Content
White cabbage is a dietary product and is used in the diet as an ingredient for salads, first courses and hot dishes. The vegetable contains many vitamins (groups D, K, PP, C) and minerals. There are hundreds of its varieties, but gardeners are most interested in the early ripening species. Express F1 cabbage exceeds even the wildest expectations in its unique taste and ripening time.
Cabbage Express F1 ripens in 2-3 months
Description of the Express cabbage variety
This is an ultra-early ripening hybrid that was bred in Moscow in the early 2000s. If the ripening period of early species usually lasts from 70 to 130 days, then in this variety breeders were able to reduce this period to 60-90 days. During this time, Express F1 cabbage is fully formed and ripens, acquiring its unique taste, saturated with moisture and nutrients.
The plant itself has a compact size, a small raised rosette and wide oval leaves. Heads of cabbage Express F1 are round in shape, uncovered, weigh on average from 900 g to 1.3 kg or more.It all depends on the specific growing conditions. Thanks to the shortened stalk, the forks are quite dense. This is a rare feature for early ripening varieties. The internal structure of the fork is thin, and the cut has a delicate milky tint.
Heads of cabbage Express F1 are round in shape, weigh about a kilogram
The variety is used extremely rarely for cultivation in greenhouses, but this cabbage feels excellent in garden beds. Planting dates may vary, allowing you to get the first harvest as early as July.
Advantages and disadvantages
Like any other variety, Express F1 cabbage has its positive and negative sides.
Solid advantages include:
- uniform ripening of forks;
- high yield (harvesting is carried out twice per season);
- resistance to head cracking;
- versatility (the variety grows successfully on different types of soil and in almost any climatic conditions), cabbage is planted both on an industrial scale and in private summer cottages;
- excellent taste;
- the ability to maintain good presentation for a long time.
Express F1 cabbage heads do not crack
This variety also has its drawbacks. They are mainly associated with diseases and pests. Express F1 cabbage is characterized by weak resistance to various diseases and is easy prey for insects. Regular and timely prevention using the most effective drugs and folk remedies will help protect plants.
Also, Express F1 cabbage does not tolerate too hot weather: the forks do not gain weight well and have an unpresentable appearance. The harvested crop is not suitable for long-term winter storage.This point should be taken into account when planting seedlings, so that there are not too many heads, which are likely to simply disappear.
Yield of white cabbage Express
In farm conditions, from 33 to 39 tons of Express F1 cabbage are harvested from an area of 1 hectare. If we talk about growing in the garden, then from 1 m2 you can get about 5-6 kg. To reap a good harvest, you need to use your own seedlings. This way you can be sure of the high quality of planting material.
Do not thicken the plantings too much and place cabbage in shaded areas (it will not grow without light). It is unacceptable to plant seedlings in heavy, acidic soils. It is important to regularly fertilize, water the plants by sprinkling and follow the rules of crop rotation.
Diseases and pests
Most often, Express F1 cabbage heads are affected by the following pests:
- cabbage aphid;
It feeds on sap from plants, dehydrating them, as a result the leaves turn yellow and droop down.
- turnip white caterpillars;
They gnaw through leaf tissue and leave behind through holes.
- cruciferous bugs;
They damage the leaves, which leads to the formation of whitish spots on them, and then small holes
- cabbage scoop;
It severely affects the leaves, eating huge holes in them, then the pests penetrate deep into the head of cabbage and infect it with their excrement.
Among the most dangerous diseases are blackleg, clubroot, fusarium and downy mildew. The first mainly affects seedlings, causing the root collar to become deformed and rot. Clubroot is a fungal disease that causes growths to form on the roots. Root hairs cannot sufficiently absorb moisture from the soil, which inhibits the growth of the above-ground part.Another name for peronosporosis is downy mildew. Fungal spores take root both on seedlings and on adult specimens. First, yellow asymmetrical spots appear on top of the leaf, and then a gray coating forms on the back side. Fusarium (cabbage wilting) can affect not only adult plants, but also seedlings. In the presence of this disease, yellowing and dying of leaves are observed on plants. It will not be possible to save the affected specimens; they must be removed along with the root. The peculiarity of fusarium is that in the soil it is able to maintain its viability for many years. Therefore, crops resistant to this microorganism should be grown in infected areas.
Application
In cooking, Express F1 cabbage is used only fresh. It is practically unsuitable for fermentation and preservation. Blanks, as a rule, are not stored. This variety is ideal for fresh salads, light vegetable soups, stews and borscht.
Conclusion
Express F1 cabbage is loved by many gardeners in different regions of the country. Its main advantage is its rapid ripening time and easy care. To get an ideal harvest, you need to moisten the soil in a timely manner, apply fertilizing and do not forget about preventive measures. When grown correctly throughout the summer and fall, you can enjoy salads made from fresh, juicy and incredibly tasty, crispy cabbage.
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