Content
Cabbage is a vegetable widely known since ancient times. It is grown in various parts of the world. There are a large number of varieties of this vegetable crop. Broccoli, cauliflower, Peking cabbage, white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Japanese cabbage - this is not a complete list of types of cabbage that are grown, including in the Urals. The climate of this region dictates its own conditions and rules to gardeners. Thus, it is recommended to cultivate cabbage using the seedling method, sowing seeds in early spring. In this case, it is necessary to select the most suitable varieties for the region, which will have time to ripen before the onset of early winter. To help beginning gardeners, we will try to tell you in more detail about when to plant cabbage seedlings in the Urals, which varieties are best to choose for this, and how to care for plants to get a good harvest.
Time for sowing seeds depending on variety
This will allow the vegetable to set and ripen in a timely manner before the onset of winter cold. This condition applies to all types of vegetables. So, based on the experience of farmers, we will try to identify the best varieties for this region and determine the time when to sow cabbage for seedlings.
White cabbage
This type of cabbage is traditional for Russia. It is grown by the vast majority of gardeners, choosing the best varieties with high yields and good taste. Thus, for cultivation in the Urals, it is recommended to give preference to the following early ripening varieties: “June”, “Zarya”, “Dumas f1”, “Transfer f1”, “Cossack f1”. The heads of cabbage of these species are ready for cutting within 3 months after sowing the seed. The yield of these crops is quite high: from 6 to 10 kg/m2. Seeds of the above varieties should be sown for seedlings in March. The optimal date is the 10th of the month. Dive With this growing schedule, cabbage seedlings should be planted in the ground in May, at the age of 50-60 days.
Among the varieties with an average ripening period, cabbage should be highlighted “Dithmarscher Frewer”, “Aigul”, “Bolikor F1”, “Golden Hectare”, “Copenhagen Market”. These varieties are excellent for the climate of the Urals and have time to ripen before the onset of winter.
For winter harvesting and storing cabbage for long-term storage, you should pay attention to varieties such as “Amager 611”, “Valentina”, “Zimovka”, “Stone Head”. The period of their cultivation is quite long, 150-160 days.By sowing the seeds of these varieties for seedlings in February and planting the plants in the ground at the end of May at the age of 80-90 days, you can get an excellent harvest of winter cabbage, suitable for pickling, pickling, and storage.
Thus, when choosing a variety of white cabbage, you should definitely pay attention to the period of its ripening: for seasonal use, you should choose early or mid-early varieties; to prepare the vegetable for the winter, it is recommended to plant varieties with a longer ripening period. It is worth noting that all the varieties listed above are among the TOP best. Their taste and agrotechnical qualities were appreciated by the country's farmers.
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is, of course, grown less frequently than white cabbage, but at the same time it has a lot of useful microelements and deserves attention. In the climate of the Urals, several varieties of this crop can be grown. Thus, early ripening varieties are popular among farmers in the region. “Koza-Dereza”, “Bruce f1”, “Alpha”, “Nemo f1”. They are distinguished by a short ripening period: 80-90 days should pass from sowing the seed to cutting the head.
In addition to seasonal consumption, cauliflower can be frozen for the winter. For these purposes, you should select one of the special varieties: “Marvel 4 Seasons”, “Dachnitsa”, “Amerigo f1”. The ripening period of these varieties is long, 110-120 days, so seeds should be sown for seedlings at the end of February or at the beginning of March. It is necessary to plant seedlings into the soil in May.
Gardeners of the Urals should pay special attention to cauliflower.When planting late-ripening varieties, you should not worry too much about the timing of ripening, because with the onset of cold weather the vegetable can be artificially grown. To do this, you need to dig up the plant with its roots and place it in a dark place with a favorable temperature.
Broccoli
This amazing cabbage comes from Italy. For a long time it was grown and consumed only in this Mediterranean region. Today the culture has spread throughout the world.
The Ural climate is well suited for growing this vegetable. You can sow broccoli seeds directly into the soil or onto seedlings. The time of sowing the seed depends on the early maturity of the variety. Thus, varieties with early ripening, such as “Vyarus”, “Lord f1”, “Montop f1” are sown in mid-April. Late ripening varieties (“Bomond”, “Belstar”) should be sown for seedlings in March. Grown plants should be planted in open ground at the end of May - beginning of June. The time for planting cabbage in a greenhouse or greenhouse can be scheduled 2-3 weeks earlier.
Grow broccoli in open ground and greenhouses it is possible by direct sowing of the seed. Thus, sowing crops in the climate of the Urals should be carried out from May 15 to June 20. It is recommended to use early ripening varieties for growing from seed.
Chinese cabbage
Beijing cabbage is in many ways superior to the usual white cabbage. Its leaves are juicier and do not contain coarse fibers or bitterness. The cultivation of Peking vegetables in Russia began relatively recently, however, in both the southern and northern regions you can find farmers with positive and sad cultivation experience.The thing is that the vegetable does not set well in the presence of a long photoperiod. That is why it is recommended to sow the seeds of the crop for seedlings quite early, about 60 days before the expected picking.
Early varieties of Chinese cabbage ("Alyonushka", "Hydra", "Custar f1") are sown for seedlings at the end of March, and in June they are planted in open ground. This growing schedule allows you to pick already mature plants that do not stretch out from the heat and have already formed ovaries.
Above are the varieties of different types of vegetables that can be grown in the Urals. The sowing dates for these crops are marked as recommendations, since in each individual case it is worth individually taking into account temperature indicators and growing conditions (open ground, greenhouse, hotbed).
Other types of cabbage
It is worth noting that red cabbage corresponds to the white cabbage species in terms of sowing time for seedlings. Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and Japanese cabbage are rather a curiosity for gardeners. It is rarely grown, however, for reference, experimental gardeners need to know:
- Brussels sprouts early ripening periods (“Veselaya Kompaniya”, “Commander”, “Sapphire”) must be sown for seedlings at the end of April and planted in the ground at the age of 30-35 days. Late varieties (“Sanda”, “Pikhant”, “Zavitka”) ripen in 170-180 days from the day of emergence, so their seeds must be sown in early February.
- You can also grow in the Urals kohlrabi cabbage. To do this, you should prefer the varieties “Picant”, “Moravia”, “Sonata f1”, “Modrava”. These varieties ripen in just 65-70 days. Their grains should be sown for seedlings in April.Late varieties of kohlrabi (“Cartago f1”, “Eder P3”, “Madonna”) are not recommended to be grown in the conditions of the Urals.
- Japanese cabbage has thin, green leaves. This culture is beneficial for the human body. It is used in making salads. Growing a plant is not at all difficult by sowing the seed directly into the ground. Technical ripeness of Japanese “lettuce” occurs 30-40 days from the day the grains are sowed.
Thus, by choosing the best varieties of cabbage, you can get a harvest even in the harshest conditions of the Urals. At the same time, you need to know how to prepare cabbage seeds and sow them for seedlings correctly. Caring for young plants at home also plays an important role in the process of plant cultivation. You can see seedlings of various types of vegetables and hear the gardener’s comments in the video:
Seed preparation
Having decided on the variety and time for sowing the seeds, you can begin preparing them. So, before sowing, it is recommended to warm up the cabbage grains: place them on a baking sheet and place them in an oven preheated to 500C for 15 minutes. After warming up, cool the seeds under running water and keep them in a micronutrient solution for 12 hours. This thermal procedure will help harden the cabbage, make it more productive, and also eliminate possible pests and their larvae from the surface of the grains. An example of such heat treatment is shown in the video:
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It is worth noting that some manufacturers industrially treat seeds with nutrients and growth accelerators. Information about this should be present on the packaging.
Sowing seeds in the ground
To cultivate cabbage seedlings, it is necessary to provide nutritious soil. To do this, you can mix fertile soil with peat and sand in equal parts. The prepared mixture can be disinfected by heating it or by spilling it with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Cabbage seeds for seedlings can be sown in one large container or separate containers. The first method will require intermediate picking of plants, which will slow down the growth of cabbage and take some time. It is much more convenient to sow cabbage seeds directly into isolated containers. So, 2 seeds need to be planted in each cup to a depth of 1-.15 cm. After germination, one sprout will need to be removed, leaving a stronger specimen.
Caring for young plants
To grow strong, healthy seedlings, it is necessary to maintain optimal temperature and humidity conditions. So, before germination, containers with crops should be placed in conditions with a temperature of +20-+250C. However, with the appearance of shoots, conditions should be changed in order to avoid excessive stretching of seedlings. The optimal temperature for cultivating cabbage seedlings is +170C. At night, this figure can drop to +140C. A few days before planting in the ground, the seedlings must be hardened off by taking the containers outside.
Watering the seedlings should be done as the soil dries. The water should be settled and at room temperature. It is worth noting that excessively wet soil for cabbage is undesirable, as this can lead to the development of blackleg.
Cabbage seedlings need to be fed three times. So, apply the first fertilizing gently when 3-4 true leaves are formed.As a fertilizer, it is recommended to use universal compounds with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The fertilizing schedule should be planned in such a way that the third stage of fertilizing occurs at the time before the seedlings are planted in the ground.
Cabbage seedlings should be planted in pre-prepared, moistened holes. It is necessary to embed plants in the soil to the depth of the cotyledon leaves. The distance between seedlings should be more than 30 cm when planted in open ground, and more than 20-25 cm when planted in a greenhouse.
Conclusion
Growing cabbage using seedlings in the Urals is not at all difficult if you know exactly what time to sow the seeds, how to prepare them for sowing and how to care for young plants. It is by using your own knowledge and the experience of other farmers that you can get an excellent harvest even in a relatively unfavorable climate. At the same time, you should not be afraid to experiment, because a wide variety of vegetable types allows you to get products with different tastes and microelement composition. So, even in the Urals you can successfully grow kohlrabi, Japanese or Brussels sprouts to the surprise of those around you.
