Time and schemes for planting cabbage seedlings in the ground

Novice gardeners sometimes mistakenly believe that cabbage cultivation does not require much hassle and knowledge: for a long time, this vegetable grows well in the south, and in the Urals, and in the northern regions. In fact, this plant has a rather capricious character: with an inept approach, either the heads of cabbage do not want to curl, then the peduncle suddenly crawls out, then the friendly shoots suddenly begin to die one after the other. There are different rules for planting seedlings in open ground: timing, distance between seedlings, where to plant it, how many times to water and feed it, time of day, seedling placement scheme, lunar calendar.

Do not forget the main condition: plants are living organisms, they feel your state. There is no need to plant anything if you are not feeling well, not in the mood, your head is busy with other problems. Approach your pets lovingly and they will forgive you if you do something wrong by mistake.

When to plant cabbage in the ground?

It will not work to plant all the cabbage in open ground at the same time: there are several types of this crop, and each of them has its own requirements, its own development calendar. You may have different cabbage seedlings on your windowsill.

1. White-headed early, middle and late ripeness.
2. Red-headed - heads of cabbage of intense red-violet color contain more vitamins than white cabbage.
3. Colored - delicious fleshy peduncles are used for food purposes.
4. Broccoli - stems with flower heads are used for cooking.
5. Kohlrabi - they eat a thickened stem, which resembles a turnip in shape, and a stump in taste.
6. Brussels sprout - a high stem, strewn with small heads of cabbage, children simply adore them.
7. Savoy - pimpled leaves will decorate a plate with salad and herbs, because of their softness and strength, they are good to use for stuffed cabbage.
8. Peking - the leaves are used for salads, they are not stored for long, so it is better to plant in several stages.
9. Decorative - a rosette of leaves of different shades will decorate any flower bed.

All species have different frost resistance: the most resistant to cold - savoy, the most thermophilic are colored and broccoli. In open ground, cabbage seedlings can be planted, depending on the species and variety, 1-2 months after germination. Planting is recommended at that "age" when 2 true leaves will develop well, and the third and fourth are just beginning to appear. Should the seedlings overgrow a little, and the heads of cabbage will not be dense enough and, moreover, uneven.

Cabbage is not afraid of low temperatures, but in cold weather, instead of a head of cabbage, you can get a flower stalk with seeds. In central Russia, early white cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli and savoy cabbage take root well in early May; late white, red, Brussels - at the end of May. In the Urals and Siberia, there is a different calendar of gardening works, the terms need to be shifted by 1-2 weeks. The optimum temperature for planting seedlings is from + 15⁰ to + 18⁰. Look at the forecast for your area, in the southern regions you can plant in early April and grow 2 harvests of early cabbage over the summer. The greater the distance from warm areas, the later the seedlings should be planted in open ground.

According to folk signs, cabbage should be planted when the bird cherry blossoms, which in the central regions and in the Urals portends a severe cold snap. Sit a little on bare ground: if you freeze quickly and want to lay a warm rug, the ground has not yet warmed up; if you're comfortable, it's time to plant.You can look at the lunar calendar, just keep in mind that astrologers take into account too many nuances. As a result, in a whole month there are only 2-3 suitable days. Where is the guarantee that on these dates you will be able to go to the country house, and the weather will be favorable? If you approach the recommendations without much pedantry, then it is better to plant seedlings in open ground on the growing moon, and on the new moon and full moon it is desirable not to do any work. There are unspoken rules that on Wednesdays and Fridays you do not need to plant and sow anything, and it is undesirable to dive and replant cabbage on Thursdays.

Create a productive garden

Choose a location in an open, unshaded area where crucifers have not grown in the past 4 years. It is good to plant cabbage in an area where before that there were legumes, pumpkin or nightshade crops. It is desirable that the groundwater level is about 0.5 m: cabbage loves moisture, but she is unlikely to like living in a swamp. In the fall, dig up and level the future bed, select all the roots of the weeds and fertilize it manure (5 kg per 1 m²). If the soil is acidic, add lime or chalk. These plants do not like sandy and clayey soils, you can improve the soil with green manure, just do not use cruciferous crops. You can sow:

• phacelia;
• vetch;
• oats.

Advice

Better to dig up the bed with a pitchfork. The roots of weeds can stretch for a long distance; you will cut them into pieces with a shovel, which will begin to grow actively. It is convenient to pick up a long rhizome with teeth and pull it out entirely.

Mark the holes, considering that cabbage does not tolerate tightness and is very demanding on lighting. The planting pattern depends on the size of the plants, the distance between the seedlings should provide them with comfortable conditions until the harvest itself. Usually early cabbage produces small heads of cabbage, later varieties - larger ones. Brussels does not take up much space, it gives a compact column, but it needs a lot of area, since this species is very fond of light. For early white cabbage and kohlrabi you need 40x50 cm, for Beijing - 30x30 cm, for other species - 60x60 cm.

Has cabbage occupied the whole garden? Don't worry, this is a very sociable culture, it loves its neighbors. The distance between the heads can be sow with spinach, salads, onions. It is desirable that the compacting plants have a shallow root system. The cabbage root will take food from deeper layers, and its neighbors from a shallow depth, and no one will interfere with anyone. Compare the calendar of planting development, how long each of the crops that you grow in the same garden grows. Vegetables with a long growing season can be planted with early cabbage: when the heads of cabbage are removed, they can be spaciously located. Next to the late varieties, it is better to plant crops that will ripen by the middle of summer and make room for the development of forks.

Transplanting

Do not water the plants on the day of transplanting to keep the stem soft and not too fragile. No matter how carefully you handle the seedlings, during transportation over a long distance and during transplanting, traumatic influences cannot be avoided. Schedule work for the evening when the heat subsides. Well, if the weather is cloudy, a light rain will not hurt. Water the seedlings an hour before planting to keep the soil moist.

The correct depth of the wells should be at least 15 cm, there should be enough room for nutrients. In each hole, you need to pour 1-2 liters of water, depending on the moisture content of the soil. When the liquid is absorbed, pour a glass of humus or manure and a matchbox of ash into the grooves. Be sure to sprinkle the fertilizer with a layer of soil so as not to burn the roots. Remove the seedlings from the containers, treat the roots with a growth stimulant, place in a hole and bury. Compact the soil slightly, dampen and mulch the soil around the plant.

There are 2 different opinions about planting depth.Some advise to bury the plant up to the cotyledon leaves for the development of a powerful root system, others do not recommend deepening the stem so that the plants do not spend all their energy on the formation of the underground part. With this method, the leaves do not lie on the ground, and the soil is ventilated. This condition is especially important if the distance to groundwater is small. Try different options and determine which method is preferable for your soil.

Advice

Sow oats and vetch on a cabbage patch before winter, and in spring you can plant seedlings right among the greenery. Siderata will protect young seedlings from the sun, heavy rain and wind. Once the plants are strong, the grass can be cut, shredded and used as mulch. Let the roots remain in the soil and continue to loosen and fertilize the soil.

Care of young plantings

Cabbage likes bright light, but does not tolerate heat well. On hot days, you need to protect young plantings from the scorching sun rays. You can cover the bed with a non-woven material, it will come in handy in case of night frosts. When you notice that the seedlings are releasing new leaves, the plants have taken root, now they are not so vulnerable.

Top dressing should be started when the plant has released the seventh leaf. For the first time, it is advisable to use only organic matter: humus, herbal infusion, slurry. The closer to the formation of heads of cabbage, the less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potassium are needed for cabbage.

20 days after the first feeding, use the composition:

• ammonium nitrate - 1 part;
• superphosphate - 2 parts;
• potassium chloride - 1 part.

Prepare a mixture at the rate of 50 g per 1 m²... If the forks have not yet begun to form, apply to the garden nitrogen fertilizers or sprinkle with slurry.

With a lack of moisture, you will not wait for juicy elastic heads of cabbage. One plant on a hot day can consume about 10 liters of liquid, make sure that the soil does not dry out. How much water to pour under the seedlings depends on the dryness of the soil. In this case, do not forget that you are not growing rice, do not turn the garden into a swamp. Cabbage loves the soil saturated with oxygen, loosen the soil after watering and rains, do not let the crust form. If the leg extends too high, you need to huddle the plant.

Immediately after planting, start preparing an infusion of garlic, it will scare away the main pests of cabbage - white butterflies. Clean 3 large heads, mince the teeth, place in a 5 liter jar and fill the container with water. Keep in a dark place for 7 days, then when you see butterflies, spray the seedlings. There is an interesting way to deal with slugs: put a plate of beer on the ground, they will like alcohol, and in the morning you can take a full dish of pests out of the garden. At a short distance from the garden, you can plant marigolds and wormwood, they will drive away all kinds of intruders.

Output

Even when sowing seeds, you need to correctly calculate the timing so that the seedlings do not overgrow. Cabbage is not afraid of frost, but low temperatures can adversely affect the harvest. Cover the plants with a non-woven fabric at night to protect them from the cold. In hot weather, such a shelter will save plantings from sunburn. Usually landing in open ground occurs in May, but the distance between the borders of our country is huge, so the climate is very diverse. The time of garden work in the Krasnodar Territory should differ from the schedule adopted in the Urals or in the northern regions. You can use the lunar landing calendar, but do not forget that weather conditions are more important than the recommendations of the night star.

Plants cannot be planted densely, they need light and space. Place the bushes at a sufficient distance from each other. The early cabbage needs less space than the late cabbage. To save land, use mixed plantings; from the same garden you can harvest greens, onions or carrots. Siderata will improve the soil structure and protect young plants from the scorching sun.In order not to be mistaken in the timing of plant care, draw up a watering and feeding calendar. If you do everything right, the whole family will be provided with tasty and healthy vegetables all year round.