After a decade of catalog dominance by original variegated and colorful tulip varieties, trends began to change. At exhibitions, the best designers in the world offer to remember the classics and pay tribute to charming white tulips. Sparkling under the warm rays of the spring sun, they look especially festive in the garden. Welcoming spring after a long wait, tulips seem to remind us that white is not only the color of snow, but also the joyful celebration of flowering.

Despite the fact that cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables, not all summer residents, especially beginners, can grow its seedlings. In apartment conditions they are hot and dark. In this case, it is impossible to obtain high-quality seedlings. And without a strong one, healthy seedlings it is difficult to count on a good harvest. Experienced gardeners know that it is better to sow cabbage seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses. And some even grow cabbage by direct sowing seeds in the ground.

Flower growers tirelessly discover new houseplants, replacing some with others. And here the conditions of a particular room are of no small importance, because plants have different requirements for their maintenance. Lovers of beauty often face difficulties flowering plants. After all, for flowering to be long and abundant, such specimens require special care. There are not very many unpretentious plants blooming in rooms, and one of these is streptocarpus.

Calendula (marigold) is a flower that stands out among others with its bright color. Low bushes with delicate orange inflorescences can be found on the side of the road, in the meadow, in the front garden next to the house or even in vegetable beds. Calendula is so widespread in our area that it seems like it has always grown here. About interesting decorative varieties calendula, as well as about the use of calendula in cooking and medicine, read our article.

I think many will agree that the wind is well perceived by us only in the romantic aspect: we are sitting in a cozy warm home, and the wind is raging outside the window... In fact, the wind blowing through our areas is a problem and there is nothing good about it. By creating windbreaks with the help of plants, we break the strong wind into several weak currents and significantly weaken its destructive power. How to protect a site from the wind will be discussed in this article.

Modern ferns are those rare plants antiquities, which, despite the passage of time and all kinds of cataclysms, not only survived, but were also largely able to preserve their former appearance. Of course, it is not possible to grow any of the fern representatives indoors, but some species have successfully adapted to life indoors. They look great as single plants or decorate a group of decorative foliage flowers.

Pilaf with pumpkin and meat is Azerbaijani pilaf, which differs in the method of preparation from traditional oriental pilaf. All ingredients for this recipe are prepared separately. Rice is boiled with ghee, saffron and turmeric. The meat is fried separately until golden brown, and pumpkin slices as well. Separately prepare the onions and carrots. Then everything is placed in layers in a cauldron or thick-walled pan, a little water or broth is poured in and simmered over low heat for about half an hour.

Basil - a wonderful universal seasoning for meat, fish, soups and fresh salads - is well known to all lovers of Caucasian and Italian cuisine. However, upon closer inspection, basil turns out to be a surprisingly versatile plant. For several seasons now, our family has been happily drinking aromatic basil tea. In a flowerbed with perennials and in flowerpots with annual flowers, bright spice plant a worthy place was also found.

Thuja or juniper - which is better? This question can sometimes be heard in garden centers and markets where these plants are sold. It is, of course, not entirely correct and correct. Well, it’s the same as asking what is better - night or day? Coffee or tea? Woman or man? Surely, everyone will have their own answer and opinion. And yet... What if you approach with an open mind and try to compare juniper and thuja according to certain objective parameters? Let's try.

Brown Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Smoked Bacon is a delicious, smooth and creamy soup that both adults and children will love. If you are preparing a dish for the whole family, including kids, then do not add a lot of spices, although many modern children are not at all against spicy flavors. Bacon for serving can be prepared in different ways - fry in a frying pan, as in this recipe, or bake in the oven on parchment for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

For some, the time of sowing seeds for seedlings is a long-awaited and pleasant chore, for others it is a difficult necessity, while others wonder whether it would be easier to buy ready seedlings at the market or with friends? Be that as it may, even if you have given up growing vegetables, you will probably still have to sow something. These are flowers and perennials, conifers and much more. A seedling is still a seedling, no matter what you sow.

A lover of moist air and one of the most compact and rare orchids, pafinia is a real star for most orchid growers. Its flowering rarely lasts longer than a week, but it can be an unforgettable sight. You want to look at the unusual striped patterns on the huge flowers of the modest orchid endlessly. IN indoor culture pafinia is rightly ranked among the difficult-to-grow species. It became fashionable only with the spread of interior terrariums.

Pumpkin ginger marmalade is a warming sweet that can be prepared almost all year round. Pumpkin keeps for a long time - sometimes I manage to save a few vegetables until summer, fresh ginger and lemons are always available these days. Lemon can be replaced with lime or orange to create different flavors - variety in sweets is always nice. The finished marmalade is placed in dry jars; it can be stored at room temperature, but it’s always healthier to cook fresh food.

In 2014, the Japanese company Takii seed introduced petunia with a striking petal color - salmon-orange. Based on associations with the bright colors of the southern sunset sky, the unique hybrid was named African Sunset. Needless to say, this petunia instantly won the hearts of gardeners and was in great demand. But in the last two years, the curiosity has suddenly disappeared from store windows. Where did the orange petunia go?

In our family Bell pepper they love it, that’s why we plant it every year. Most of the varieties that I grow have been tested by me for more than one season; I cultivate them constantly. I also try to try something new every year. Pepper is a heat-loving plant and quite whimsical. Varietal and hybrid varieties of tasty and productive sweet peppers, which grow well for me, will be discussed further. I live in middle lane Russia.

I sow seeds for seedlings in late January - early February. I bring the pre-prepared soil into the room, fill the containers, for me these are deep, up to 30 cm, bathtubs. I am preparing the seeds for sowing. I calibrate them by size, throwing away small ones (less than 2 mm). I place the calibrated seeds in calico bags and wash them with warm water. running water under the tap, then place it in hot (48-50 g) water for 15-20 minutes, then quickly rinse with cold running water. After this, I place the seeds for 20 minutes in a solution of potassium permanganate (1 g per 1 liter of water), rinse again and dry. The seeds are ready for sowing. I sow them to a depth of 2 cm. I cover the baths with film and place them on the windowsill. Usually on the third day shoots appear. I immediately remove the film and turn the baths twice a day so that the plants do not stretch.
When the first true leaf appears, I plant the seedlings in separate cups and shade them a little for 3-4 days so that they take root faster. When the threat of frost has passed, I place the seedlings under film for hardening. A week later I plant it in a greenhouse, where it immediately begins to grow. This is especially noticeable after the first feeding (2 liters of fermented mullein with bird droppings, a handful of ash and 1 spoon of superphosphate per bucket of water). Already at the end of May - beginning of June, the hard heads of Transfer and Cossack appear. The cabbage is sweet and tender.
I also grew medium and late varieties of cabbage through seedlings, but the results were unimportant. The seedlings were greatly stretched due to high temperature: in April on the windowsills during the day it rises to 30°C. And I decided to use a different technology for growing late cabbage. I prepare the seeds in the same way as early ripening varieties. Then I glue them onto strips toilet paper length equal to the length of the ridge. I arrange them like this: mid-ripening cabbage - every 40 cm, late-ripening - every 50 cm, 3 seeds in one nest. I roll up the ribbons with the seeds glued on them and store them until planting.
In the spring, when the weather permits, I press down the grooves in the bed prepared in advance along the sides and water them hot water with potassium permanganate and lay strips of medium-ripening cabbage seeds along both sides so that they are staggered. I place late-ripening cabbage seeds along one side. I sprinkle it with soil and cover the bed with film on the arches.
To compact the other side of the bed with late cabbage You can plant onions on greens, dill. They will ripen quickly, and the cabbage will grow freely. It gets sick less and is less likely to be damaged by pests.
Seeds begin to germinate at soil temperatures of plus 5-10°C. As soon as warm weather sets in, the seedlings begin to grow quickly. She has enough moisture under the film. I remove weak plants.
Every year I grow several varieties I like: medium ones - Losinoostrovskaya, Slava-1305, Nadezhda, Podarok; late ones - Morozko, Leader, Polar, Kharkovskaya zimnaya, Zimovka-1447, cauliflower Snowball, as well as other types of cabbage - Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, broccoli. Every year I test 3-4 new varieties.
Of course, you have to protect cabbage from pests. For example, the seedlings began to wither. Who is guilty? These are small white worms - cabbage fly larvae. Pull the plant out and you will see them. Such seedlings must be ruthlessly destroyed so that other plants do not become infected. Then place 3 matchboxes in a bucket of water ammonium nitrate and feed the cabbage.
In June, cabbage white caterpillars may appear on cabbage leaves; they eat all the pulp of the leaf, leaving only the veins. So the appearance of butterflies in the garden is a signal for the start of a new military operation. Every week you will need to inspect the leaves from the underside, destroy the eggs laid by the butterfly, and later the young caterpillars. And although it will not be possible to collect everything, the mass spread of the pest will not occur, it will be possible to do without the use of chemicals.
It is likely that aphids will also “take care” of the cabbage; this is the most nasty pest. The leaves of the affected plants will begin to curl and become covered with light yellow spots, on which ash-green cabbage aphid larvae can be seen sluggishly swarming. Quickly spray the “interventionists” with a soap solution or tobacco infusion, which is prepared from a bucket of water, 400 g of tobacco dust (infuse for two days), and then add 100 g of soap.
In general, so that no one encroaches on the cabbage, plant marigolds in the garden along with it. The cabbage will stand proud and beautiful until the frost.

I will send seeds of the above varieties of cabbage, as well as many other crops, to everyone who wants them. I will send you a catalog with detailed description varieties vegetable plants. I am waiting for an envelope from you with an o/a and an additional 1 ruble stamp attached. 20 kopecks

There is probably not a single vegetable garden that does not grow such a native Russian vegetable crop as cabbage. This vegetable was brought from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, but, despite the diversity of the Russian climate, it has taken root well in our dachas and personal plots. Grow decent harvest growing cabbage is not difficult, but to do this you need to figure out what diseases this crop is susceptible to and what pests are not averse to “crunching” cabbage leaves.

In the previous article in the series “Organic farming. Biological protection from pests and weeds" we talked about what environmental methods of controlling diseases and pests are used in organic farming, and in the article "Diseases and pests of cucumber - protecting yourself without chemicals" we figured out how to care for cucumbers without using harmful chemicals . Today we’ll talk about growing cabbage, consider methods biological control with pests and diseases of this crop.

Today there are many types of cabbage. These are known to everyone white cabbage varieties, which were grown back in the days of Ancient Rus'. Colored and red cabbage became widespread in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. The cookbooks of this time also mention kohlrabi, which was called “repina cabbage”. Varieties such as Brussels sprouts, Savoy sprouts and broccoli began to be grown here in the second half of the last century.

It is not for nothing that cabbage has taken root in our lands with an unstable climate. The peculiarity of this crop is that it easily tolerates frosts down to minus 3 degrees, and Savoy from a temperature of minus 5 becomes even tastier.

Despite the variety of varieties, the agricultural technology for growing each of them is not particularly different. Cabbage loves water very much. If there is insufficient watering, it is almost impossible to grow a good harvest; in addition, when watering, it is necessary to maintain uniformity, otherwise the head of cabbage may crack.

It is best to grow cabbage on loamy soils rich in organic matter with neutral acidity, and if the soil is acidic, it is necessary to add lime in late autumn or early spring in a proportion of 4-5 kg ​​per 10 sq.m. Such cultivation of the soil is an excellent prevention of most fungal diseases, including such a dangerous disease as clubroot, the spores of which die in an alkaline environment.

The most suitable fertilizer for any variety of cabbage is rotted cow dung or well-ripened compost. The use of unripe compost or fresh manure makes the leaves watery, tasteless and unstable to various diseases. For a head of cabbage to grow large, it must receive a lot of food. Therefore, even on highly fertile lands, cabbage needs to be given enough a large number of organic fertilizer (8-10 buckets of manure or compost per 10 sq.m.). Any species responds well to feeding with fermented infusion of nettle, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5. The first feeding should be carried out 2-3 weeks after planting the seedlings, and then - at intervals of two weeks 5-6 times.

From cabbage you can prepare a large number of tasty and healthy dishes, many varieties are remarkably stored all winter and are a source of essential vitamins and microelements. However, not only humans love cabbage for its juicy, crunchy leaves. This crop has many pests in the garden that you need to learn how to resist.

Cabbage pests

Various flying and jumping insects sometimes cause a lot of trouble for the gardener. The main dangerous pests of cabbage include: cabbage fly, cruciferous flea beetles and bugs, cabbage fly, and naked slugs.

Cabbage whites

This pest is widespread throughout almost the entire territory of Russia and neighboring countries. The whitefish feeds not only on cabbage, but also on all other cruciferous crops (radish, turnip, radish, watercress and others).

Cabbage butterfly is a butterfly with white wings with a black border. These butterflies feed on flower nectar, mate and lay eggs on the underside of cabbage leaves. The eggs hatch into yellowish-green caterpillars with black spots, which feed on cabbage leaves, leaving only the central veins.

A good effect in the fight against this pest is given by spraying cabbage with a solution of wood ash at the rate of 2 cups of ash and a tablespoon of liquid soap per 10 liters of water.

If there are few caterpillars, they can be collected by hand. Some gardeners place sticks with eggshells hanging on them in their cabbage beds. It is believed that the shell repels cabbage weeds that are about to lay eggs. The butterfly mistakes the shell for similar creatures and “thinks” that the territory is already occupied.

Spraying cabbage beds an infusion of tomato tops or a decoction of onion peels will repel cabbage whites with an unusual smell, and it will not multiply in your beds.

Cruciferous flea beetles and bugs

These pests cause significant damage to all cruciferous crops, and cabbage especially suffers from them. Cruciferous flea beetles are small black beetles up to 3 mm in size with hopping hind legs. Cruciferous bugs are insects with bright colors - red, yellow or white stripes, spots or lines on a black or green-metallic background.

Flea beetles and bugs scrape off the top layer of leaves and suck out plant juices, causing yellowing, wilting and drying out of cabbage plants. These insects are especially dangerous for seedlings. A large number of pests in the garden can lead to the death of young plants.

Enough effective means combat during the period of mass appearance of fleas and bedbugs is to pollinate cabbage beds with a mixture of tobacco dust with fluff lime or ash in a 1:1 ratio. This procedure is carried out several times with an interval of 4-5 days. If there are a small number of bedbugs, you can collect them by hand, and to catch fleas, you can place fabric flags coated with non-drying glue on the beds.

Cabbage fly

This dangerous pest looks like a regular house fly. She lays eggs in the ground at the base of the stem, from which the larvae hatch white about 8 mm long. The larvae can move from one plant to another, gnawing the stem and reaching the root along it. Damaged plants become bluish-lilac in color, grow poorly, wither and die.

The main enemy of the cabbage fly and its larvae are predatory insects such as ground beetles, which feed on the larvae of the pest. How to attract these beneficial insects we talked about our land in the article “Biological protection from pests and weeds.”

The main task in the fight against cabbage fly is to prevent it from laying eggs. To do this, the ground around the plant can be sprinkled with ash or lime (the larvae die in an alkaline environment); you can also build a mechanical barrier in the form of a cardboard collar 10 cm in diameter, which is placed on the base of the stem. This barrier prevents the larvae from reaching the cabbage. Well-mulched soil also serves as protection against cabbage flies, but mulch is an excellent hiding place for slugs and is dangerous to use in cabbage beds.

Naked slugs

Slugs are worm-like mollusks that have a sharp tongue with teeth, which they use to bite into leaves and can eat them to the very base. Slugs become active in rainy, damp weather, feed at night, and during the day they hide under various shelters (boards, piles of branches, grass). If there are a lot of pests on the site, then such shelters can be made artificially in the beds and used as traps, from under which slugs can be collected manually during the day.

To combat slugs, an infusion of hot pepper, prepared according to the following recipe, works well: 1 kg of capsicum is crushed, poured with 10 liters of water and infused for two days. Then it is brought to a boil and left for another day, then the pepper is ground, the resulting mixture is squeezed and filtered. This concentrate can be used immediately, or can be stored sealed in a dark, cool place. To treat cabbage beds, dilute 125 grams of concentrate in 10 liters of water, add 40 grams laundry soap, divorced in hot water, and spray the soil in places where slugs accumulate and feed.

If you sprinkle mustard powder on the ground around the cabbage, slugs will not be able to get into your garden bed; freshly slaked ground lime and a mixture of ash and bleach have the same effect.

Planted near cabbage will be a good protection against all the pests described above. various plants. If you plant garlic around the garden bed, the cabbage fly will never fly to it. Basil, mint, dill, coriander will repel fleas, bedbugs and cabbage whites. And borage with its rough leaves will not allow slugs into the cabbage.

Today, many gardeners use covering nonwoven materials such as lutrasil, spunbond and agril to combat flying pests. Pests simply cannot get to the plants they cover.

Cabbage diseases

No less than from pests, cabbage can suffer from various diseases caused by fungi and other soil microorganisms. These diseases occur during prolonged rainy weather, or due to improper cultivation practices. Most dangerous diseases cabbage are considered: clubroot, yellowness (fusarium wilt), black leg and white rot.

Clubroot cabbage

Most dangerous fungal disease, most often affecting cabbage and cauliflower. The first signs of the disease are: slower growth, yellowing and wilting, growths on the roots of various shapes (spherical, vesicular, spindle-shaped). Clubroot most often affects cabbage growing in waterlogged, acidic soil, with insufficient nutrients.

Clubroot cabbage is an insidious disease that is easier to prevent than to treat (damaged plants cannot be saved). Once in your garden, the spores of this fungus can remain there for 6-8 years, and removing them will be extremely problematic. You can introduce clubroot into the soil by planting purchased diseased seedlings. Therefore, when purchasing, you must carefully consider the roots of young plants and try not to purchase seedlings from random people on the market.

To prevent disease, in case of high acidity of the soil, it is necessary to lim it in the fall or spring at the rate of 200-300 grams of fluff lime per 1 sq.m. land. For these purposes you can use dolomite flour in the same quantities.

Planting seedlings in early dates, since cold soil is less dangerous - clubroot does not develop at low temperatures. To avoid infection, you should not pour fresh manure or compost into the holes; wood ash applied to the soil during planting helps to prevent the disease.

It is important that if the cabbage has been affected by clubroot, then cruciferous plants cannot be planted in the place where it grows for 6 years. Sick plants should not be placed on a compost heap; they must be collected and burned.

Blackleg

A fungal disease that affects seed sprouts and young seedlings. The presence of the disease can be determined by the thinning and blackening of the base of the stem with the formation of a characteristic constriction. The stem rots and is easily pulled out of the ground.

The development of the disease can be triggered by high humidity and sharp fluctuations in air temperature, as well as dense plantings and poor ventilation. It should be noted that black leg most often develops on cabbage seedlings grown in greenhouses.

To prevent the occurrence of the disease, the soil must be treated with a raspberry-violet solution of potassium permanganate before planting seeds. To avoid waterlogging while watering seedlings, dusting the soil with sifted ash in a layer of 1-2 cm will help. Sick plants that are spotted should be immediately removed from the garden bed.

Yellowness (fusarium wilt)

This very harmful disease is typical for early varieties of white cabbage and cauliflower; kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts and broccoli can also become infected. The causative agent of the disease is a soil microorganism that penetrates through the roots or damage to the plant into its above-ground part. This makes it difficult for water to move within the crop and the cabbage wilts. This disease is especially dangerous in dry, hot weather. At this time, Fusarium wilt can lead to the complete destruction of your bed. The optimal soil temperature for infection is 15-17 degrees, and air temperature and humidity are not particularly important for this pathogen. The main indicator of the development of the disease is the yellow-green color of the leaves and their loss of turgor. Then the diseased leaves fall off, the growth of the head of cabbage slows down and becomes distorted.

If infected plants are found, they should be immediately removed from the garden bed. Unfortunately, today there are no reliable measures to combat this scourge, so scientists have developed varieties that are resistant to yellowness. If you know that an outbreak of this disease is possible in your garden, it is best to use them for growing. To the most resistant varieties white cabbage include: Kolobok, Extra, Triumph, Novator, Valentina and many others; among the color ones, Guarantee and Moscow Cannery are particularly resistant.

White rot

A fairly common fungal disease that affects most varieties of cabbage. Plants planted on heavy loamy soils are especially affected.

White rot primarily affects the root collar and lower leaves cabbage Infected tissues become discolored, appear watery, and a coating of cotton-like white mycelium forms on their surface. Over time, the mycelium becomes denser, turning into large black spots of various shapes. White rot is especially harmful during storage; this disease significantly reduces the “keeping quality” indicators - cabbage infected with this fungus cannot be stored for a long time.

White rot usually progresses during rainy weather or high humidity air in greenhouses. Effective measures There is no control against this disease today, and so far it has not been possible to develop varieties resistant to this disease. Therefore, the main way to prevent the development of white rot is to observe crop rotation and correct agricultural technology when growing cabbage. Later dates for sowing seeds and planting seedlings intended for seed purposes will help reduce the vulnerability of plants. Harvesting cabbage before frost will protect the crop from developing disease during storage. If foci of infection are detected, both in beds and in cellars and other vegetable storage areas, they should be immediately removed and destroyed by burning.

Other problems when growing cabbage

In order to grow a decent cabbage harvest, you must follow optimal mode watering and fertilizing. If the agricultural cultivation technology is violated for any reason, problems such as cracking of the head of cabbage or the development of blossom end rot may occur.

Heads of cabbage crack when a period of slow growth abruptly gives way to more vigorous development, while the upper leaves stop growing and harden, and the inner leaves begin to gain mass, as a result of which the head of cabbage bursts. This phenomenon is associated with a sharp change in weather conditions, when cold and dry weather suddenly changes to warm and humid. Cracking of the head of cabbage can be observed with uneven watering and uneven application organic fertilizers.

Cabbage blossom end rot looks like the death of the edges of the upper leaves, and it is associated with an irrational, unbalanced diet. The manifestation of this problem means that there is an excess of nitrogen and potassium in the soil, as well as a lack of calcium and phosphorus. Adding phosphate rock to the soil in a proportion of 2.5 kg per 10 sq.m. will help solve the problem.

Cabbage is considered valuable dietary product, containing a large amount of vitamins and microelements necessary for humans. Cabbage dishes are used in various diets aimed at stabilizing and reducing weight and normalizing metabolism. Having mastered simple agricultural techniques and studied natural methods of protection against pests and diseases, you will be able to completely abandon the use of harmful chemicals, which will give you the opportunity to provide your family with an environmentally friendly product, which is especially important in our time.

Turischeva Olga, rmnt.ru

Getting ready in advance

Many parameters influence what the next harvest will be. Experienced gardeners They make it a rule to prepare the basis for a high harvest in advance. Same with cabbage:

 In August, it is necessary to determine the place where cabbage will be planted next year.
 Prepare the soil. Cabbage loves moist places and soil rich in minerals.
 Please note that there should be enough sun. Shaded places will only lead to the stretching of seedlings and good heads of cabbage will not ripen.
 You can plant cabbage in those beds where cucumbers, peas, onions, tomatoes grew, but not the cabbage itself.
 In the fall, the bud must be dug up, fertilized and disinfected.

Methods for growing white cabbage

There are two classic way growing cabbage:

 seedling;
 seedless.

The seedling method allows you to get healthy seedlings by the beginning of the gardening period. In early spring or late February (this depends on the region and climate), it is necessary to sow cabbage in polycarbonate greenhouses or home containers. Many people grow cabbage on the windowsill.

IN special soil Prepared seeds are planted at a depth of 15 mm. The soil must be sufficiently moist. The top is covered with film or glass to prevent air from entering. A greenhouse effect is created.

After 5-7 days, the first shoots should appear. We remove the film and allow the plants to rise until the first four leaves appear.

By this time, many sprouts had shown themselves to be stronger and more active, and some had become thin and not inspiring confidence. They need to be planted to expand the area for strong cabbage.

We transplant them into separate pots or a large box at a distance of 30 mm from each other. It would not hurt to sprinkle ash or lime between the rows to prevent diseases.

Watering the seedlings should be moderate so that there is no excess moisture, which can lead to rotting of the stem or root. For prevention, you can use a weak solution of manganese.

And don't forget about ventilation. Seedlings need clean air and a change in temperature to be able to harden.

Timing for sowing different white cabbage seedlings

Some dates may change. It depends on the weather and temperature conditions. Before planting seedlings in the ground, they must be hardened off. Take it out onto the balcony if you grow cabbage at home. If in a greenhouse, then leave it for ventilation around the clock.

Seedless method

This type of cabbage cultivation creates open ground conditions. Cabbage is unpretentious and frost-resistant. It is only necessary to create additional heating if the air temperature is still quite low.

1. Pour boiling water over the soil. Apply fertilizer, ash or lime. Place the seeds at such a distance that the sprouts do not interfere with each other in the future. But also take into account the fact that the excess can be thinned out. From row to row there should be 50–80 mm, and the depth should be 5–15 mm.

2. Cover the seeds with film and warm material. The long-awaited shoots appear in 5–7 days. Then we remove the film and monitor optimal humidity and loose soil. This helps develop a strong root system.

3. When the seedlings reach a height of 150 mm and 5–7 leaves appear, they can be planted in permanent holes.

Planting in the ground and careful care of white cabbage

When advancing optimal temperature you need to prepare an area for cabbage. Regardless of the variety, this vegetable crop requires sun, moisture and the absence of strong drafts. This place has been prepared since the fall. Now it needs to be loosened again, added necessary fertilizers, if this is not done in the fall.

1. It is better to plant seedlings in the morning or evening so that the sun does not scorch the tender leaves.
2. We make deep holes, which we thoroughly moisten.
3. Take a healthy cabbage sprout and lower it into the deepest part. Sprinkle it tightly with soil and press the root system. The leaves should remain on the surface.
4. The distance between holes is about 300 mm, and between rows up to 500 mm. Cabbage loves the freedom it needs to form a head of cabbage.
5. If possible, cover the holes with spruce branches so that the root system can take root well if the sun is very active.

Watering, fertilizing and loosening

Don't forget that cabbage loves water. But there is no need to overfill either. Too much moisture will lead to blackleg and other diseases. Humidity within 80% is required.

Cabbage also likes loosening so that the root system develops better and is strong. Access to oxygen helps vegetable crop grow quickly and form a head of cabbage.

Over the entire period, it is necessary to fertilize 2–4 times, depending on the variety. And, of course, don’t forget about pests that need to be removed manually or sprayed.

A good harvest will not keep you waiting long.

Need for growth conditions

Cabbage cannot be grown in shaded areas. Cabbage requires a lot of light; it is a long-day plant, i.e. With a long day, her development processes go through faster. Lack of light leads, as already mentioned, to the accumulation of nitrates and disruption of plant development. Experiencing a lack of light, the lower leaves stop growing, begin to turn yellow and die early. The apical bud continues to grow and throws out more and more leaves, but does not set a head of cabbage.

Cabbage is a cold-resistant plant. The plant can tolerate short-term drops in temperature to -5°C, and even lower temperatures in the fall. Cool weather with a temperature of 15-18°C is most favorable for cabbage growth. Temperatures above 25°C have a negative effect on the formation of heads of cabbage. In hot, dry weather, increased accumulation of nitrates begins.

Cabbage is very demanding of moisture, but excessive moisture is harmful to it. With excessive moisture, the roots begin to die, and the leaves become crimson in color and then die and develop dangerous disease- bacteriosis. In plants affected by bacteriosis, a huge number of black spores can be seen in the tissues of the longitudinal and transverse sections of the stumps.

Cabbage is placed after well-fertilized crops. Early varieties are good to place after onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Late varieties can be placed after potatoes, root crops, and legumes. It cannot be grown in the same place more often than once every 3-4 years to avoid diseases. It is good to grow celery, thyme, sage, coriander and anise near cabbage plants to repel cabbage flies.

How to prepare the soil for growing white cabbage

Cabbage consumes a lot of nitrogen, potassium and calcium. High doses of organic fertilizers (manure or compost) are used for cabbage. But introducing the maximum dose of nitrogen contributes to a deterioration in product quality - more nitrates, less sugars and dry matter.

The best effect is obtained by combining organic fertilizers (30-60 kg per 10 sq. m) with mineral fertilizers. Early varieties of cabbage in the middle zone ripen in July, when increased decomposition and mineralization of manure begins. Therefore, to avoid the accumulation of nitrates under early ripening varieties For cabbage, only greenhouse humus or compost should be added. Peat fecal composts, peat manure, and finally peat with phosphorites have a good effect on mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties of cabbage. Fresh manure can only be applied during late and mid-late varieties and only in the fall, scattering it over the surface of the soil. At the same time, manure should not be allowed to mix with lime, which is also added in the fall.

The best ratio of fertilizers for cabbage: 30-60 kg of organic fertilizers plus 90-120 g of mineral nitrogen, 90 g of phosphorus and 60 g of potassium.

When plowing in spring, all the phosphorus, 2/3 of the potassium and half of the nitrogen are added. The remaining fertilizers are applied when closing the rows and curling the heads of cabbage.

When digging, add 1-2 g boron fertilizers per 1 sq. m.

Of the microelements for cabbage, the most important are manganese, boron and copper. Applying them in fertilizing (preferably foliar) increases productivity early cabbage by 20-30%, later - by 10%.

The optimal pH value of the soil salt extract for white cabbage is 6.6-7.4.

On soddy-podzolic soils, liming of the soil is necessary; it prevents many cabbage diseases and promotes the proper absorption of fertilizer nitrogen. The amount of lime added to the soil depends on the quality of the soil, its physical chemical composition and degree of acidity. On average, on slightly acidic soils, from 1 kg (on sandy soils) to 4 kg (on clayey soils) of lime are added, on strongly acidic soils, respectively, from 2 to 10 kg per 10 sq. m. m. Lime or chalk is applied in the fall, scattering them over the surface of the dug up soil. It is advisable that the added lime does not come into contact with the manure. Adding lime not only changes the acidity of the soil, but also improves its structure. Cabbage tolerates excess calcium well.

With optimal soil acidity, the number of bacteria increases significantly, the number of fungi decreases, and the development of pathogenic microorganisms, as a rule, does not acquire a dangerous size.

At home, it is worth growing seedlings only if it is possible to create optimal conditions for its growth and development. Unfavourable conditions growth, especially lack of light during the seedling period, can negatively affect the growth and development of plants in the future. Therefore, if you are not sure about successful cultivation seedlings, it is better to purchase it from reliable suppliers.

Growing white cabbage seedlings

Cabbage is grown as seedlings to speed up ripening. Seedlings of the same age, grown in different calendar periods, differ sharply. Improvement in temperature and light modes accelerates growth rates, and with earlier sowing, seedling development may be slower if growth conditions are worse. Therefore, when calculating the time of sowing cabbage seedlings, one must keep in mind the possibility of creating optimal conditions for its development.

For the earliest possible harvest early varieties white cabbage can be sown in a greenhouse or room (with additional lighting) on ​​February 25 - March 5; subsequently they can be planted in mid-April under temporary shelter (under film). If they are created for seedlings good conditions growth, then the harvest can be obtained in May. For growing in open ground without shelter, early varieties of white cabbage can be sown on March 10-15 with planting in a permanent place in late April - early May.

Seedlings of mid-season and late-season varieties can be grown in a solar heated greenhouse or nursery under film, prepared for as long as possible early sowing. Sowing late varieties are carried out from April 1 to 10, mid-season - from April 10 to 20.

Before sowing, seeds are pickled in a solution of potassium permanganate or disinfected with hot water at a temperature of about 45-50 ° C for 20-30 minutes, followed by rapid cooling in cold water. To increase yield and resistance to diseases and pests, seeds are treated before sowing with a biological growth and development activator - Agat-25, El-1, Albit, Zircon.

The best way to obtain healthy seedlings is to grow them in cassettes (pots) with a volume of 65 cm3 (4.5x4.5x3 cm). Seedlings grown in cassettes tolerate transplantation more easily and suffer little illness.

Seeds are sown to a depth of 0.5-1 cm, and the crops are watered immediately. To grow cabbage seedlings, maintain a temperature of 15-18°C during the day and 8-10°C at night.

To increase growth, anti-stress activity, as well as resistance to disease, 10 days after sowing and 5 days before planting seedlings in a permanent place, the soil is treated with a 0.015% solution of sodium humate.

Seedlings are fed twice: in the phase of two or three true leaves and 3-5 days before planting in the ground. For feeding, 15 g of urea, 30 g of superphosphate and 30 g of potassium chloride are diluted in 10 liters of water. For one plant, use 0.15 liters in the first feeding and 0.5 liters in the second. Spraying cabbage in the 6-8 leaf phase with Silk leads to an increase in yield, an increase in the content of sugars and vitamin C.

7-10 days before planting seedlings in open ground it is tempered, i.e. withstand more severe conditions: increase ventilation, reduce temperature, reduce watering.

By the time of planting, the seedlings should be hardened, 18-20 cm high, with 4-5 well-developed leaves (this is 35-45 days old).

If the growing regime is violated (poor ventilation, plant density, strong temperature changes and waterlogging of the soil), downy mildew may appear (false powdery mildew). It appears on the cotyledons and leaves of seedlings in the form of gray-yellow oily spots, covered with a powdery coating on the underside of the plate. To combat downy mildew, cabbage is pollinated wood ash(50 g per 1 sq. m) with an interval of 5-7 days. But first of all, it is necessary to ensure optimal conditions for keeping the plants.

Cabbage seedlings are often affected by blackleg. The infection persists and accumulates in the soil, develops with excess air humidity, sharp fluctuations soil temperature and thickened planting, lack of ventilation. When symptoms of blackleg appear (the root collar and stem turn black and become thin), the plants should be watered with a 0.05% solution of potassium permanganate (5 g per 10 liters of water - raspberry color). Add calcined sand to the treated plants in a layer of up to 2 cm. The varieties Belorusskaya 385, Moskovskaya late 15, Amager, Podarok 2500, Kubanochka, Nadezhda, Malachite Fi are resistant (relatively) to blackleg.

To combat the ground flea, it is necessary to pollinate the seedlings with tobacco dust.

Planting cabbage seedlings

In low, swampy areas, cabbage should be planted on beds 100 cm wide and 18-25 cm high. In areas where there is no danger of waterlogging, cabbage is grown on a flat surface. Growing in narrow beds has a positive effect on the quantity and quality of the harvest.

Cabbage should be given a very bright place. Even slight shading will lead to a slowdown in development and a decrease in quality - a drop in the content of vitamins, the accumulation of nitrates.

Landing dates

Cabbage is a cold-resistant plant; it can tolerate temperature drops of up to 5°C, but only for a very short time. Therefore, you can start planting cabbage seedlings in a permanent place from mid-April under film with frost protection with non-woven covering material. Covering plantings with non-woven material increases the temperature by 1.2-5.1°C, accelerates the production of environmentally valuable products by 7-10 days, and increases the yield by 2.3-5.4 times. In this case, the seedlings do not stretch out, since the non-woven material allows air to pass through more easily. Covering with non-woven material and especially film must be removed in a timely manner; on May days there should be no overheating, which leads to stretching of seedlings and bending of stems.

In a field without shelter, seedlings of early and late-ripening cabbage in the middle zone begin to be planted in the second half of April (depending on the position of the site and the weather) and are completed between May 5 and 20. Mid-season varieties can be planted at the same time, but if there is not enough time, then seedlings of medium varieties can be planted later.

With a decrease in the feeding area of ​​cabbage, growth slows down and the amount of vitamins in the heads of cabbage decreases. Saving space can result in lower-quality products and a decrease in yield.

Early cabbage works best if grown in narrow beds of 1-2 rows at a distance of 70 cm between rows and 30-35 cm in a row. For mid-season varieties the distance between rows is 70-80 cm and in a row 50-70 cm (depending on the size of the head of cabbage), for late ripening varieties the distance between rows is at least 70 cm, in a row 80-90 cm. It is not worth reducing the distances - the resulting heads of cabbage will be poorly stored and the possibility of disease will increase.

Cabbage planting schemes

To use the space more efficiently in the first month, you can plant early green vegetables between the plants, which will be harvested within one month.

Sequence of actions when planting cabbage

The afternoon is best time landings. The site must be watered the day before planting.

1. 2-3 hours before planting, water the seedlings to minimize root damage. To stimulate root formation, you can water it not with water, but with a solution of heteroauxin (2 tablets per 10 liters of water).

2. The root system of seedlings removed from the pot (cassette) is dipped into a clay mash with the addition of 0.3-0.4% solution of phytolavin-300 to protect against blackleg and bacteriosis.

3. Add chalk and a handful of humus to the planting holes, water the holes with a suspension of the biological product Nemabact to combat cabbage fly.

4. Each plant is planted in a hole up to the cotyledon leaves, tightly squeezing the roots with soil. It is necessary to take special care of the heart (apical bud), and under no circumstances sprinkle it with soil. It is necessary to ensure that the roots do not bend or bunch up, but are distributed more or less evenly, so that the seedlings are well pressed with earth (after planting, the seedlings should not be removed with a slight tug).

5. 0.5-1 liters of water are poured under each plant. When watering, the watering can should be kept as low as possible to the ground, since streams of water falling from a height destroy soil lumps, after which a crust forms.

6. An hour or two after watering, the surface of the soil is sprinkled with dry soil. The last operation is important; it can be equated to watering.

7. To repel cabbage flies, the day after planting cabbage, sprinkle the soil around the plants within a radius of 4-5 cm with tobacco dust or a mixture of it with freshly slaked lime or ash (1:1). For 1 sq. m consume 20 g of this mixture.

Seedless growing method

Cabbage is frost-resistant; early and medium varieties can be sown directly into the soil 3-6 weeks before the last frost. Growing without seedlings has the advantage that the plants grow in one place all the time and their root system is not damaged. Mainly early and mid-ripening varieties are grown this way.

Sowing is carried out in well-dug soil, sowing 3-4 seeds per nest at the same distance as when planting seedlings. Then the seeds are carefully covered with earth or a mixture of peat and humus. When growing white cabbage, it is advisable to use a non-perforated film, removing it no later than the appearance of the 2nd true leaf. The microclimate promotes a faster passage of developmental stages at which plants are susceptible to diseases. Further cultivation under the film leads to stretching of seedlings and bending of stems.

When the second and third true leaves appear, thinning is carried out, leaving two plants in the nest at first, and when thinning again, one plant at a time.

Plant care

There are three periods of cabbage growth: the first from the moment of planting to the beginning full height tops, the second - until the tops are closed and the third - from the tops are closed to harvesting.

White cabbage is sprayed 3 times with a solution of gibbersib in the phase of 6-8 leaves, at the beginning of the formation of a head of cabbage and 7 days after the second spraying.

Gibbersib increases yield by 12-20%, increases the content of sugars and vitamin C.

Cabbage is sprayed with immunocytophyte during the whorl and head setting phases, 300-500 ml (0.01%) of working solution per 10 square meters. m. This increases immunity to diseases during the growing season.

Watering cabbage

Good growth and high yield formation are possible only with good water supply. Cabbage is especially sensitive to lack of moisture in the first time after planting seedlings in open ground, as well as in the phase active growth and head formation.

During rooting of seedlings, it is watered daily, the daily water consumption per plant is approximately 100 ml. In hot weather, plants are covered with newspaper to reduce moisture evaporation.

You need to water the cabbage every 6-7 days, pouring 1-2 liters of water into the hole under the plant, and during the growth of the head of cabbage, this norm is increased to 3-4 liters of water. Overdrying the soil can lead to cracking of the heads of cabbage! However, overwatering is also harmful. It is better if the soil is saturated with water more or less evenly to 70% moisture capacity before the tops begin to fully grow, and 80% during the head formation phase; later watering is reduced again (to 70% moisture capacity). 2-3 weeks before harvesting cabbage, watering is stopped to avoid spot necrosis.

Loosening the soil and hilling cabbage

10-15 days after planting, the first loosening of the soil (hoeing) around the plants is carried out.

The first hilling is carried out when large leaves begin to form, the second - 20-25 days after the first. Early and medium varieties are hilled once or twice, late varieties with a high stump - 2-3 times.

It is better to hill up on the second day after rain. It is important that a loose, moist layer of soil is applied to the plant, and not dry lumps. When hilling in dry weather, you must first rake off the top layer of dry soil, and then hill up the cabbage with damp soil.

Hilling causes the formation of additional roots, enhances the supply of cabbage nutrients and water, and also gives the plant the necessary stability. After the formation of 8-10 leaves, the cabbage has a large surface and is swayed by the wind so much that a funnel-shaped expansion forms in the ground at the base of the stem. Strong rocking of the plants prevents good rooting of cabbage, so hilling has a beneficial effect on the development of plants.

When the tops cover the row spacing, hilling is not carried out, since the soil already retains its looseness well.

Nutrition

Early cabbage is fed 1-2 times per day. growing season, mid-season and late-ripening cabbage 3-4 times.

Cabbage needs increased nitrogen, potassium and calcium nutrition. At the beginning of growth, cabbage consumes more nitrogen, and during the formation of a head of cabbage - phosphorus and potassium. In general, the higher the ratio of potassium to nitrogen, the better the cabbage is preserved, the lower the damage to necrosis, and it is even better if the amount of potassium is 1.5-2 times more than nitrogen.

During the first feeding (usually two weeks after planting the seedlings) per 1 sq. m add urea 10 g, superphosphate 20 g and potassium chloride 15-20 g. Mineral fertilizers They are applied dissolved in water into the grooves in the middle of the row spacing, which are made at a distance of 10-12 cm from the row or hole; after applying the fertilizer, the holes are filled up.

The second fertilizing is applied at the beginning of head setting, 2-3 weeks after the first, fertilizers are applied in the middle of the rows to a depth of 12-15 cm. The fertilizing contains 10-12 g of urea, 20-30 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride.

For late varieties grown for storage, the dose of potassium should be increased. Therefore, subsequent fertilizing for late-ripening cabbage varieties is carried out after two weeks based on 1 square meter. m 15 g of potassium chloride. Fertilizer is applied to moist soil after rain or heavy watering. Nitrogen fertilizers in any form, stop adding to cabbage a month before harvesting in order to avoid damage by point necrosis and bacteriosis.

Foliar feeding

If plants of late cabbage varieties are poorly developed, foliar feeding is needed. To do this, take 1 kg of potassium chloride, 70-80 g of double superphosphate and 10 g of molybdenum per 4 liters of water, and leave the solution for 24 hours before spraying. If the plants are yellow-green in color and grow slowly, then foliar feeding add 1% urea.