Few cultivated plants grow better in Siberian conditions than in the southern regions. One of these plants is Chinese cabbage.
Characteristic
Chinese cabbage - a biennial plant of the cruciferous family, grown in culture as an annual. There are leaf and cabbage varieties. Its leaves are tender, juicy, with a dense midrib. Used for preparing salads, soups, sauces. Great for pickling, alone or with other vegetables.
Chinese cabbage has a number of advantages:
- Precocity;
- Undemanding to soil;
- Shade tolerance;
- Resistance to fungal diseases;
- Low temperature tolerance.
Chinese cabbage develops very quickly; it takes 60 to 80 days to form mature heads of cabbage. This allows you to get two harvests per season. The second harvest can be stored; at a temperature of 3 - 5 degrees Celsius, Chinese cabbage can be stored all winter.
Chinese cabbage grows on any soil, but it is advisable to treat soils with very high acidity before planting with acid-reducing agents.
This cabbage is very rarely affected by fungal diseases; under unfavorable conditions it can suffer from rot.
Chinese cabbage develops best at temperatures from 8 to 20 degrees.Cabbage tolerates a short-term decrease in temperature to 3 - 4 degrees Celsius without consequences; an increase of more than 20 degrees Celsius causes the head of cabbage to bolt. Therefore, growing Chinese cabbage in Siberia is easier than in the southern regions.
Planting and care
When growing Chinese cabbage, it is necessary to take into account the peculiarity of this vegetable - sensitivity to light and elevated temperatures. To form a head of cabbage, this cabbage requires daylight no longer than 12 hours and an air temperature no higher than 20 degrees. Failure to comply with the regime causes the cabbage to bolt, the formation of a head of cabbage and the growth of leaves stops. Such plants are suitable only for obtaining seeds.
Before, how to grow Chinese cabbage in Siberia, it is necessary to provide plants with shelter that protects them from frost and light. It is necessary to carefully monitor the temperature inside the shelter; on a sunny day the temperature can exceed 20 degrees Celsius. To prevent this, shelters must be removed or opened during the day.
There are three options for growing Chinese cabbage in Siberia:
- in spring in the greenhouse;
- In summer in open ground;
- Autumn in a greenhouse.
For spring cultivation, seed sowing begins in March or early April. Seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of about 4 degrees Celsius, which makes it possible to sow them directly into the soil in a greenhouse.
Before sowing, it is advisable to soak the seeds in a disinfectant solution to avoid infection of the seedlings. You can also treat the seeds with growth stimulants or a complex of nutrients.
Before sowing seeds, the soil in the greenhouse is dug up and, if necessary, a complex of fertilizers is added.If cruciferous plants were previously grown in a greenhouse, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive soil treatment. The soil can accumulate larvae of pests and pathogens of infectious diseases, so it is necessary to use insecticides and fungicides. In addition to the soil, tools and the walls of the greenhouse, especially corners and joints, require treatment. Solutions for treatment are prepared according to the instructions.
Seeds are planted in prepared soil, two or three seeds at a distance of 35 - 40 cm. The depth of seeding should not exceed 3 cm. The air temperature for seed germination can fluctuate between 5 - 12 degrees Celsius, the soil temperature should be at least 4 degrees at night time.
After the emergence of seedlings, thinning is carried out, leaving one of the strongest sprouts in each hole. For normal growth of heads of cabbage, the temperature inside the greenhouse is maintained at 12 - 15 degrees. Water cabbage heads as needed; excessive watering is harmful to it. Further care of the heads of cabbage consists of weeding, watering, fertilizing and protecting the heads of cabbage from harmful insects.
If the seeds were sown at the end of March, then the harvest can be harvested at the end of May. Heads of cabbage cut off, dry, wrap each head of cabbage in cling film and put in a cool place with a temperature of no more than 6 degrees Celsius. If you leave the cabbage heads to grow further, the formation of flower stalks will begin, and the nutritional value of the vegetable will significantly decrease.
For summer cultivation, it is necessary to prepare shelters from light and high temperatures in order to create an optimal regime for Chinese cabbage.
Sowing of seeds is carried out in early June, immediately in open ground or in cups for growing seedlings. As a rule, in Siberia at this time the threat of frost is low, but it is still necessary to monitor the weather forecast and, if necessary, cover the heads of cabbage.
Caring for beds with heads of Chinese cabbage involves timely watering, protection from pests and weeding.
Since short daylight is required for the formation of a head of cabbage, after 6 pm the beds with cabbage heads are covered with opaque material. You can use black polyethylene film or thick dark fabric for these purposes.
The seeds are sown in early June; the seedlings are not protected from sunlight. By the end of summer, the seeds will ripen and need to be collected and dried.
To store cabbage heads for winter storage, the seeds are sown in a greenhouse at the end of August. After two months, when the cabbage heads are ripe, they are placed in storage. To store heads of cabbage, use a basement or other room with a temperature no higher than 5 degrees Celsius. Each head of cabbage is wrapped in cling film and then placed in wooden or cardboard boxes.It is advisable to inspect cabbage heads 1 – 2 times a month, discarding those affected by rot.
Growing through seedlings
Chinese cabbage can also be grown through seedlings. This plant reacts very poorly to damage to the root system, so when growing seedlings, do not pick. It is advisable to plant each plant in a separate container. The seedlings are transplanted into the ground very carefully, trying not to damage the roots.
To grow seedlings, you can use purchased soil or make your own soil mixture.
To prepare the earthen mixture use:
- Garden soil - 1 liter;
- Humus - 1 liter;
- Rotted manure – 1 cup;
- Sand – 1 glass;
- Complex of microelements - according to the instructions.
Cups or cassettes are filled with soil for seedlings, compacting it slightly. Seeds are planted 1 or 2 in each cup. Containers with seedlings are placed in a cool room, the temperature in which does not rise above 12 degrees.
On a sunny day, it is necessary to cover the seedlings from the rays. For these purposes, you can use gauze, white agrofibre, or fine mesh.
In a few days the first shoots will appear. For further development, the seedlings will need a lot of light; in cloudy weather, additional lighting may be necessary so that the seedlings do not stretch out. The number of light hours should not exceed 12; it is important to carefully monitor this and remember to turn off the lamp on time.
When growing in summer after 6 pm, it is necessary to completely block the access of light to the seedlings.
Water the seedlings carefully; excess liquid can stagnate and harm the root system.
Fertilizers
Fertilizers should be used carefully when growing this cabbage. The leaves and heads of the plant are capable of accumulating nitrates and other harmful substances. To avoid the accumulation of nitrates in the head and leaves, it is necessary to dose nitrogen fertilizers very carefully.
The source of nitrogen for plants can be:
- Manure;
- Humus;
- Herbal infusion;
- Complex fertilizers;
- Nitrogen chemical fertilizers.
Any organic substances, for example, manure and humus, enrich the soil with nitrogen compounds, which are not completely absorbed by plants. Some of the nitrogen compounds will become available for absorption by the root system of plants only the next season after application. When determining how much fertilizer to apply to Chinese cabbage, it is necessary to take this factor into account.
Chemical fertilizers are applied strictly in accordance with the instructions. The composition of complex fertilizers must be checked. If the complex contains nitrogen compounds, other fertilizers should not be used.
For normal growth, cabbages require a lot of phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. The addition of these microelements is mandatory.
Growing Chinese cabbage in Siberia requires attention and care, but the resulting harvest of a tasty and healthy vegetable will justify all the effort.
