Content
Feed cabbage is a special type that is used only as animal feed. The plant develops within two years. It has an unusual shape - fleshy stems, long and large leaves of a dark green color. Fodder cabbage does not produce heads of cabbage as such. The culture is unpretentious, grows normally even in frosts, but requires watering.
What is kale
Fodder cabbage belongs to the same Cruciferous family as other varieties (cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and others). The culture is unpretentious and grows well in almost all regions of Russia. Grown for livestock feed, not used as food.
It has fairly strong stems and long leaves. Both parts are used for feeding. Withstands negative temperatures, even short-term drops to -6 degrees. The crop is very easy to care for and copes with severe drought.
Description and photo of fodder cabbage
Kale is a biennial plant.Reaches a height of 1 m or slightly more. In the first season, the stems acquire a cylindrical shape, then become spindle-like. Next, branches are formed on them.
The foliage of fodder cabbage reaches 50 cm in length and 40 cm in width. A not too pronounced waxy coating is noticeable on the surface. Foliage color ranges from green to purple. The shape is lanceolate, ovoid, sometimes lyre-shaped. The petioles are also quite long - 15-40 cm. In the second year, new shoots are formed. They produce small flowers, reaching 4-5 cm in diameter.
The stems grow up to 1.5-2 m in length, which is very different from cabbage and other varieties. They are 3-5 cm thick, less often reaching 10 cm. Just like the leaves, they are covered with a waxy coating.
Feed cabbage is a valuable agricultural crop
It contains dry matter with a mass fraction of up to 15%. The composition includes vitamins C, group B, carotene, protein, minerals and fiber. It has good milk-guzzling properties. Mainly used to feed cows.
Varieties of fodder cabbage
There are not many varieties of fodder cabbage. The most commonly grown varieties are:
- Brain green Vologda.
- Thousand-headed.
- Podmoskovnaya.
- Brain green siverska.
- Polar 227.
- Milestone.
Recently, Dutch hybrid varieties have also been found. This is Reflex and Redbor fodder cabbage. They were approved for cultivation in 2000. They produce palm-shaped plants. A characteristic detail is that the foliage is painted in burgundy shades.
In terms of productivity, the fodder cabbage varieties Polyarnaya 227 and Podmoskovnaya are of the greatest value. They produce very large leaves, and they account for up to 3/4 of the harvest.At the same time, for other representatives the ratio is approximately the same - half comes from leaves and the second part from stem fruits.
Technology for growing fodder cabbage
Since cabbage is unpretentious, it can be grown without seedlings. In farming practice, this is most often done - they sow seeds in the soil, occasionally water them, and apply fertilizer. This is a fairly easy method, but germination is low and some of the seeds may be lost.
To reduce losses by 60%, it is recommended to use the seedling method. It is more labor-intensive, but the germination rate increases. This option is suitable for relatively small areas where many seedlings are not needed. The main growing steps for each method are described in the following sections.
Seedless method
You can start sowing fodder cabbage seeds in open ground at the beginning of April, and in the south - from the end of March. Sprouts can withstand temperatures around zero and freezing down to -6 degrees. Therefore, there is no need to worry that they will not germinate.
When landing, proceed as follows:
- Clean and dig up the area.
- Level the surface.
- Mark furrows at a distance of 70 cm.
- The grains are sown at a depth of 2-3 cm.
The consumption rate is from 15 to 40 kg for every hundred square meters of land. Since kale seeds are very small, they must first be mixed with superphosphate, sifted through a small sieve in a ratio of 1:10. Not only will it provide nutrients, but it will also prevent the seeds from going too deep.
Feed cabbage seedlings can be transplanted into open ground in early April
After a few days, seedlings appear, then 3-4 true leaves are formed, then the crops are thinned out, leaving 20-30 cm between adjacent plantings.But if the variety produces very large leaves, the interval should be 40 cm. Only the strongest seedlings should be left.
Through seedlings
To grow fodder cabbage seedlings, you need to sow the seeds 40-45 days before transplanting into the ground. Usually it is planned for the beginning of April, so work can begin at the end of February. If the lighting is insufficient, it is allowed to sow in early March.
Before planting, the seeds are also mixed with superphosphate and sown in common boxes. Moisten with a spray bottle, cover with film, and periodically remove for ventilation. Water regularly to keep the soil consistently moist.
After the fodder cabbage shoots emerge, the film is completely removed and then thinned out. As soon as 4-5 leaves are formed, the seedlings begin to harden at a temperature of 10-12 degrees. If the room is too warm, the sprouts will begin to stretch.
The transplant is planned on a cloudy day, when the outside temperature is 5-10 degrees Celsius. Planting patterns may vary. 60-70 cm is always left between the rows. And the seedlings themselves are placed at a distance of 20-25 to 50-60 cm. If the plants are too large, they can be planted in a checkerboard pattern.
Care
Caring for kale is very easy. But it is important to remember that the plant is moisture-loving, so watering should be abundant and regular. It is especially important to do this in the second half of summer and early autumn, when cabbage is actively gaining green mass. Water is given once every 5-7 days, and in hot weather - twice as often. It is best to take the settled liquid at room temperature.
On the other hand, waterlogging should also not be allowed, since plants may suffer from excess water.Therefore, it is necessary to observe the watering norm and focus on the weather forecast. To keep the soil moist longer, you should lay out a layer of mulch (hay, sawdust, straw).
It is enough to fertilize twice a season - in May and at the end of June. To do this, use the following mixture (per square meter):
- superphosphate 30 g;
- nitrophoska 30 g;
- ammonium nitrate 15 g.
Along with this, you can also use ready-made formulations, for example, Agricola. It is also possible to use liquid organic matter - litter 1:20 or mullein 1:10.
Feed cabbage does not require special care
Pests and diseases
The culture is unpretentious and is quite rarely affected by diseases or pests. But sometimes it can suffer due to improper watering. As a rule, rot and other infections develop for this reason. Therefore, water should be given in moderation, and if the summer is rainy, refrain from watering.
Among the diseases, the following infections pose a particular danger:
- blackleg;
- spotting on leaves and pods;
- clubroot;
- gray rot.
You need to fight them with the help of fungicides - “Maxim”, “Tattu”, “Ordan”, “Bordeaux mixture” and others.
Pests include the same insects that pose a danger to other varieties of cabbage:
- Cruciferous flea beetles - you can find out about their appearance on food crops by small holes on the leaves. To combat, spray a mixture of ash and ash (in equal quantities).
- Cabbage moths are grayish-colored butterflies with a long body. They are quite dangerous for fodder cabbage; they need to be combated with the biological preparation “Lepidocid”.
- Rapeseed flower beetle are small black beetles (within 1 cm). They eat buds and seeds. To save kale, they are treated with drugs such as “Etafos” and “Andometrin”.
- Cabbage fly - resembles a regular fly, but has a brown color. To destroy and protect fodder cabbage, insecticides are used. The most effective drugs are “Karbofos” and “Iskra”.
Collection and storage
The harvest of fodder cabbage begins much later than in the case of the usual white cabbage varieties. This is precisely the main goal of cultivation - to get as many leaves and stem fruits as possible. Determining the time of collection is quite simple - as soon as the foliage begins to turn yellow (from the bottom of the bush), the moment is right.
As a rule, the collection time falls in the second half of October. In the southern regions of Russia, they begin to dig even in the first half - mid-November. If autumn is too warm, even at the end of the month. There is no need to worry about the onset of frosts - fodder cabbage is harvested after them, when all the crops have long been harvested.
The harvest should be harvested no earlier than the end of October.
It can be stored both fresh and as silage. In the first case, they are kept in the basement at temperatures up to +8 with constant ventilation. Humidity should be moderate, then the cabbage will last until February.
Plants can also be ensiled. They work like this:
- First, the harvested crop is crushed.
- Then mixed with other ingredients.
- They put it in a hole and leave it to ferment.
Conclusion
Fodder cabbage is generally unpretentious, so even an inexperienced summer resident can grow it if desired. This is a valuable fodder crop, not inferior to oats.For long-term storage, it is recommended to store in well-ventilated basements or silo.
