Content
Chinese cabbage is an incredibly tasty and healthy vegetable. Not many gardeners decide to grow it in their garden, because they believe that it is too picky. Those who grew this crop know well that with proper planting and care no problems will arise. Some people like to eat young leaves of Chinese cabbage, while others still wait until the entire head of cabbage is ripe. When can cabbage be considered ripe, and how to grow it correctly in order to get a good harvest on time? Also in this article we will learn how to grow as many as 2 crops of Chinese cabbage per season.
When to plant Chinese cabbage
In order to harvest Chinese cabbage on time, it is also necessary to plant it on time. The timing of planting determines whether the plant will bloom, and as you know, in the case of cabbage, flowering can only do harm. It is customary to sow cabbage starting on April 15th and ending before the 20th. In warmer regions you can start even at the end of March. It is important that the frosts completely recede.
Cabbage ripens quite quickly. With proper care, the harvest can be harvested in 1.5 months. This plant is not afraid of cold. Seeds germinate even at a temperature of +4°C. But still, for active growth it is necessary that the temperature regime be at least +15°C. This is especially important to consider when growing cabbage in greenhouse conditions. It is the temperature that determines how generous the harvest you will reap.
How to grow 2 crops per season
The quality and quantity of the harvest directly depends on the timing of planting. In general, Chinese cabbage ripens quickly. However, it should be borne in mind that everything depends on the specific variety. Early-ripening varieties ripen in 40 days, mid-ripening varieties in 2 months, and late-ripening cabbage will have to wait at least 80 days.
Overripening of fruits is not the only reason for the onset of flowering. Much depends on the timing of planting. If you do not have time to sow the seeds before April 20, then most likely the cabbage will put out flower stalks. If spring is late or you simply did not have time to plant cabbage in time, you can buy special hybrid varieties that are not prone to flowering.
Immediately after harvesting the first harvest, you can re-sow the seeds. This must be done no later than mid-August. After this period, daylight hours are greatly reduced and the cabbage simply does not have time to form heads of cabbage. Also, you should not conduct experiments if the spring turned out to be cold and snowy. There is definitely no point in planting cabbage in such extreme conditions.
Harvesting time depending on cabbage variety
Previously, only one variety of Chinese cabbage was known, bred at the VIR station.It was called Khibiny and was found on all farms that grew cabbage. The variety has good characteristics and fast ripening times. Young leaves are completely ready for consumption within 30 days after germination. Complete formation of a head of cabbage occurs within 40–50 days, and for a looser fruit it will take about 2 months.
For a long time, Khibiny cabbage satisfied all the requirements of gardeners. And even now the variety is very popular. Then they began to develop a large number of other, no less productive varieties and hybrids of this vegetable. We will list only the most popular ones, and also compare the ripening periods of each variety.
Shanghai
It has a medium early ripening period. Full maturity occurs 55 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The head of cabbage is light green, wide and elongated. The weight of each cabbage can reach up to 1.5 kilograms.
Russian size F1 XXL
This is probably the variety with the largest heads of cabbage. Each can have a mass of up to 4 kg. The variety is famous for its excellent taste. The leaves are incredibly juicy and crispy. Russian size refers to late varieties, since the heads of cabbage ripen no earlier than after 3 months. Has resistance to the appearance of flower stalks. Easily tolerates low temperatures.
Lyubasha
The variety is classified as mid-season, as it ripens within 70 days after the appearance of the first shoots. It has yellow leaves inside and light green outside. It boasts exquisite taste. Contains a large number of useful microelements and vitamins.
Wineglass
Full ripening of heads of cabbage occurs 60–70 days after the appearance of young shoots. It tastes great, crispy and juicy. Not suitable for long-term storage.It is recommended to eat fresh.
What does cabbage need to grow quickly?
Chinese cabbage tolerates cold climates well, however, it has low frost resistance. It is contraindicated to grow in hot climates with long daylight hours. In such conditions, the plant does not have time to form a head of cabbage, but begins to form arrows and bloom.
For the fruit to grow and develop well, the air temperature should be about +20°C. It is also very important to water the plants in a timely manner and carry out regular fertilizing. In addition, Chinese cabbage is often attacked by certain pests. Given this, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures from time to time.
To grow 2 or 3 cabbage crops per season, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions. Some gardeners manage to grow vegetables all year round in heated greenhouses. For the plant to develop well, it is enough to maintain the temperature range from 15 to 21°C.
Bolting is the most common problem that gardeners encounter when growing Chinese cabbage. To prevent this from happening, you must:
- buy hybrids with resistance to flowering;
- do not sow seeds too thickly;
- plant and grow cabbage while daylight hours are short. If necessary, you can cover the sprouts in the evening.
Proper care
Caring for Chinese cabbage consists of the following 3 stages:
- Loosening the soil.
- Regular watering.
- Feeding.
- Thinning out sprouts.
- Preventive measures against pests.
And now everything is in order.In order to harvest cabbage on time, it is necessary to loosen the soil around the plants from time to time. This will provide oxygen access to the plant root system. This, in turn, will improve metabolic processes and water flow during irrigation.
There is no need to water the cabbage in any special way. The main thing is that the soil is not too wet and dry. It is necessary to constantly keep it moist. Too wet soil is a breeding ground for pathogens. In such conditions, the heads of cabbage will simply begin to rot.
Typically, heads of cabbage are watered once every 7 days. If you water more frequently, water stagnation may occur. The first fertilizing is done immediately after emergence. If cabbage is planted by seedlings, then 2 weeks are counted from the moment of planting, and only then fertilizing is carried out. For this you can use both mineral and organic fertilizers. For example, many people use a solution of chicken manure or mullein. Mullein is bred in a ratio of 1/10, and chicken manure is calculated in the amount of 1 kilogram per 20 liters of water. Some gardeners prepare the soil in advance for planting. Many people treat the soil with solutions of superphosphate or urea.
It is necessary to thin out the sprouts for both growing options. Both seedlings and plants sown in open ground are drilled twice. The first time excess shoots are pulled out is at the 2-leaf stage. In this case, about 6–7 cm are left between individual sprouts. The next thinning is carried out 10 days after the first. Heads of cabbage planted in open ground should be spaced at a distance of about 20–35 cm.This arrangement will ensure unhindered access to sunlight, and will also allow the soil to dry out and not retain water.
You need to make sure that fleas and cabbage flies do not feast on your heads of cabbage before. To treat plants against pests, you can use ordinary wood ash. They simply sprinkle the garden bed with it until the first shoots appear. Also, some gardeners, as a preventive measure, from time to time rake old soil away from the stems and sprinkle the area with new soil (for example, from the rows). Thus, not only the soil is renewed, but also the eggs laid by the cabbage fly are removed.
If fleas or other pests do appear in the garden bed, then these measures will no longer help. You will have to use special preparations, such as Fitoverm or Bitoxibacillin. Just remember that they can be used no later than a month before harvest.
When to harvest Chinese cabbage
It is customary to cut heads of cabbage in 2 cases:
- When the young leaves grow to 10 cm in height.
- When the head of cabbage is fully formed. This usually happens 2 months or more after germination.
The weight of the heads of cabbage at the time of harvest should reach about 1.2 kg. There may be more, it all depends on the variety you choose. Heads of cabbage should be stored in a cool place. Typically, Chinese cabbage retains its properties for 3 months from the time it is cut. So it is unlikely that it will be possible to keep the heads of cabbage fresh until winter.
Conclusion
Of course, the most enjoyable part of growing any crop is harvesting it. But in order to collect it on time you need to work hard.As you can see, it is very important to sow the seeds on time and create suitable conditions for growing. By adhering to all the rules described above, you can get an excellent harvest of Chinese cabbage.
