Content
You can mulch cabbage with different materials. Sawdust, peat, straw, wood chips, pine needles, hay and other organic matter are mainly used for these purposes. It serves not only as a covering material, but also as a fertilizer, as well as a means of preventing weeds and pests. The mulch is laid out immediately after planting in open ground and, if necessary, changed 2-3 times per season.
Is it necessary to mulch cabbage in open ground?
Mulching is a common agricultural technique that consists of creating a protective layer on the soil surface with a height of 5 to 10 cm (sometimes higher if we are talking about shelter for the winter). Mulching imitates forest litter, which is often found in wildlife. As practice shows, it is necessary to lay protective material for almost any plant, including cabbage.
If you mulch your plantings, this provides several advantages:
- The soil retains moisture longer, so cabbage can be watered less frequently, which is especially important for regions with hot summers.
- The soil retains a loose structure longer, so oxygen flows freely to the roots, and cabbage grows better.
- The root system is protected both from overheating and from short-term frosts and temperature changes.
- You need to mulch with natural materials; they gradually rot and serve as natural fertilizer.
- Certain types of mulch for cabbage (pine needles, sawdust) repel rodents.
- If you mulch the plantings, this will stop the growth of weeds.
- The lower part of the stem and leaves are protected from rotting.
- Thanks to mulch, you can regulate the acidity (pH) of the soil.
Thus, if you mulch cabbage, you can achieve several goals at once. This technique increases the natural fertility of the soil and also makes it easier to maintain. It is especially important to lay out a protective layer in open ground, since, unlike in a greenhouse, it is more difficult to deal with temperature changes and other adverse weather factors.
Thanks to mulching, caring for cabbage becomes much easier.
Timing of work
It is recommended to mulch cabbage throughout the season. During this time, the material is changed 2-3 times (as necessary). Main stages:
- In the spring, after transplanting seedlings into open ground, they should be immediately mulched to protect them from possible frosts. For this purpose, black synthetic materials are usually used. They maintain soil temperature and prevent weeds from germinating.
- In summer, drought begins during this period. Therefore, it is worth mulching cabbage to maintain soil moisture. Use natural materials, such as hay, straw or sawdust. Synthetic fabric can also be used.
- In the fall, there is no need to mulch the plantings - by this time the crops are harvested.All that remains is to remove all plant debris and throw it away. You should not use them for fertilizer, as this can lead to transmission of infection and the appearance of insects next spring.
Preparing the beds
Before mulching cabbage, you need to prepare the beds. It is recommended to start work in early April or the day before autumn. The area is cleaned, the soil is dug up and compost or humus is added at 8-10 kg per square meter. Instead, you can use complex fertilizer 50 g for the same area.
If the soil is dense and contains a lot of clay, add sawdust or sand in an amount of 3-4 kg for the same area. Then the beds are formed, several holes are marked and the seedlings are transplanted into open ground. Next, cabbage plantings should be mulched with straw, peat, and sawdust.
How to mulch cabbage in open ground
For the procedure, you can choose a variety of materials - almost all of them are available at home and cost nothing. Most often they use hay, straw, and sawdust. You can also mow the grass or lay down peat and compost. The main types of mulch, their features, pros and cons are described in the following sections.
Hay and straw
Hay is one of the best covering materials that can be used to mulch a wide variety of crops, including cabbage. You can prepare hay and straw yourself or purchase it at an affordable price. Mulch the cabbage in a fairly small layer 5 cm high.
The material protects the soil well from night frosts, allows air to pass through, conserves moisture, inhibits the growth of weeds, maintains dryness and prevents rotting of the lower leaves. But in the winter after harvesting cabbage, you should not use straw, since rodents can overwinter in it.
Hay is recommended to be used in the summer
Cut grass
It is also enough to simply mulch the cabbage with cut grass. You can get the material from any garden - just remove the grass with a lawn mower or manually (weeding). This can be done at any phase before the formation of seeds (after flowering it is better not to risk it). Moreover, it is better to prepare the grass in May or June, since then it can rot and provoke the appearance of a fungal infection.
The cut grass can be slightly chopped and laid to dry under the sun. Or immediately put it on the beds, including between the rows, where it will also dry out quite quickly. Mulching cabbage is allowed both in spring and summer.
Eggshell
The shell is used mainly as a fertilizer (a source of calcium), and if there is enough of it, then as a covering material. It is laid out in a small layer and then covered, for example, with hay or straw.
Walnut shells, mustard powder and ground red pepper will help for this.
Sawdust, wood chips
Sawdust and small wood chips can be used to mulch cabbage and other plantings. These are affordable and high-quality materials that are used for shelter, repelling pests and as fertilizer. First, they are dried for several days in the open air, then a low layer is formed.
Decomposed sawdust can be dug into the soil, which is especially useful for dense clay soils.If the environment is acidic, pH less than 5, you should not often use wood chips and sawdust. Otherwise it will become even more sour. To avoid this, it is recommended to add wood ash (100-200 g per square meter) or dolomite flour (150 g).
By reheating, sawdust enriches the soil with nitrogen
Peat and compost
Peat and compost are one of the common materials that can be used to mulch cabbage and other crops. These are organic fertilizers that enrich the soil with all the basic elements. In addition, they are good at repelling pests. The advantage of peat and compost is that there is no need to remove the materials. On the contrary, after rotting they are left on the garden bed. If the soil is infertile, it is recommended to add peat and compost at the digging stage (a total of up to 10 kg per square meter).
Manure
You can also mulch cabbage with manure, but if it is fresh, it is applied only in the fall, when the last harvest has been harvested. It is strictly forbidden to use fresh material for planting - due to the high concentration of chemicals, the roots will burn and most of the plantings will die.
During digging, manure is applied directly into the soil at a rate of up to 8 kg per square meter. Then you need to wait at least five months before starting planting. For mulching, it is allowed to use already rotted manure. To do this, it is allowed to lie in a heap for six months or more (watered periodically). It is also worth adding leaves, straw, plant residues and peat (a total of 2/3 of the volume).
Inorganic mulch
It is also possible to mulch cabbage with inorganic materials. The most budget option is transparent or black polyethylene film. Dark material is laid out on the garden bed 3-4 weeks before planting.This is necessary in order to prevent the growth of weeds.
Transparent film is applied in the summer. Several holes should be made in it for free access of air. Then they are laid out along the rows and fixed with stones. The material is very cheap, but short-lived - it will have to be changed every 2-3 weeks.
Nonwovens
You can also mulch cabbage with special non-woven materials. They are more expensive than polyethylene film, but they are more durable and allow air to pass through well. The most commonly used types of non-woven fabric are:
- lutrasil;
- agrospan;
- spunbond;
- Spunwhite
Lutrasil and other fabrics last for 3-4 years
Along with different types of agrofibre, small stones and expanded clay can also be used. The disadvantage is that they make it quite difficult to water the soil and loosen it. Therefore, it is best to place stones at the bottom of planting holes.
You can also mulch cabbage with regular cardboard. This is a temporary option in case of lack of other materials. After rain it gets wet pretty quickly. Burlap is also suitable - it prevents the soil from eroding, which is especially important in lowlands.
How to choose cabbage mulching material
You can mulch cabbage with almost any material. In this case, several criteria need to be taken into account:
- Durability.
- Ability to pass air.
- Can be used as fertilizer.
- Affordability.
It is best to use natural mulches such as hay, straw and sawdust. It serves as a shelter and preventive measure against pests, and also works as a fertilizer. But if you choose based on durability, it is recommended to mulch the plantings with agrofibre and other non-woven fabrics.
Is it necessary to mulch a greenhouse?
Along with mulching cabbage in open ground, it is recommended to lay out a covering layer when growing in a greenhouse, especially if it is unheated. Indoors the humidity level is almost always higher than outside. Therefore, you should not use artificial materials, for example, plastic film.
Organic matter is best suited - peat, compost, hay, sawdust, straw, pine needles. You can lay it in a small layer, mulching cabbage and other plants. First you need to wait until the greenhouse warms up. If the greenhouse is heated, you can mulch at any time.
In this case, the layer must be changed at least three times per season, since organic matter will quickly rot (peat and compost can be left). For the winter, all plant debris along with mulch is removed. Fungal spores, insect larvae overwinter in them, and rodents can hide in them. At the same time, the greenhouse is treated with potassium permanganate or another antiseptic. If diseases or pest infestations have been observed, the soil should also be disinfected.
Mulching helps increase crop yields
Conclusion
It is advisable to mulch cabbage, especially when grown in open ground. The material will protect the soil from overheating, night frosts, and also from rapid drying out. In addition, when decomposing, straw, peat and other substances serve as natural fertilizer. Thanks to this, caring for cabbage becomes easier and productivity increases.
