Content
Being from distant China, Chinese cabbage found many admirers around the world, including in Russia. Many gardeners grow it in their summer cottages in an effort to get a good harvest of very healthy and tasty vegetables. At the same time, growing Chinese cabbage in open ground can cause some difficulties associated with non-compliance with temperature conditions, regularity of watering, pest infestation and other nuances. So, below in the article is a detailed guide on how to grow Chinese cabbage in the garden correctly, avoid difficulties and get a rich harvest of vegetables.
Uniqueness of culture
Chinese cabbage can be found under various names, for example, lettuce or Chinese cabbage, petsai. The vegetable consists of succulent leaves loosely connected into a rosette or head. They contain a large amount of ascorbic and citric acid, vitamins B, A, PP. The vegetable also contains protein and carotene. Such a rich microelement complex allows us to talk about the significant benefits of the vegetable for the human body.It is worth noting that the taste of the product is high: the leaves are very juicy, do not contain bitterness, their veins are practically devoid of coarse fibers. It is thanks to the combination of irreplaceable benefits and excellent taste that Chinese cabbage is popular among chefs and gourmets around the world.
Time to sow the seeds
Beijing vegetable has a fairly short ripening period, which, depending on the variety, is 35-60 days. Such precocity makes it possible, even in domestic climatic conditions, to harvest the crop twice per season. In this case, it is very important to pay attention to the choice of time for sowing the seed, since untimely sowing can cause flowering. So, sow seeds for growing Chinese cabbage in the spring-summer cycle it follows in mid-April (for seedlings) or from late May to mid-June (in open ground). At the same time, for the first growing cycle it is recommended to prefer varieties with early ripening.
In the summer-autumn period, long-ripening crop varieties can be grown, since such vegetables can subsequently be stored for a long period of time. Seeds are planted in the summer-autumn cycle from late July to mid-August. In this case, the timing of sowing seeds for seedlings and directly into the ground coincides.
Growing methods
Experts distinguish two ways to grow Chinese cabbage: sowing seeds directly into the soil, where the vegetable will grow until fully ripe, or growing seedlings. So, the technologies for growing crops and the features of these methods are given below:
Sowing seeds in the ground
Beijing vegetable has a very fastidious root system.It does not tolerate picking well to a new growing location, which is why the crop is often sown as seed in the ground. In this case, there are two ways to sow cabbage in beds:
- Rows. To do this, make shallow long grooves along the entire length of the ridge. The distance between two adjacent grooves should be at least 50 cm. Seeds are sown at an interval of 20 cm to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Subsequently, such crops will need to be thinned out.
- In the holes. The method involves sowing cabbage seeds in shallow holes located at a distance of at least 35 cm from each other. 2-3 seeds are sown in each hole, and when shoots appear, the crops are thinned out, leaving only one, the strongest sprout.
The seeds of the Beijing vegetable should be sown on a well-lit, sunny plot of land, where nutritious, loose soil predominates. Good predecessors for vegetables are garlic, onions, potatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. It is not recommended to sow cabbage seeds in areas where radishes or mustard previously grew.
After sowing the seed in the soil, the ridges must be watered and sprinkled with wood ash to prevent parasitism of the cruciferous flea beetle. When sowing a crop in the spring, it is recommended to additionally cover the beds with plastic film to create the most favorable microclimatic conditions for the crop. Depending on temperature conditions, cabbage shoots appear in 3-10 days.
Seedling method
The seedling method is more often used in the spring-summer cycle of growing vegetables, since it allows for a relatively early harvest. Thus, the vegetable ripens and is ready for consumption on average 25-30 days after the seedlings are planted in the ground.
Considering the whimsical nature of the root system, Chinese cabbage seedlings should be grown in peat pots or tablets. This will allow you not to remove the plant from the container while diving into the ground.
Particular attention must be paid to the soil in which the seedlings will grow. It should be well drained, light, nutritious. Such a substrate can be prepared by mixing equal parts of peat and garden soil. Peat containers should be filled with this soil, after which it should be compacted and the seeds should be planted to a depth of 0.5-1 cm. The crops should be watered and placed in a room with a temperature of +20-+220C. If the technology is followed, the appearance of shoots occurs in 3-4 days.
Containers with Chinese cabbage seedlings should be placed in a well-lit, sunny place with a temperature no higher than +220C, but not lower than +180C. Young plants need to be watered as the soil dries out. A few days before planting in the ground, watering the seedlings should be stopped.
Diving seedlings into the ground
Vegetable seedlings can be planted in open ground, in a greenhouse or greenhouse. In this case, the soil must be saturated with organic matter and have neutral acidity. Plants should be picked at the age of 25-30 days. At this time, cabbage seedlings should have 5-6 true leaves.
Planting must be done in compliance with the following distances:
- In protected ground, there should be at least 20 cm between adjacent plants. Such picking involves subsequent intermediate cutting of plants for consumption before full ripening.
- In open ground, a distance of 25-30 cm should be maintained between cabbage.
When using peat containers for growing seedlings, during picking, the plants do not need to be removed by burying the containers in the ground. The natural material will soon begin to decompose and turn into organic fertilizer. In this case, the cabbage root system is minimally injured, and the crop does not significantly slow down its growth. After picking, the plants must be watered generously and the soil in the garden bed must be powdered with wood ash.
Caring for cabbage in the garden
Beijing vegetable prefers to grow in conditions with intense light, high soil moisture and cool air. It can be quite difficult to create such a microclimate in open ground. That is why many farmers use geotextiles when growing vegetables. Cabbage wrapped with this material is protected from direct sunlight and overheating. Geotextiles also act as a barrier to pest penetration.
The best temperature for growing crops varies from +15 to +220C. Deviations from these indicators slow down the growth of cabbage and reduce its yield.
Watering plants must be done regularly. So, it is recommended to water Chinese cabbage generously with warm water once a week. If the soil dries out excessively, you can periodically additionally water the plantings. Mulching also slows down the process of evaporation of moisture from the soil. The soil should be mulched 2 weeks after sprouting seedlings or 3 weeks after emergence if seeds are sown directly into the ground. It is worth noting that mulching the soil is also a preventative measure in the fight against weeds.
Feeding is also a mandatory procedure when growing Chinese cabbage. It is recommended to carry out primary fertilizing of plants before mulching. As a fertilizer, you can use an infusion of mullein or chicken droppings. The culture also responds well to the addition of herbal infusion. The rate of application of such fertilizers is 1 liter per 1 plant. Chinese cabbage grown in spring and summer needs to be fed three times. Planting Chinese cabbage in open ground and greenhouses in the summer-autumn period requires fertilizing twice.
Some gardeners resort to using boric acid when growing vegetables. It helps the cabbage set better. The substance is used to prepare a solution in a ratio of 2 g per 1 liter of warm water. After thorough mixing, the resulting concentrate is diluted in a bucket of cold water and used to spray cabbage.
So, knowing the rules for growing Chinese cabbage and caring for it, it is not difficult to get a good harvest. This task will certainly be feasible not only for an experienced, but also for a novice gardener.
Pest Control
Knowing how to plant Chinese cabbage, it is very important to know how to protect it from all kinds of pests. So, the vegetable has two main enemies: the slug and the cruciferous flea beetle. You can fight them with the help of special drugs or traditional methods. At the same time, preventive measures are no less important. For example, timely planting of seedlings in the ground, covering the crops with polyethylene, rolling cabbage with geotextiles and sprinkling the soil with wood ash allows you to fight the cruciferous flea beetle at distant approaches.Also, in the fight against this insect pest, the use of mixed plantings is highly effective: by planting potatoes, cucumbers or tomatoes next to cabbage, you can repel the insect.
If preventive measures do not bring the desired result, and the cruciferous flea beetle still affects the cabbage crops, then you should use biological products that will not deteriorate the quality of the vegetables. These include “Bitoxibacillin” and “Fitoverm”. Chemicals such as Iskra, Actellika and some others can only be used in the most extreme cases. In general, there are a large number of means to ensure that the effort devoted to planting and caring for Chinese cabbage is not wasted.
The cabbage slug is another voracious pest that can feast on Chinese cabbage in the garden. It is quite difficult to fight him. One method is mechanical collection of pests. To do this, you need to put boards or burdock leaves on the planting bed. The slug will certainly crawl under such a shelter, where the gardener’s “keen eye” should detect it. You can also use a folk remedy to fight slugs: a half-liter mixture of ash with two tablespoons of salt. Additionally, dry mustard and ground red pepper must be added to this mixture. Sprinkle the cabbage with this mixture.
Using preventative plant protection products and methods of traditional pest control, it will certainly be possible to defeat even the most ferocious enemy in the fight for the Chinese cabbage harvest. The use of chemicals should be approached with extreme caution so that the cabbage does not subsequently harm the health of the consumer.
Cabbage on the window
Few people know that Chinese cabbage, so tasty and healthy, can be grown not only in the garden, but also in the window. This cultivation of Chinese cabbage can be practiced in winter. The method can also help out lovers of greenery who don’t have a garden at all.
You can grow Chinese cabbage in a window from the waste of an already used head of cabbage. So, its upper part, neatly cut horizontally, can be used for preparing salads or other culinary dishes. The remaining stalk must be placed on a saucer with water. Soon this stalk will delight you with fresh green leaves, which can be safely used in cooking. An example of how to grow Chinese cabbage at home is shown in the video:
Conclusion
Thus, Chinese cabbage can delight with its taste and benefit human health all year round. It grows well in open beds and under the protection of film, geotextiles, and even on an apartment window. At the same time, it is not difficult to get a good harvest; for this you need to carry out sowing, watering, and fertilizing in a timely manner. It is also necessary to combat pests in a timely manner using preventive methods, but in the case of particularly progressive attacks by insects and slugs, you can resort to folk remedies or biological products. Only in this way, using his knowledge and skills, paying enough attention, will a gardener be able to grow wonderful, healthy Chinese cabbage with his own hands.
