In its nutritional properties it surpasses even cabbage cabbage. And how beautiful it looks in a salad bowl! It contains a huge amount of useful substances, vitamins C, B1, B2, PP. If you don't tolerate white cabbage well due to its high fiber content, then it's time to think about having it on your garden plot cauliflower has taken up residence. It is digested much faster and is considered a dietary vegetable. Boiled white heads, in soups and side dishes, or pickled will be an excellent vitamin supplement to your table. The topic of our article today is planting cauliflower, so let's move directly to the agrotechnical details.

Site preparation

Cauliflower is planted in pre-prepared beds, and agricultural technology must comply with certain rules. In the fall, after the main crop has been harvested, the soil begins to be prepared for spring sowing. To do this, it is loosened, removing weeds and insect larvae. After about two weeks, fertilizers are applied to it - for one square meter it takes 5 kg of organic, 30 g of potassium and After applying fertilizers, the bed is dug up on the bayonet of a shovel and left to rest until spring.

With the onset of warmth, the soil is loosened and urea is added - approximately 20 g per square meter. Don’t forget: cauliflower is planted in dense soil, that is, there is no need to dig it up again. If you did not have time to dig up the soil in the fall, you will have to do it in the spring, but then before planting it will have to be compacted and lightly compacted. This affects the quality of the heads: compliance with this rule is necessary for them to be dense and tasty.

Planting methods

Planting cauliflower is most often done seedling method. However, today gardeners often resort to open sowing of seeds in the ground. Do not forget that the ripening of the heads occurs quite quickly, and in order to harvest throughout the summer, the seeds can be sown in 3-4 periods with a break of 20 days. For the most early landing seedlings are grown in greenhouses and greenhouses, and summer and autumn sowings are done directly into the ground. Do not forget that when the air temperature drops, the seedlings need to be protected with film.

Today there are a huge number of varieties on the market. Early ripening plants are ideal for growing in protected soil. Until recently, good cauliflower was grown only in the south, but today it is available everywhere. But even in a greenhouse, if weather too cool, the heads may grow smaller than usual. The best mid-season color will allow you to remove early harvest, and sowing into the garden bed - also the second and third. Late varieties usually do not have time to ripen in cool climates.

Sowing seeds

The first task is to grow an early harvest for summer salads, in which cauliflower fits perfectly. Planting seedlings is carried out in compliance with next rule. To get friendly shoots and healthy seedlings, you need to select only large seeds. Before sowing, the following procedure is performed: the seeds are wrapped in a cloth and dipped in hot water. It should not be heated to a boil. best option- 50 degrees. Now the activated seeds are cooled in cold water and soak in a solution of potassium permanganate for 8 hours.

This preparation ensures excellent germination. Seeds ready for planting are sown in special boxes. The soil can be any, but a mixture of peat and humus has proven itself best. In addition, on the bucket soil mixture you need to add 15 g of superphosphate and potassium sulfate. In almost the same way, cauliflower is planted with seeds. On slightly moistened and compacted soil, grooves 0.5 mm deep are marked into which the seeds are laid out. They are covered with the same mixture and lightly covered with earth.

The optimal temperature for cabbage is +20 degrees. Under such conditions, seedlings will appear in about 4-5 days. This is where the main danger lurks: cabbage tends to stretch out quickly, so immediately after emergence the air temperature is reduced to +6 degrees. After about 5 days it is raised to 15 degrees - this helps with acclimatization. It is easiest to fulfill this condition if you have seedlings in pots, but planting cauliflower seeds in open ground leaves room for maneuver. The film covering the greenhouse is removed or opened slightly from one edge. This way the temperature is regulated.

Growing seedlings

If you are growing seedlings, then you will have to pick the seedlings when they are 8-10 days old. Before the procedure, you should slightly moisten the soil. remember, that excessive humidity in pots leads to diseases of seedlings. Immediately after picking, the seedlings need to be fed. It takes approximately 45-50 days to prepare seedlings. Bushes ready for planting must have at least 5 true leaves and a well-developed root system. Be sure to harden the seedlings, accustom them to the sun, cold and temperature changes. To do this, before planting, the seedlings begin to be taken outside or left in front open balcony. It is advisable to completely identify the plants in the greenhouse over the last few days. If it’s cool outside at night, you don’t have to remove the film.

Cauliflower planting scheme

To plant plants in the ground, choose evening or morning time. Usually the seedlings are well watered the day before. In dry and hot weather it does not take root well, so think in advance about how you can shade it. tender plants. You can refuse artificial shading only three days after planting. Planting cauliflower in open ground is done in a certain order; earlier varieties can be planted closer, and later varieties can be planted further apart, since they are more bushy. The optimal location is 70 x 40 cm; you should not thicken it, as this will affect the yield; in this case, you will not get good heads.

However, radishes, dill and lettuce can serve as filler for the bed. Due to the fact that these plants quickly ripen and are harvested, they will not harm the main planting. Cauliflower seedlings are planted so as not to cover the apical bud. The earth around young plant compact well, water and cover with a layer of soil so that a crust does not form.

Non-seedling growing method: for which regions is it suitable?

To begin with, it is worth noting that planting cauliflower in open ground has an undeniable advantage. Overgrown seedlings reduce the yield and worsen it, but you don’t risk anything: the plants will develop as they should, in accordance with their biological clock.

Planting cauliflower seeds is most suitable for arid, southern regions. But with the advent of early ripening varieties, this method is practiced by all gardeners, right up to Siberia. in this case it grows less branched, but penetrates deeper into the soil. Before sowing, markings are made directly on the bed with a distance between rows of 45-60 cm, depending on the characteristics of the variety or hybrid, as well as on the fertility of the soil. When the seedlings produce their first true leaves, it is necessary to thin them. Leave 15 cm between plants in a row. When the seedlings produce six true leaves, thinning is repeated, and again there should be a gap of 15 cm between plants. If the bed is well watered before the mentioned procedure, then the plucked plants retain their root system and can be replanted to another place.

Cauliflower: planting and care

Like its closest relatives, cauliflower is very moisture-loving. Optimal humidity soil must be at least 70 percent, drying out is not allowed. This is especially important during the period of growing seedlings. Even slight drying out of the soil can lead to the formation of a small head or even loss of the harvest, as it quickly begins to bloom. It is also very important to comply temperature regime. Gardeners emphasize that cauliflower is much more capricious compared to other varieties. Planting and care require constant monitoring of temperature. A long-term decrease in temperature to + 10 degrees and below leads to a rapid transition to the flowering phase without the formation of a dense head.

Nutrition

As already mentioned, cauliflower is more demanding on soil nutrition than white cabbage. This should be known at the stage of growing seedlings. By the way, if you grow it in pots, then sowing can be done as early as February. Then in June you will already have cauliflower. Planting dates vary greatly if you plan to sow seeds directly into the ground. Then you need to wait until the end of April, and only if you have a greenhouse installed. It can be sown in unprotected soil only in May, when the seedlings are not threatened by frost. In case of a strong drop in temperature, you should use covering material. Planting cauliflower with seeds requires regular fertilizing, only in this case can you expect a good harvest.

First feeding

Ten days after picking, it is necessary to fertilize. Planting cauliflower in the ground involves adding organic matter after the first thinning. The optimal solution for this is mullein or a mixture of 20 g ammonium nitrate, 20 g superphosphate and 10 g potash fertilizer. Consumption is approximately 10 liters per square meter. The objectives of the first feeding are to optimize the growth and development of the plant.

Second and subsequent feedings

After about two weeks, feeding should be repeated. Planting cauliflower seedlings in open ground is also accompanied by a second application of fertilizer (the first was already done during picking). The composition of the nutrient mixture may vary depending on the preferences of the gardener. The optimal infusion of mullein or chicken manure is 0.5 liters per 10 liters of water. In addition, you can purchase any concentrated cow or cow extract in the store.

Diseases and pests

Pests include aphids and cabbage butterfly. Get rid of them by mechanical assembly or processing chemicals. But remember that cabbage absorbs absolutely everything that comes into contact with it. In early spring, you need to treat the planting with antifungal drugs. Phytobacteria and fungi can severely spoil or completely destroy your harvest. Due to the susceptibility of cauliflower to various diseases, many turn away from this healthy vegetable, but in vain, because high-quality, modern preparations can solve these problems.

Harvesting cauliflower

It begins in July - at this time the early varieties are harvested. The latest ones ripen in August - September. When harvesting, you must be guided by the size and density of the head. In addition, if the head turns white, this also indicates its ripeness. Most often, once the fork reaches a diameter of 8 cm, it is time to cut it off. Over-ripening has a bad effect on taste. If the head begins to crumble, this is also a signal for immediate cutting. Cabbage can be pickled, and it will be stored in the refrigerator for a long time as cooked. It’s tasty and healthy dish will provide the body with vitamins and pleasantly diversify the menu.

It is impossible to imagine a garden without such an important vegetable as cabbage. It takes pride of place in any menu, we love it for taste qualities and contained useful material. Each type of cabbage has its own growing characteristics. They usually plant it as seedlings, although not everyone is able to grow their own seedlings; it is especially difficult for beginning gardeners. In the room, young plants grow and develop poorly; greenhouse conditions are the most favorable for them.

Experienced gardeners have long learned how to plant cabbage in open ground with seeds. This method is suitable for summer residents who do not have a greenhouse and the opportunity to constantly visit the site. And beginner gardeners will also like it, because this method is economical in time and money.

Proper planting of seeds

How to plant cabbage in open ground with seeds

Cabbage loves neutral or slightly acidic soil, abundant watering and an unshaded place. The acidity of the soil should not exceed 6 pH, otherwise the soil must be limed.

At what time to sow cabbage in open ground depends on the climatic conditions of the region. The seed begins to germinate at a soil temperature of 15-18°C and air temperature of 12-15°C. Wherein early ripening varieties are not afraid of frosts down to −5°C, but such cabbage is not subject to long-term storage and is not suitable for conservation.

Approximate dates for sowing cabbage without seedlings for the Moscow region according to the lunar calendar:

• early varieties are sown in the first ten days of May;
• average late varieties- in the end of April;
• late varieties - in mid-April.

In the southern regions (for example, in the Astrakhan region), cabbage can be sown from the beginning of March, in northern regions Do not plant before May 15th.

Important! Vegetative period early varieties cabbage using the seedless method is 100 days, late - 150 days. If there is a long summer in the planting areas, then late varieties can be grown.

Some people like to harvest cabbage after frost. This is due to the fact that frozen vegetables acquire a different, richer taste, and will be stored until spring.

Species that are early ripening and are most suitable for planting in open ground with seeds:

• early White Cabbage;
• Chinese cabbage;
• broccoli;
• kohlrabi.

Early ripening varieties can be planted in the ground until the end of June. Their ripening period is on average 90 days.

Cabbage seeds

Planting cabbage in open ground under film

To begin with, the soil in the garden bed is warmed up. For this purpose, the land is closed in early April. plastic film. Spunbond will not work in this case, as it does not allow Sun rays, so the ground will not warm up. After a week you can start planting. Optimal temperature seed germination in soil - 15°C. The temperature of the earth at a depth of 5-10 cm should be 8°C.

Important! The bed should be dug up with a pitchfork, weed roots should be removed, and earthen clods should be broken up. If fertilizers have not previously been applied to the ground, then during the process you should add organic fertilizers, for example, manure or humus. Next, everything needs to be watered well several times.

Planting cabbage in open ground with seeds is done according to a certain scheme. It is different for each cabbage variety:

• Early cabbage is planted at a distance of 30 cm from each other, and a gap of 40 cm is made between the rows.
• Cauliflower planted 25 cm apart, 50 cm between rows.
• Broccoli: between plants - 35 cm, between rows - half a meter.
• Mid-season cabbage is planted at a distance of half a meter from each other, and 60 cm between rows.
• The late ones are planted 60 cm between holes, 70 cm between rows.
• Brussels sprouts: half a meter between sprouts and the same distance between rows.

Important! Under no circumstances should you pull out excess plants, otherwise they may suffer. root system the remaining seedling, and this will lead to its death.

Planting cabbage under plastic bottles

There is a second way to plant cabbage seeds in open ground. For this method use plastic bottles.

First, the bed, as in the first case, is dug up, fertilized if necessary, and thoroughly watered. Next, according to the chosen scheme, holes are made using the bottom glass bottle: they need to push the ground 2 cm, making a depression. Next, 3-4 seeds are placed in the hole. It is best to cover them with humus, thereby fertilizing them for the future. The hole is closed top part a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. It should be sprinkled with a little earth to prevent it from being blown away by the wind. This method allows you to create your own microclimate for each cabbage sprout.

Cabbage in bottles

Watering can be done through the neck of the bottle by unscrewing the cap, or you can simply moisten the soil around this small greenhouse. In hot weather, plants should be opened, allowing them to breathe, and closed again at night, keeping the heat inside. The bottles are completely removed from the cabbage only when it no longer fits in them.

Bottles can be replaced with large plastic glasses. In this case, a hole is also made at the bottom, which is covered with earth or plugged with cotton wool.

Important! If in Middle lane If you plant cabbage seeds in open ground in mid-May, it is not necessary to cover the bed, because severe frosts will most likely not occur again.

• The seed material must be of high quality. You definitely need to consider the packaging. If the date and markings are handwritten on the packet, then such seeds should not be purchased.
• Companies that have gained trust and respect among gardeners are Aelita, Semko Junior and Gavrish.
• It is best to plant cabbage after potatoes, cucumbers, onions, and carrots. It is not recommended to use beds in which radishes, radishes and other cruciferous vegetables were previously planted.
• Before planting, the seeds should be treated in a strong solution of manganese for half an hour, then rinsed thoroughly with water and allowed to germinate in damp gauze for a day.
• It is advisable to add 1 tbsp to each well. a spoonful of wood ash to protect the plant from insects.
• Dill, parsley, mint and others will be excellent neighbors for cabbage. spices that will repel pests.
• Other suitable neighbors for cabbage are cabbage and sunflowers, which will create the necessary shade and prevent the plants from suffering from the heat.

Cultivation of vegetables is quite hard labour, which is blessed with good environmentally friendly products. To get a rich harvest of vegetables, you need to know all the intricacies of growing them, while constantly learning, adopting the experience of other gardeners and experimenting, learning new methods. Then the garden will delight you with its flowering and productivity.

Cabbage has long been one of the favorite vegetables on our table. It occupies an important place in the diet of many families. This one is delicious and healthy vegetable used in many recipes. Not many gardeners refuse to grow cabbage on their plot. But to get excellent harvest, a good one is needed, strong seedlings. Let's look at the secrets of proper cultivation.

Cabbage growing and care

First, think about why and when you need cabbage. The timing of sowing seeds for seedlings primarily depends on this. If you want to enjoy a salad at summer period- take early varieties, if for pickling and long-term storage- middle and late. Remember, the sowing time depends on the timing of ripening.

Variety selection

Buying seeds should be taken seriously. If stored incorrectly and for a long time, germination is lost. Give preference to specialized stores.

• Firstly, before purchasing, get qualified advice from a consultant. Sellers will tell you which variety and why it is better to buy, what new products have appeared on the market.
• Secondly, specialized stores carefully control the quality of purchased products. They also receive products from breeding and seed companies. This is an additional guarantee for the buyer; the risk of purchasing low-quality seeds is reduced.
• Thirdly, upon request, a specialized store will present a certificate of seed quality. It contains data on germination, purity and year of harvest.

Choose your seeds different manufacturers and varieties. This reduces the likelihood of being left without a harvest if suddenly one of the varieties turns out to have low germination.

Pay attention to the packaging. Should be enough thick paper, please note that there is high quality photo plants, there were no smudged letters. Fraudsters skimp on packaging. There are white packets of seeds, and their quality is often no worse than those with bright packaging. Such seeds are much cheaper. But they should also contain all the information about the plant, the mass or number of seeds in pieces.

The bag contains information about the manufacturer: name, logo, legal and email address, telephone numbers. Title in Russian and Latin mandatory, in accordance with the State Register.

Imported seeds are generally more expensive and, although many consider them to be of higher quality, this is not always the case. Buy a little more than you expect to sow. You may need to replant your crops if seedlings are too sparse.

Where to sow?

Seedlings for cabbage are grown in greenhouses, greenhouses and often in apartments. The soil for sowing seedlings on the site begins to be prepared in the fall. The area is cleared of weeds and dug up using a shovel. At the same time, unevenness should be maintained for better absorption of moisture into the soil. In spring, the soil is leveled with a rake.

To heat the beds, warm manure is spread loosely up to 40 cm, sprinkled with lime or wood ash(to prevent fungal diseases). Consumption per 1 sq. m. should not exceed 0.5 kg of lime, ash 0.6 kg. After 3-4 days, fertile soil or peat with old sawdust is poured.

Growing cabbage at home

Cabbage growing at home

If you are growing seedlings on a windowsill, just buy earth mixture for : she has excellent properties, quite soft and loose, contains the necessary organic, mineral fertilizers. The seeds are laid out neatly in rows in boxes and covered with a 1 cm layer of soil. You can select cups and plant a couple of seeds in them, but separately: after that the stronger plant is left, and the weak sprout is pinched off (do not tear, so as not to harm the roots of the remaining sprout).

After sowing, watering is carried out, the trays are covered with film until the first shoots. After this, the film is removed.

Don’t forget that drainage is necessary: ​​if you haven’t bought special trays for seedlings, just make holes in the containers you will use so that the water does not stagnate, causing putrefactive diseases.

Hardening can be done already when the first true leaf appears, by taking the seedlings into a cool corridor, veranda, or even into the sun, exposing them to fresh air. Starting from an hour or two, after a week it will be possible to leave the seedlings outside for the whole day.

Growing cabbage from seeds

To disinfect seeds before sowing, they are heated in hot water to 50 degrees for about 20 minutes and immediately cool in cold boiled water for 3-5 minutes. If desired, soak in a growth stimulator for several hours.

Cabbage growing from seeds, when to plant?

Approximate sowing dates: early varieties are sown in early March, mid-season varieties - in the second half of April, late varieties - in late March - early April.

Sow the seeds to a depth of no more than 1 cm. To preserve moisture, cover the top with newspapers or film. After 4-5 days they appear, then the film or newspaper sheets are removed.

Conditions for growing cabbage

Growing white cabbage

Until the first shoots appear, it is necessary to maintain room temperature(+20 degrees). Then we reduce it to 6-10 degrees. At elevated temperature and lack of lighting, the seedlings stretch out greatly and lie down. In city apartments this is difficult to achieve, but it is possible if you move them to a glazed loggia. Seedlings must be ventilated. Once a week, water with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (3 grams per 10 liters of water).

Cabbage pick

When the first one appears real leaf(1.5-2 weeks after germination), the seedlings are picked - planted in pots, cassettes or over a large area. An hour before diving, pour plenty of water. They dig up and take with a lump of earth, the root is shortened by about a third. Plant, deepening to the cotyledon leaves.

Growing white cabbage in open ground

We sow in the greenhouse in rows, leaving 8 cm between them. After germination, we thin out the row so that there is at least 5 cm between the cabbages.

After the appearance of 5-7 leaves on the seedling early cabbage, 4-6 in the middle and late ones are planted in open ground.

We begin growing early cabbage in open ground in late April-early May. A little later - from mid to late May, late varieties are planted. Planted from late May to mid-June medium cabbage. You should not plant it too thickly, because it is large.

Plant in the afternoon or in cloudy weather, deepening to the first true leaf. After planting, watering is required.

Growing cabbage in open ground photo

Further care of the plants consists of loosening the soil and regular watering. Cabbage needs moist soil. Shortly before harvesting, watering should be stopped (30-40 days before, 15 in dry areas).

The peculiarities of growing cabbage without seedlings lie in careful attention to the seedlings. You can sow several seeds in a hole, simply pulling out the extra ones and leaving the strongest sprout.

Some varieties of cabbage are grown in the simplest way without seedlings, even without watering: with frequent rains, on fertile soil. The seeds are sown immediately into the ground to a depth of 1.5-3 cm. Cabbage is not afraid of frost; it needs to be sown in early spring, late March - early April. When seedlings appear, they need to be thinned out so that there is at least 40 cm between plants. Then care for the plants as usual.

Watering

Cabbage growing and care in open ground

Water the cabbage generously at the root; you can arrange wide ridges with deepened rows to make watering easier: the water will collect directly in the row and provide the plants with moisture for several days.

Don't forget to loosen the surface when it dries. This should be done very carefully: the roots of cabbage are fragile and are on the surface. Therefore, do not bury the hoe deeper than 3 cm next to the seedlings.

Feeding

You should feed no more than once every 10-12 days, and only 10 days after planting in the ground. Preferably regular organic fertilizers from manure, chicken droppings or fermented grass. Half a liter of fermented composition per bucket of water is enough to provide the plants with a good supply of microelements and nutrients. The solution consumption is a liter for each cabbage.

Diseases and pests

To prevent damage by the cabbage fly, plant cabbage as early as possible so that it has time to become sufficiently strong. Pre-treat the seeds with Prestige solution or other pest protection product. Cabbage fly lays eggs not far from the plant on the ground; after a week, larvae emerge from the eggs and destroy the roots. To further strengthen the root system, hilling is used. If larvae are found, immediately treat the area with insecticides, and again after a week.

In hot, dry weather, cabbage bushes are damaged by cruciferous fleas and aphids. To save the plants, they are sprinkled with sifted wood ash. Treatments before tying the heads are quite acceptable. special drugs from cruciferous flea beetle.

In wet weather, slugs may appear. In the fight against them, you can do without chemicals - sprinkle the area with mustard or ground pepper. Then collect the slugs by hand and destroy them.

Butterflies lay eggs on the leaves, after a while caterpillars appear and eat the plant. Gardeners spray the beds with an infusion of potato tops and tomato stems with the addition of laundry soap.

Cleaning

When the heads of cabbage have become dense enough, they are cut off along with several leaves (so that they last longer).

Store in a dark cellar at a temperature of 0 to +5 degrees, stalks down. If you pull it up by the roots and hang it on the ceiling, you can save the harvest almost until spring and the cabbage will keep its crisp leaves unchanged, will not wither and will remain very tasty.

After harvesting, cabbage leaves remain, which are used as livestock feed.

11.04.2016 25 031

How to grow cabbage in open ground?