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Usually, most people associate cabbage with winter preparations, pickling, various pickles and other delicacies. But not everyone realizes that cabbage can be eaten already in June, and not even bought in a store, but grown with your own hands on a plot of land. True, this will require some effort, but it will be worth it.
Indeed, there are so-called early varieties of white cabbage, in which about 90 days pass from the first shoots to the formation of heads of cabbage. As a rule, these varieties are not distinguished by high yields, but in June this is not necessary. The main thing is the opportunity to enjoy fresh, tender, vitamin-rich cabbage greens at a time when there are practically no vegetables from the garden yet. One of the most popular early varieties is white June cabbage. When can June cabbage be sown as seedlings to enjoy an early harvest?
Why are different planting dates used?
Of course, it’s not for nothing that this cabbage is called June cabbage. The name itself suggests that it can be consumed at the very beginning of summer.
This means the number of days that pass from the emergence of seedlings to the formation of heads of cabbage. Thus, if you want to try this cabbage already in June, then you need to sow it as seedlings as early as possible in the spring, around the beginning of March.
In general, there is nothing wrong with this, given that it is during these periods that gardeners sow peppers and tomatoes for seedlings. But growing cabbage seedlings has its own characteristics and requires the creation of completely different conditions compared to tomatoes and peppers. In addition, when planting in the ground, it is desirable that the age of the seedlings does not exceed 45-50 days.
When sowing cabbage for seedlings in early March, you will need plant it to a permanent place already in the second half of April, otherwise the seedlings run the risk of overgrowing, which will negatively affect its fruiting. At least you won’t have to wait for the early heads of cabbage. But in most regions of Russia in the second half of April, very significant frosts are still possible, which even such a cold-resistant plant as cabbage cannot tolerate. This means that you will need to take additional care of thoroughly covering the cabbage planted in the ground.
If you are willing to go to a lot of extra trouble to get a super early cabbage harvest, then everything is in your hands.
Most gardeners often do not have the opportunity to provide cabbage with such conditions, especially since besides it, there are a thousand different things in the garden that require attention during this hot period.
“When should I plant cabbage in this case?” - you ask.
In this case, seedlings can be planted in the ground in early to mid-May. These dates are traditional for planting cabbage seedlings in open ground for most regions of Russia. Moreover, the ancient Russian agricultural calendar even includes two special dates dedicated to planting cabbage seedlings. In 2023 it will be May 8-12 and May 19-24. Cabbage seedlings will no longer require any additional measures to protect them from cold weather. And under favorable care conditions, you will still be able to try the first heads of cabbage in June, but only at the very end.
There is also a category of gardeners who are not at all interested in sowing dates and for them the question “when to plant cabbage seedlings” is not particularly important. For them, the main thing is to put in as little effort as possible and still get a high-quality harvest. In this case, the easiest way is to sow cabbage seeds in a greenhouse or under film covers in April or even early May, where the seedlings will develop in the most optimal way for themselves, even without special care.
At the end of May, it is usually transplanted to a permanent place of residence in the beds and cared for in the traditional way: watering, fertilizing, and pest control. True, in this case the harvest is obtained only by August, but without much effort.
Watch the video, which once again explains all the subtleties associated with the timing of planting cabbage seedlings:
Technology of growing seedlings
As mentioned above, growing cabbage for seedlings has its own characteristics compared to other vegetable crops, since cabbage is not only cold-resistant, but also a cold-loving vegetable.
Preparing for sowing
Since June cabbage, like all members of its family, is quite easily susceptible to all sorts of diseases, it is necessary to disinfect the seeds before sowing. This can only be avoided if you purchased seeds that were already prepared for sowing by the manufacturer.
The simplest way to disinfect seeds is to place them in hot water at a temperature of +45°C-+50°C for 15-20 minutes. After this, the seeds are poured with cold water for several minutes and dried until crumbly. An even more reliable way is to soak the seeds for 8-10 hours in a phytosporin solution.
You also need to prepare containers in which you will plant cabbage seeds. June cabbage, like any white cabbage, is quite easy to transplant, so the easiest way is to sow it directly into boxes. But if you don’t need a lot of seedlings, but timing is important, then it’s better to plant the seeds immediately in separate cups. In this case, the seedlings will develop faster and be accepted for transplantation.
It is also important that the soil for sowing is loose, breathable, but at the same time fertile. A little vermiculite can be added to any ready-made mixture for these purposes.
Watch a detailed video on how to sow cabbage seedlings at home.
Features of growing cabbage seedlings
When cabbage crops are kept in warm conditions, seedlings may appear as early as the second or third day. The lower the temperature at which the seeds are kept, the greater the delay in germination.
At home, it would be best to place it on the balcony during this time. If it’s still too cold, you can build an impromptu greenhouse for it. But keeping it indoors during this period is quite pointless - the seedlings will stretch out and sooner or later die.
After this period, early cabbage seedlings can be brought into the house and planted in different pots, if they were previously sown in boxes.
After transplanting, the seedlings can still be kept for several days at a temperature of +18°C+20°, but then they must again be placed in as cool conditions as possible. It is advisable that the temperature during the day does not exceed +16°C, and at night drops to +10°C-+12°C.
Only under these conditions will cabbage seedlings feel good and be capable of a large and full harvest.
Below is a video that demonstrates in detail how to plant cabbage seedlings in open ground.
Cabbage seedlings in protected ground
But still, most experienced gardeners prefer to grow cabbage seedlings, even early ones, directly in the beds. Sometimes greenhouses and greenhouses are used for these purposes, but not everyone has them. To do this, cabbage seeds disinfected by traditional methods are sown in beds prepared in the fall with fertile and loose soil.This operation is usually performed in mid or late April. Before sowing, the soil is watered with hot water. The seeds are sown to a depth of approximately 1 cm in rows with a distance between plants of 2-4 cm. Later, excess seedlings can be carefully removed or even replanted. On top of the bed, install arcs from any available material and throw thick non-woven material over them. From all edges of the bed, the material is pressed to the ground with bricks or stones.
Cabbage seedlings with this growing method will require minimal attention. Temperature and humidity are maintained at optimal levels. Rain penetrates the material and does not allow the seedlings to dry out.
When the seedlings form several true leaves, they can be thinned out. And in early - mid-May, ready-made seedlings can be planted in a permanent place without shelter. These seedlings will look very stocky, healthy, and have a rich green color.
Conclusion
There are many ways to grow early cabbage seedlings - choose according to your capabilities and tastes. Remember that any plant will definitely thank you for proper care and attention to its needs with a good harvest.
