-3 weeks after planting seedlings in the ground	One of the options: 10 g of ammonium nitrate; 1 liter of fermented cow dung infusion.	150–200 ml
The period of the beginning of the formation of heads	One of the options: 4 g urea, 5 g double superphosphate, 8 g potassium sulfate; 50 g nitrophoska.	500 ml
10-15 days after the second feeding (with the exception of early varieties - they are no longer fed)	2 tablespoons of superphosphate, 15 g of fertilizer with trace elements	1 liter
20 days before harvest (only for late varieties, so that the heads are better stored)	One of the options: 40 grams of potassium sulfate; 0.5 liters of infusion of ash.	1 liter

If complex fertilizers were applied during planting, then it is better not to do the first top dressing. Excess nitrogen fertilizers accumulate in heads in the form of nitrates and degrade product quality.

Video: growing white cabbage in the open field

Cabbage care in the greenhouse

Greenhouses are used to obtain an early crop of cabbage. When growing cabbage indoors, there are some features that need to be considered.

Greenhouse soil requirements

The soil for the greenhouse can be used both natural and bulk. The arable layer should be at least 25–30 cm thick. 12–13 kg / m 2 of humus are introduced into natural soil in autumn.

For the preparation of bulk soil, one of the following compositions (in%) can be recommended:

• lowland peat - 40, sod land - 40, manure - 20 (horse with 50% sawdust content);
• lowland peat - 60, sod land - 20, cattle manure - 20;
• sod land - 80, humus - 20;
• sod land - 50-60, composted sawdust - 20-10, humus - 30-40.

The structure of the soil should be light. Sawdust, chopped straw and so on are added to the composition of soil mixtures for their greater friability.

Light and temperature

During periods when the cabbage does not have enough sunlight, the plants in the greenhouse need to be illuminated. To do this, use lamps that have a full solar spectrum in their radiation. Immediately after germination, seedlings are illuminated for a week, and then they are illuminated for 7-10 hours a day.

When planting seeds for seedlings and before shoots appear, the optimum air temperature is 18–20 ° C. Within a week after germination, the night temperature is lowered to 6–8°C, and the daytime temperature is reduced to 8–10°C. Then, in sunny weather, the air temperature is maintained in the range of 15-18°C, on cloudy days - 14-16°C, at night - 12-14°C. Soil temperature should be between 15-17°C. In order to save energy during severe frosts, the beds can be temporarily insulated with covering material.

Video: sheltering early cabbage in a greenhouse from return frosts

Moisture requirements, watering and fertilizing

When watering cabbage in a greenhouse, as well as in open ground, neither waterlogging nor drying out of the soil is allowed. Relative air humidity in closed ground should be 75-80%. Soil moisture capacity is 80–85%. To increase humidity, sprinkler irrigation is used, and to reduce it, the greenhouse is ventilated.

Sprinkler irrigation is carried out to increase the humidity in the greenhouse.

After rooting seedlings in a permanent place, the plants are fed twice.

Table: terms and types of feeding cabbage when grown in a greenhouse

For top dressing, you can also use complex mineral fertilizers, such as nitroammophoska, azophoska, Crystalon, Ecoplant, Master. To stimulate the development of the root system and more efficient absorption of nutrients, root biostimulants Agriful, Tekamin, Rice and others are used.

Features of growing white cabbage in different regions

Since the climatic conditions in different latitudes differ from each other, in each region the cultivation of white cabbage has its own characteristics of agricultural technology.

Features of growing cabbage in the Moscow region

The climate of the Moscow region is characterized by the predominance of cloudy weather. There are not many sunny days. Even though cabbage is a cold-hardy crop, unsettled spring weather can create problems in early cultivation.

Cabbage in this region is grown mainly in seedlings. The possibility of growing it in open ground from seeds is also not excluded, but in this case, seedlings should be sheltered before the onset of stable warm weather. One of the options for growing cabbage in open ground is the use of warm beds. Since there is not much precipitation in the Moscow region in summer, special attention should be paid to watering.

In the Moscow region, warm beds are used to grow cabbage in open ground

Varieties are grown, as a rule, early, mid-season and mid-late, as late-ripening ones may not ripen. Of the proven varieties are popular, such as Slava, Slava Gribovskaya, Gift. And there is also a wide variety of hybrids that have performed well in this region.

Features of growing cabbage in Siberia

Severe climatic conditions do not allow growing in Siberia white cabbage from seeds in the open field. However, it can be quite successfully grown by seedlings. A short summer does not allow growing late-ripening varieties with a long growing season, so they choose zoned mid-ripening and mid-late varieties which give a good harvest in this region. At the West Siberian Vegetable Experimental Station, varieties adapted to the Siberian climate have been created that are resistant to diseases common in this region. The most popular of them are: Tochka, Sibiryachka 60, Nadezhda, Blizzard, Final, Talisman F1.

Seedlings are planted in open ground in the second half of May, 50–55 days after sowing the seeds. At first, given the climatic conditions, the beds are covered. In August, cabbage of such varieties is already being consumed fresh, and is also used for sauerkraut. In September, mid-late cabbage is harvested, which is stored for storage.

Features of growing cabbage in the Urals

The unstable climate of the Urals is characterized by sharp temperature changes and intensive movement of air masses. In May, large fluctuations in temperatures can be observed: from heat during the day to night frosts. Snow may fall in October.

Seedlings are grown at home, in greenhouses or on warm beds. In the first or second decade of May, it is planted in open ground. The beds are covered with a dense spunbond, which protects the plants from low night temperatures and pests. And also an effective technique is mulching the beds with a black film to protect the soil from low temperatures.

To protect against spring frosts, cabbage beds in the Urals are covered with spunbond

Siberian varieties of cabbage grow well in the Urals, such as Nadezhda and Vyuga, as well as many hybrids (Megaton, Atria, Aggressor, etc.). Mid-ripening cabbage Losinoostrovskaya is very popular, which is characterized by increased resistance to keel and is used fresh and for pickling.

Features of growing cabbage in central Russia

The temperate continental climate of central Russia with snowy, moderately frosty winters and warm, rather humid summers is most favorable for growing cabbage. In mid-latitudes, cabbage is usually grown in seedlings. However, at present, due to significant climate warming in central Russia, when seeds are sown in open ground, late hybrids ripen with a ripening period of 160–170 days.

Table: timing of sowing seeds and planting seedlings in central Russia

Early planting should be insulated. nonwovens, since in central Russia at such a time there are frosts.

Separate varieties or hybrids of late and mid-ripening cabbage (for example, the mid-season variety Slava 1305, late hybrids Valentina, Kolobok, Garant) can be grown in a seedless way.

Features of growing cabbage in the Far East

The climate of the Far East is characterized by inconstancy. It is characterized by sharp temperature changes, frosty winters and cool summers. During the period of intensive growth and tying heads, an increased air temperature can be observed. In July-September, heavy rainfall occurs, which leads to waterlogging of the soil and, as a result, to the spread of bacterioses.

In this region, cold-hardy varieties with a short growing season, as well as resistant to disease and cracking, are chosen. In the Far East, the old tested varieties (Slava, Gift, Blizzard, June early and others) have proven themselves well. But zoned varieties and hybrids, such as Artost, Sugar Ball, Natasha, Cook, Aggressor, Hurricane, Primorochka, are more productive. Early-ripening and late-ripening cabbage in these territories is grown in seedlings.

In areas of high humidity, such an agricultural technique is used as growing cabbage on ridges or ridges. If the soil surface has a slight slope and good drainage, then it is better to plant cabbage on the ridges. If the site is in a lowland and can be temporarily flooded, then it is better to choose ridges, since excess moisture leaves them faster.

Recently, the practice of combined ridge-ridge technology has been widespread. In the first half of summer, when the weather is dry, cabbage is planted on ridges, which are more conducive to maintaining moisture. In the middle of summer, with the onset of the August typhoon season, two high ridges are formed from the ridge, from which excess moisture is better removed.

Other ways to grow cabbage

Gardeners and specialists are looking for and applying new ways of growing cabbages that help make plant care easier. They also find the possibility of growing a decent crop of this crop in conditions of limited water resources.

Is it possible to grow cabbage without watering

This question is asked by those gardeners who are faced with the problem of insufficient provision land plots moisture. Towards water regime cabbage belongs to the group of plants that are most demanding on moisture.

In books on vegetable growing, you will find the following data: if growing one head of late-grade cabbage requires 200 liters of water (a barrel) per season, then for one potato bush 100 liters (half a barrel). So I am amazed at the ignorance of people who hope to get a crop without watering.

Pavel Trannua

Eksmo Golden School of Horticulture Moscow 2015

It is impossible to grow cabbage without watering. However, the use of agricultural practices that contribute to the conservation of moisture in the soil will significantly reduce water consumption when growing this crop. For this, the following measures are recommended:

• They create conditions for snow retention by deep autumn tillage with the formation of high ridges.
• In early spring, surface loosening of the soil is carried out. This treatment prevents moisture from being pulled up through the capillaries and its evaporation.
• Avoid deep cultivation of the soil, surface loosening prevent the formation of soil crust.
• Cabbage is grown in a seedless way, while a more powerful root system which absorbs water better.

The use of moisture-saving agricultural techniques in combination with the choice of drought-resistant varieties of cabbage (Mozharskaya, Yuzhanka-31, Braunschweik, Amtrak, Bronco) will help reduce water consumption when growing this moisture-loving crop.

Growing under plastic bottles

When growing cabbage from seeds in open ground, plastic bottles can be used as an individual shelter for plants. This technique accelerates the emergence of seedlings, protects them from pests, and also helps to preserve moisture and heat.

At plastic bottles cut off the lower part, and leave the caps on the upper part. Seeds are sown in the usual way and covered in such a way that the cut edges are three centimeters deep into the soil. A little earth is poured around the bottles.

When the seedlings need to be watered, they do it through the neck of the bottles. Periodically, the plants are aired, for this they open the lids and leave the neck open for a while. When the cabbage leaves begin to touch the walls of the bottles, the shelters are removed.

Video: growing white cabbage under plastic bottles

Growing under mulching film

The use of plastic film for mulching beds with cabbage is one of the effective agrotechnical methods of protection. For mulching, both transparent and black film are used, depending on the season.

The black film helps to warm the soil and retain moisture in it, and weeds die under it. The film is laid on prepared cabbage beds 3-4 weeks before planting seedlings, during which time the soil will warm up. According to the planting scheme, round cuts or cross-shaped cuts are made in the film and seedlings are planted in these holes. Plants are taken care of in the same way as usual: watered under the root, fed, treated against diseases and pests.

Under the mulching film, the soil warms up, moisture is retained and weeds do not grow

In summer, a transparent film is used, which is pre-perforated. They lay it on a watered bed between rows of cabbage and fix it. This type of mulching protects against weeds and also retains moisture in the soil.

Siderates for cabbage

The essence of sideration is the cultivation of plants, the green mass of which is used as organic fertilizer. This agrotechnical method is used both in open ground and in greenhouses.

Siderates are cultivated or wild plant species that are grown to enrich the soil with humus and nitrogen.

The best siderates for cabbage are legumes (melilot, alfalfa, sochevnik, vetch, clover, annual lupine, peas, beans), cereals (oats), hydrophiles (phacelia), bruise and some others. Mixtures of green manure crops can be used, the most common of which is vetch-oat. And you can also mix phacelia, bruise and sweet clover in a ratio of 1: 1: 2.

It is impossible to grow cruciferous green manure before planting cabbage. Some cereals dry out the soil a lot and are therefore not suitable for cabbages as green manure crops. Rapeseed, white mustard, colza, oil radish, rye and others will be unsuitable green manure for cabbage.

Diseases and pests of cabbage

Having decided to grow white cabbage in your garden, you need to be prepared for the fact that under adverse conditions, the culture can be affected by diseases, and insect pests may also be interested in it.

Common diseases

One of the unfavorable factors for the development of diseases is the increased acidity of the soil. Cabbage is most susceptible to fungal diseases, since the moist environment, which is necessary for the development of plants, is favorable for the spread of pathogenic fungal microorganisms.

With increased acidity of the soil, a fungus spreads, which causes keel disease. The pathogen penetrates the soil and infects the roots, growths form on them. Plants stop growing, wither and are easily pulled out of the ground. Qila affects all cruciferous crops. It is impossible to save a sick cabbage with a keel. Infected plants are removed from the site and destroyed.

With a disease of keel on the roots of cabbage, growths form

Prevention of keel disease is reduced to the following activities:

• compliance with crop rotation;
• soil liming;
• solanaceous, lily and haze crops destroy keel spores, they are grown in infected areas;
• treatment of seedlings brought from outside, Fitosporin, sulfur preparations.

Blackleg

This disease affects seedlings. The root neck darkens, and the stem becomes thinner, as a result of which the plant breaks and dies. The disease appears on acidic soils in conditions of excess moisture in the soil, insufficient ventilation and sudden changes in temperature. The remains of infected plants in the soil contribute to the preservation of blackleg pathogens.

With a black leg disease, the cabbage seedlings become thinner and the stem breaks

Preventive measures are to replace the soil in greenhouses, maintain a balance of moisture and temperature regime. To combat the black leg, Bordeaux liquid is used, which is used to treat the affected areas at the rate of 1 liter per 1 m 2.

Fusarium

This disease is also called Fusarium wilt of cabbage. The pathogen affects both seedlings and adult plants. The leaves of the seedling turn yellow and die, which leads to its death. In adult plants affected by Fusarium, after the leaves die off, a small naked head of cabbage remains. On the transverse section of the stem and leaf petioles, a light brown ring of vessels is clearly visible. The pathogen can be viable in the soil for several years.

Fusarium-affected cabbage leaves turn yellow and die

Affected plants are destroyed along with the roots. Prevention consists in observing crop rotation, using healthy seeds and liming the soil. Fusarium-resistant cabbage varieties and hybrids are grown on infected areas.

Gray rot

The disease often occurs during storage of heads of cabbage, and can also affect the entire plant on the vine. The spread of gray rot provokes harvesting in rainy weather, mechanical damage to heads of cabbage, their freezing, as well as non-compliance with conditions in cabbage storage areas. A gray powdery coating with pubescence appears on heads of cabbage, which consists of mycelium and spores of the pathogen. Later, black nodules form in these places.

When affected by gray rot, a gray coating appears on the heads of cabbage

Measures to combat gray rot include timely harvesting, destruction of post-harvest residues, timely disinfection of cabbage storage facilities, and compliance with storage conditions (temperature from 0 to 2 ° C).

Main preventive actions for the prevention of cabbage diseases are reduced to the disinfection of seeds, compliance with the rules of crop rotation, liming the soil. And also during the season, you need to carry out several treatments with fungicides, such as Fitosporin, Ridomil, Polikarbotsin and others.

Possible pests of cabbage

So that cabbage does not suffer from pests, you need to get acquainted with their main representatives and learn how to deal with them.

Aphid cabbage

A dangerous pest of small size (up to 2.2 mm), white or green. The aphid sucks the juice out of the cabbage and can do great harm, as it multiplies very intensively. To combat it, you can use decoctions of wormwood and tansy, tinctures of horseradish or hot capsicum, as well as insecticides.

Cabbage aphids are small in size (up to 2.2 mm), but can cause great harm by sucking the juice from cabbage leaves.

Small, about 3 mm, jumping shiny leaf-eating bugs are a cruciferous flea that infects all plants of the cruciferous family. The flea is a very harmful insect, if you do not fight it, then all cabbage seedlings planted in the ground may suffer. To scare away the pest, marigolds, dill, and carrots are planted on cabbage beds. Dusting plants with wood ash or tobacco dust (can be mixed with slaked lime in equal proportions) is an effective means of combating cruciferous flea.

The cruciferous flea is a very harmful leaf beetle.

Slugs

This pest is a mucus-covered mollusk that feeds on cabbage leaves. Slugs multiply intensively in conditions of high humidity. To control the pest around small beds, you can create a barrier in the form of scattered quicklime or crushed chalk. If the number of slugs is significant, then Thunderstorm is used. Its granules are scattered between the rows of cabbage at the rate of 3 grams per 1 m 2.

Slugs eat cabbage leaves

cabbage scoop

An inconspicuous butterfly of a dirty brownish color with a wingspan of less than 5 centimeters. The pest lays its eggs on the underside of the leaves. The eggs hatch into caterpillars, which feed on the leaves and quickly destroy them. Cabbage cutworm eggs can be harvested by hand. From biological products nice results give Lepidocid or Bitoxibacillin.

Caterpillars of cabbage scoops feed on leaves, butterflies are inconspicuous gray-brown.

To prevent damage to cabbage by pests, as well as to combat them, there are many insecticides, such as Decis, Fitoverm, Fufanon, Iskra Double Effect, Zemlin, Diazonin and others. And also a good effect gives the application folk remedies in the form of various decoctions and infusions.

Video: processing cabbage from aphids and slugs

Harvest and storage

Early varieties of cabbage are harvested in June-July and consumed immediately. Mid-season ones are ready for harvesting at the end of summer, and late ones - in September or early October. Cabbage on the vine can tolerate frosts down to -5–7 ° C, cut heads will deteriorate at this temperature. If frosts come before the start of harvesting, then it is better not to cut the heads of cabbage, but to wait until the frozen leaves thaw. Heads harvested in dry weather at a temperature of +4–7°C have the best keeping quality.

Ripe heads of cabbage are cut with a knife, leaving the lower leaves and a stump 3–4 cm long.

The best storage conditions for cabbage are between 0 and 2°C at relative humidity air 90–98%. Heads of cabbage are laid on wooden decks or gratings with the stumps up at some distance from each other. If conditions permit, pairwise connected heads of cabbage can be hung on the crossbars. If the cabbage is rolled in diluted clay and then dried, it will be stored longer than usual.

Cabbage is stored on wooden decks at a temperature of 0 to 2°C.

White cabbage has firmly taken its place in the life of a Russian person. It is grown everywhere, adapting to the climatic conditions of various regions. It cannot be said that this is a very capricious culture, but still there are certain requirements for the conditions for its cultivation, and without their fulfillment one should not count on a good harvest. At right choice varieties and the use of appropriate agricultural technology, cabbage can be quite successfully grown in open ground and in a greenhouse.

Watering cabbage is the basis for the cultivation of all varieties of this vegetable crop. If the seedlings are successful, take root, then further success depends on the mode of soil moisture. And on some soil types, the importance of proper watering different types cabbage in the open field increases. The fact is that the poorly developed surface root system of a popular vegetable crop is not able to get moisture from the deep layers of the soil. Drying out in dry hot weather of the topsoil is dangerous for the emerging heads. Without figuring out how to properly water cabbage in the open field, the gardener risks being left without a crop.

Irrigation conditions

To wait for the vegetable itself to signal with drooping leaves about the need to moisten the beds means to expose the plants to albeit small, but stresses. Moisture-loving culture should not experience moisture deficiency. But you can’t fill it in either - it is fraught with decay and disease.

Important! The gardener, postponing watering for a day or two, does not take into account that the area of ​​​​cabbage leaves is so large that it evaporates a huge amount of moisture. This process is called transpiration, which ensures the flow of sap from the roots through the entire plant, transporting moisture and nutrients. If the amount of moisture evaporated through the leaf plates is not replenished by the liquid that enters the roots, the plant may die.

The type of soil, climate features, current weather conditions are indispensable conditions that determine how often cabbage is watered in open ground beds.

Watering rules

The main period of head formation is the zenith of summer, when the weather is often hot and dry. The sun mercilessly dries up the soil. Moisture evaporates from hot ground in a matter of hours. And cabbage, which needs a lot of water, does not have time to satisfy the need. And if there is no rain for a long time, but the temperature is low. How many times under such conditions to water the cabbage, even depends on the composition of the soil. Humidification rules boil down to a few questions:

1. How often do you need to water cabbage in drought, heat, cool weather.
2. How much moisture should be.
3. What water is better to water the cabbage.
4. What time of day is best to do this?
5. Which watering method do you prefer?

But the answers to the questions must be applied to the specific growing conditions of the crop.

Water Requirements

A good half of gardeners will say that cabbage loves cold water. Published crop care recommendations warn: watering cabbage cold water will inevitably lead to the risk of viral, fungal or bacterial diseases. A newcomer to cabbage beds will be confused by conflicting advice.

But there is no contradiction. The recommended temperature is 17-20°C. When the thermometer is above 30, the jet from the hose feels cool, even cold. But usually not lower than the recommended degree, if the irrigation water on the site is accumulated in containers. Coming from a well, a reservoir into a storage tank, it warms up to a temperature comfortable for plants. It is not necessary to specially warm it up, as for cucumbers, for example, if the water was in the container for at least a day before entering the hose.

If the beds are equipped with sprinklers, the water can be colder: the finer the spray, the smaller the contrast between air and water temperatures. In the lines of the drip irrigation system, the temperature of the liquid rises to the minimum permitted level due to the low flow rate.

Important! It is strictly forbidden to pour water from the tap, from a centralized water supply, onto the beds. Its temperature is from 5-10 critically low for cabbage. But the presence of chlorine is more important. If used for gardening tap water, it is poured into a storage tank for settling in advance so that all the chlorine evaporates. This requires at least a day. During this time, the temperature will even out to the required level.

Timing and frequency of watering

Watering cabbage in the heat

Even in the hottest and driest weather, the rule applies: one day - one watering. Every day once, but very abundantly moisten the earth. The hotter the air and the less rainfall, the more insistently evening humidification is recommended. After 18-20 hours, when the sun is low, the rays fall obliquely enough so as not to leave burns on the leaves, because it is useful to pour not only under the root, but also to irrigate the plant itself. Only early in the morning or later in the evening, the solar power is not enough to burn cabbage leaves through drops of water, as through lenses.

It is the evening moistening of the soil that is more relevant during hot dry periods, since a moisture-loving culture is much more likely to satisfy its needs. Overnight, the roots will easily absorb as much moisture as needed. If the soil is wetted in the morning, the scorching sun will not allow the cabbage to take all the necessary moisture from the soil. By evening, the bed will already dry out.

Important! To reduce intensive evaporation, to reduce the number and volume of watering, protecting and nourishing mulching of the earth between plants will help. The entire space is covered with a layer (from 3-4 to 6-7 cm) of straw, cut weeds, peat. If you use sawdust, then exclusively rotted.

Periods with average daytime temperatures allow you to moisten the beds less often, in the morning. How many times you need to water the cabbage depends on various factors.

Depending on maturity

Early-ripening and late-ripening cabbage requires a separate approach to moistening the earth:

1. Early varieties ripening in the second half of summer require a greater intensity of water procedures, especially in June and the first half of July.
2. Late varieties require maximum moisture in the second half of July-August.

It depends on the region: the further north the area is located, the later the planting dates and, accordingly, the maturation of the culture.

Depending on the type of cabbage

• White varieties, on the beds with which water is poured at the rate of 8 liters for the first month, 12 liters for the remaining period after 6-8 days.
• Color - up to two times a week, in a volume of 10 liters;
• Krasnokochannaya - a bucket per unit area / 10-14 days.
• Broccoli - up to 3 times a week, up to 15 liters per unit. sq.
• Kohlrabi - after 2-3 days, 7-10 liters.
• Beijing - once a week for 10 liters.
• Brussels - 10-12 liters in 6-8 days

Cabbage of different types requires a constantly slightly moistened soil condition. Without increasing the frequency of watering, this is achieved by mulching the beds.

On different types of soil

The structure of the soil, which determines its moisture capacity, affects the frequency and volume of watering: sand allows water to pass through without retaining it, and clay does not allow moisture to quickly go deep into the soil. You can figure out which breeds prevail on the site in a simple way:

1. Knead a handful of wet soil in your hands, try to make a ball.
2. If the attempt fails initially - the earth crumbles - high sand content, the earth needs a lot of water. Or, by adding clay, increase the moisture capacity of the soil.
3. The ball turned out, but with light pressure it crumbles. These are loams. You can water less frequently.
4. The earth kneads like plasticine, a dense, strong ball is easy to flatten, to give any shape. Clay earth, very heavy, does not let water through. A dense crust forms on dried clay soil. If the site is located on a slope, the water flows down without getting to the roots. It is difficult to grow anything on such soil - sand, peat are added to lighten the structure.

At different growing seasons

Early varieties that have just sprouted or rooted seedlings need watering (according to the weather) at least once every 2-3 days. Before the phase of technical ripeness - 1-2 times in 10 days.

Late-ripening cabbage in medium temperature conditions and with periodic rainfall is watered about 10 times a season:

• 1 - day of disembarkation;
• 2 - after 6-7 days;
• 3 - 5 - formation of a rosette;
• 6 - 8 - tying and building up a head of cabbage;
• 9-10 - to technical ripeness.

Watering methods

Cabbage is a culture that is not picky about the method of introducing moisture, so any convenient, affordable method is applicable - from a watering can to complex automatic systems.

Traditional irrigation of cabbage

It is optimal for gardeners who visit the site regularly, and the land is mostly fertile, moisture-intensive, loose. Watering the beds even from a watering can, even from a hose with a nozzle, the vegetable grower knows that the water immediately penetrates deep into, to the roots. It is not difficult to wet such soil to the required 30-40 cm.

Traditional methods of moistening are suitable for small plantings - a bed, which is easy to approach first from one side, and then water the cabbage from the other side. From a watering can or hose, furrows are shed between the hilled plants, abundantly irrigated over the leaf.

The usual watering from a watering can at a summer cottage is especially convenient when it is necessary to feed the crop: a measured amount of fertilizer is dissolved in a watering can and poured directly under the root. Such top dressing, combined with watering, eliminates accidental overdose, since at all stages the process is under the control of the summer resident.

Another reason why small land plots still watered from watering cans - the possibility of organic feeding. Infusions of herbs, onion or garlic husks, manure or manure, no matter how you filter them, carry sediment, suspension, which can clog irrigation systems and disable expensive equipment.

sprinkling

On a standard 6 acres, a sprinkling plant that supplies a diffuse jet of water under pressure upwards will water, along with cabbage, and that which does not need to be watered. The method is suitable for large areas planted with cabbage, therefore it is used by large farmers and agro-complexes. Water, like raindrops, settles on the leaves (therefore, they include sprinkling only in the early morning or evening), the soil, maintaining its moisture.

It is advantageous to use the equipment on well-structured soils, since on heavy clay soils water drops will not break through the hard surface crust - gathering in streams they will flow downhill or, if the plantation is flat, they will stand in puddles, wetting the ground for a long time. Part of the water will have time to evaporate without getting into the ground.

Sprinkler installation allows you to combine watering with top dressing, but only highly soluble mineral compounds are used for fertilizer so that foreign particles do not clog the system.

drip

An option for those who cannot travel outside the city to the country to regularly moisten the beds. A simple system covers all plantings, brings water to each plant, evenly saturating the soil with moisture.

Expensive automatic systems, set up once, serve the beds with cabbage without the participation of the owner of the garden. Simple, but no less effective, they are assembled from ready-made kits or they select hoses, pipes, adapters and other components.
Top dressing of cabbage, served by drip irrigation, is carried out similarly to sprinkling. (No ratings yet)