Content
Chinese cabbage loved by both consumers and gardeners. This culture has confidently entered the diet of Russians. The appearance of the plant resembles a salad, which is why it is also popularly called cabbage. The leaves are collected in a rosette or head, which can be of impressive size and length, sometimes up to 50 cm. The color of the leaves of the plant varies from soft yellow to light green. The veins on the leaves are wide and thick, but at the same time very juicy.
Chinese cabbage leaves have a pleasant, fresh taste. The simplest dish that can be prepared from a plant very quickly is salad. The vegetable is cut into thin strips and seasoned with lemon juice and vegetable oil. The plant goes well with cheese and meat products in sandwiches. You can prepare many healthy and tasty dishes from it. And consume not only fresh, but also stewed, pickled, salted and pickled. Everyone knows the Korean dish kimchi, which is prepared with an abundance of various spices. In the East, this type of cabbage occupies a significant place in the diet of the population.
A lot of useful properties are inherent in Chinese cabbage by nature. Therefore, consuming the plant keeps the mind sharp and blood vessels elastic.The heart works without interruption, the body’s defenses increase, thanks to the high levels of vitamins and microelements contained in the vegetable. What we miss especially in winter. Chinese cabbage is perfectly stored and retains vitamins, which increases the value of the plant in winter and autumn.
For quite a long time, this type of cabbage was an unknown exotic vegetable. Now Russian gardeners and farmers grow this crop on their own. The vegetable is available on store shelves all year round. Gardeners call the plant “Beijing” and love it for its unpretentiousness, not capriciousness and for the fact that the crop quickly produces a harvest and not just one, but 2 or even 3 per season.
Features of care and varieties of Chinese cabbage for greenhouses
Happy owners of heated greenhouses can get an early harvest of Chinese cabbage. It will be especially in demand in early spring, when fresh vegetables are scarce and too expensive. Therefore, growing crops in greenhouses is a profitable and promising business.
Features of cultivation
Chinese cabbage tolerates significant temperature changes well. But in order not to rely on the vagaries of nature and to obtain a consistently high plant yield, the cultivated crop should be provided with the correct temperature and lighting.
Chinese cabbage seeds have high germination even at temperature conditions of +4+5 degrees. The seedlings will tolerate a drop in temperature if the thermometer drops to -3 degrees. But the ideal temperature for growth and harvesting is +14 to +20 degrees. A decrease or increase in temperature from the extremes leads to the fact that the plants shoot out the arrow and bloom.
A special feature of Chinese cabbage is that it blooms during long daylight hours, so the correct development of the heads of the plant will occur during shortened daylight hours. Blooming "Peking" loses its taste properties and is unsuitable for food.
Plants are “friends” with cucumbers and tomatoes. You just need to take care of additional feeding of the vegetable crop so that there is enough nutrition for all the plants.
Growing Chinese cabbage in a greenhouse is a good solution. You can control the temperature and light conditions, that is, create the conditions necessary for growing the crop. Which is especially important for the plant in early spring or late autumn.
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Varieties for the greenhouse
Success in growing crops largely depends on the correct choice of seeds for the greenhouse. The main criterion when choosing a plant variety will be the timing of the harvest.
Early varieties of Chinese cabbage can produce a harvest within 1.5 months after planting. They are suitable for growing crops in a greenhouse in the spring:
- Spring beauty F1 - a cabbage variety that ripens very quickly and tolerates lack of light well. The heads of the plant are juicy, white when cut, weighing up to 2 kg;
- Spring Jade F1 – the variety of Chinese cabbage is resistant to diseases and temperature changes, especially high ones. Does not bloom, is not affected by diseases. The heads of the plant are large, weighing up to 3 kg, very juicy;
- Stonefly – a leaf-shaped variety, the leaves are juicy, with a high content of vitamin C. 35 days after planting, you can harvest;
- The first F1 vitamins – the variety is suitable for growing in both spring and summer, resistant to flowering and temperature changes. The vegetable harvest is early, the heads of the plant are round and oblong in shape with juicy, crispy flesh.
Autumn varieties:
- Sentyabrina F1 – a vegetable variety characterized by fast ripening and pleasant taste. When cut, the color is light green. The weight of the plant's fruits is about 1.5 kg. The variety is resistant to diseases and temperature changes;
- Autumn Jade F1 – a plant variety that forms a large elongated head, up to 50-60 cm in size, weighing up to 3 kg. The color of the vegetable fruit is bright green;
- Autumn beauty F1 – a cold-resistant plant variety with a head weight of up to 2.5 kg. When cut, they are slightly yellow, the upper leaves are rich green.
Universal varieties:
- Beijing Express – suitable for cultivating the plant in open ground, but produces especially high yields in a greenhouse. Light green heads of vegetable crop are elongated, very juicy, weighing about 2 kg. The variety is zoned for Siberia, the Moscow region, and the Urals. Tolerates unfavorable climatic conditions well;
- Marfa - an early ripening variety of cabbage, it requires only 40 days to fully ripen. Does not suffer from lack of lighting, resistant to the release of flower stalks. Heads of plant weighing up to 1 kg.
Otherwise, the vegetable heads will sprout and the harvest will be spoiled.
Landing
"Pekinga" loves light and fertile soil. If there have been cases of plant diseases in the greenhouse, then the soil must be treated with steam, shed with copper sulfate (a weak solution) or potassium permanganate.But too light soils dry out quickly, and heavy soils lead to the development of diseases. Therefore, soils with an average composition, neutral in acidity, are most suitable. Beijing cabbage is planted in a greenhouse after tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, onions and legumes.
Vegetable crops are planted in a heated greenhouse in early March, or in April if the greenhouse is not heated. Plant seeds are planted in furrows, following the recommended planting pattern. A distance of 30-40 cm is usually left between rows. Per 1 sq. m of prepared soil take 2 g of cabbage seeds. Sow them without deepening them too deep, 1-1.5 cm, then moisten them well.
Before the plant sprouts, the temperature in the greenhouse must be kept at least +20 degrees. As soon as the shoots appear, the temperature is lowered to +10 degrees for a period of 5-7 days. Then, for the full development and ovary of vegetable heads, a temperature of no more than +20 degrees during the daytime is required, and at night it should not fall below +15 degrees.
Slightly grown seedlings of the plant should be thinned out, leaving the strongest possible plants. At this stage, 10 cm is left between plants. After a week, the plantings are thinned out again, leaving 30-40 cm between crops.
The seedling method is also suitable for planting “Beijing”. So? farmers get an even earlier harvest. But the culture reacts very poorly to transplantation, so it is recommended to plant the seeds in separate containers, peat cups or peat tablets. Before planting, the soil is shed with a solution of potassium permanganate. And 3 seeds are sown. Sprouts appear very quickly, literally within 4-5 days.
Non-viable shoots are removed. Regular watering is carried out when the soil dries out; excess moisture can lead to the development of rot.After three weeks, the seedlings will have 2 pairs of true leaves and are ready to be transplanted into the ground.
Regular care
Regular care consists of maintaining the required temperature in the greenhouse and regular watering. Water as the top layer of soil dries, without allowing it to dry out completely. Watering too frequently should be avoided, as excess moisture and thickening of crops leads to the development of diseases.
During the season, you can carry out 2 feedings: with organic matter and minerals. “Beijing” responds well to feeding with infusion of slurry, chicken manure, and infusion obtained from green mass.
It is better to apply mineral fertilizers in the fall when preparing the soil in the greenhouse. For 1 sq. m add double superphosphate (1 tbsp) and potassium sulfate (2 tbsp). When planting, add superphosphate (2 tbsp), urea (1 tsp), wood ash (1 cup).
Pests and protection against them
Peking cabbage is very fond of various pests, which are sometimes quite difficult to deal with. Particular damage to plants is caused by: cruciferous flea beetle and slugs.
In order not to use a variety of chemicals in the fight against pests, it is better to take preventive measures that will protect your plants from the harmful effects of pests.
- The cruciferous flea beetle does not survive in the low temperatures of early spring, late summer or early autumn. Thus, you are only required to comply with the planting deadlines.
- You can treat young plants with ash.
- Maintain crop rotation. Do not plant Chinese cabbage after all types of cabbage, daikon, and radish. The pest overwinters in the soil. Therefore, there is always a threat for Beijing.
- The crop is not affected by the cruciferous flea beetle if it is used to compact plantings of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
If all else fails, use heavy artillery: drugs “Iskra”, “Inta-vir”, “Aktara”.
Cleaning and storage
Heads of cabbage are cut for storage when they are compacted. Not all varieties are suitable for storage. As a rule, spring varieties are used immediately for consumption. But autumn varieties can be stored.
To do this, each head of cabbage is wrapped in cling film and then in newspaper. So, Chinese cabbage is stored for quite a long time, more than 4-5 months at a temperature just above zero degrees.
Conclusion
Growing Chinese cabbage in greenhouses is a very profitable business and can become a source of permanent income for someone. For experienced gardeners, this is a way to provide themselves and their family with a healthy, vitamin-rich product. Novice gardeners, following simple agrotechnical techniques, can easily cope with growing crops and receive a tasty vegetable that will diversify their nutritious diet.
