Content
White cabbage is considered a universal vegetable. It can be consumed in any form. The main thing is to choose the right variety. Unfortunately, this is not so easy to do today, since breeders are expanding their range every year. In order not to make a mistake, you need to know the characteristics of the chosen variety, taste and culinary capabilities. Cabbage Tobia F1 is one of the varieties that is popular among gardeners and housewives for its unique properties.
Description
The Tobia hybrid was created by Dutch breeders. Since 2005, cabbage has been in the State Register of the Russian Federation. The variety is recommended for cultivation in the private sector and on a large industrial scale in many regions of our country.
Hybrid Tobia is an early ripening variety. Cabbage reaches technical maturity 90 days from germination. The outer stalk is small, the plant does not rise high above the ground. Therefore, cabbage receives accelerated nutrition, useful substances work to form a head of cabbage.
The upper and outer leaves are dark green, with a waxy coating, and are dense and slightly pimply. There are subtle waves along the edge. During ripening, the leaves curl so tightly into forks that there are practically no gaps visible on the cut.The middle of the head of cabbage is white or slightly yellowish.
The weight of Tobia cabbage, according to the description of the variety and reviews from gardeners, is about 5 kg. If you follow agricultural technology, you can get forks weighing up to 7 kg. The heads of cabbage are round and dense. The lower leaves are close to the ground. The veins are light green, clearly visible on the leaves, but not too hard.
Characteristic
Descriptions of cabbage do not always give a complete picture of the variety. To decide to grow, you need to get acquainted with the characteristic features, advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages
- Tobia cabbage is juicy, without bitterness, slightly sweet. The leaves are thin, without rough veins.
- Even overripe heads of cabbage do not crack.
- The variety is high-yielding; up to 20 kg can be harvested per square meter if agricultural practices are followed. If we consider the yield on an industrial scale, then up to 100 tons are harvested from one hectare.
- Excellent transportability.
- White cabbage vegetable is intended for growing in open ground.
- The universal-purpose hybrid is widely used in cooking. Pickled and sauerkraut is especially tasty.
Minuses
Gardeners do not note any particular disadvantages in the Tobia F1 variety, although they exist:
- short fresh shelf life - no more than three months;
- the proximity of leaves to the soil and abundant watering lead to rotting.
Since the variety has a minimal number of negative aspects, Tobia cabbage takes its well-deserved place in the garden beds of Russians.
Growing seedlings
Judging by the description and characteristics, Tobia cabbage is an early ripening white vegetable. When planting seedlings at different times, you can get heads of cabbage from June until autumn.The hybrid is grown mainly through seedlings.
Sowing begins in early April. By the time of planting in the ground, the seedlings have time to grow.
The soil
Tobia hybrid cabbage grows strong and healthy if agrotechnical standards are applied. You need to start by preparing the land. This variety of cabbage loves loose, fertile soil. You can use store-bought compounds, but most often gardeners prepare the soil themselves. In addition to turf soil, compost, peat, and humus are added. At the seedling level, fresh manure is not added.
For cultivation, use boxes with a depth of at least 6 cm, containers, cassettes or outdoor nurseries. The soil can be prepared in different ways:
- heat in the oven;
- pour pink boiling water (dissolve potassium permanganate).
Seed material
According to reviews from gardeners who have been growing Tobia cabbage for many years, the germination rate of store-bought seeds is almost one hundred percent. Preparation stages:
- Selection. Large specimens are selected, puny and questionable grains are discarded.
- Hardening. Transfer the cabbage seeds to cheesecloth and immerse them in hot water (no more than 50 degrees) for a third of an hour. Then cool in cold water.
- Etching. For 10-15 minutes, the seeds in a gauze bag are immersed in a pink solution of potassium permanganate to prevent blackleg. After this, rinse with clean water.
- Stratification. Cabbage seeds in gauze are placed in the refrigerator on the vegetable shelf. Every other day, white threads of roots peck.
The seeds are ready, you can start growing seedlings.
Sowing
Seeds can be sown in a common nursery for subsequent picking or in separate cassettes or cups or peat tablets.
Growing Tobia cabbage seedlings without diving is a convenient way, because when transplanted to a permanent place, the plants are not injured and take root quickly. The only drawback is the increase in the amount of seed, since you have to sow 2-3 seeds in each cassette. Then leave the strongest seedling.
When sown in a common nursery, the seeds are buried 1 cm with a step in the groove of at least 3 cm. Then they are covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect. Cabbage seeds germinate faster if containers are kept at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees. After the first shoots, it should be reduced to 8-10 so that the plants do not stretch.
Tobia cabbage seedlings develop best at temperatures from 14 to 18 degrees and high humidity. If the seeds have sprouted thickly, then the seedlings must be pruned for successful development.
The first feeding of Tobia hybrid seedlings is carried out when the first leaf appears, then every week until planting in a permanent place.
In order for the seedlings to take root well, they are adapted to new conditions. After 10 days, the seedlings of the variety are hardened off, allowing access to fresh air and direct sunlight.
Growing and care
Landing
Hybrid Tobia at the age of 30-40 days is planted in a permanent place. At this time, the seedlings have 5-6 true leaves and a strong, stocky stem.
When growing cabbage of any variety, it is necessary to select the appropriate soil. The Tobia variety grows best on a loamy substrate.But on acidic soils, cabbage vegetables grow poorly, and the risk of clubroot disease increases. If you are not sure about the acidity of the soil, then when adding humus, compost or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, you can add dolomite flour, fluff lime or wood ash.
The place for Tobia cabbage should be well lit. Short daylight hours have a negative effect on head formation. It will be loose, like a broom. It is good to plant cabbage after onions, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, grains and legumes. Moreover, the location changes every 4-5 years, otherwise diseases and pests will accumulate in the soil.
For the Tobia hybrid, holes are made according to the 50x40 pattern, with row spacing up to 60 cm. Since the plants are not spreading, such density allows not only to obtain heads of cabbage of the desired size, but also to extend the ripening period.
Bury the seedlings down to the first true leaf, carefully squeezing the soil. You need to water carefully so that the plants are not pulled down by the water.
How to plant cabbage seedlings in the ground:
Features of care
As gardeners write in reviews, Tobia cabbage is not too demanding. But at the beginning of growth you need to treat it carefully. First of all, monitor the soil moisture level. Watering should be frequent; up to two liters of water are poured under each bush at a time. This is necessary for the development of a strong root system.
Subsequently, as the hybrid grows, the amount of water increases to 5 liters. If it rains, the number of waterings is reduced. The fact is that the lower leaves of the Tobia variety are located close to the ground and may begin to rot. It is advisable to water the grown white cabbage head by head.
Secondly, growth should not be allowed weed, they can provoke diseases and pest infestations. They are removed simultaneously with loosening the soil. This procedure is carried out until the cabbage leaves close.
Thirdly, the plants need to be fed. Today, gardeners try to grow environmentally friendly products and do not use mineral fertilizers. It is good to use mullein infusion, chicken manure, wood ash extract or green fertilizer from fermented grass for root feeding of Tobia cabbage. White cabbage vegetables respond well to dusting with dry wood ash.
As for diseases and pests, the Tobia cabbage variety is not very susceptible to them, although preventive measures will not hurt. You can scatter wood ash, tobacco dust, ground black or red pepper under the bushes and on top of the leaves, or plant marigolds, marigolds, dill, parsley or other plants that release ether into the air in the garden bed.
The only pest that will have to be dealt with manually is the caterpillars of the cabbage butterfly. No insect repellent drugs have been created yet.
