When and how to plant cabbage for seedlings: basic rules. How to grow cabbage seedlings at home Growing early cabbage seedlings on a windowsill

10.11.2019

Cultivation of white cabbage usually begins with the preparation of seedlings. It is almost impossible to grow strong seedlings in a city apartment, it is too hot there, but it is not difficult to do this in greenhouses. It is only necessary to sow the seeds on time and put a little effort into caring for young plants.

Is it necessary to grow cabbage through seedlings

The question of the obligation to grow cabbage seedlings is connected with two points: what kind of cabbage are we talking about, and in what region do we live. The fact is that many late varieties of white cabbage have a life cycle of about six months, or even more. This means that even if the harvest is planned for mid-October, it is necessary to sow the seeds in early April, which is difficult to do directly in the garden in the middle zone. Early varieties stay in the garden for a much shorter time, but if you sow them immediately in a permanent place, then the harvest can no longer be called early.

However, it turns out that even in the southern regions, where March crops in the garden are quite possible, cabbage is often grown through seedlings; However, they do not do it at home. They simply sow the seeds in a garden bed thickly, and then plant them out, that is, they actually grow them through seedlings. What for? The fact is that with a transplant, cabbage heads work out better: a seemingly traumatic operation only benefits the seedlings.

Is it possible not to bother and immediately sow the seeds in the holes in a permanent place, and harvest in the fall? It's possible, they do it too. But often with this simplistic approach, the plants are weaker (they do not develop roots so well), and as a result, the yield is reduced. Thus, it must be recognized that growing white cabbage through the seedling stage is optional, but highly desirable.

When to sow: lunar calendar 2019

You should immediately decide on the order of sowing cabbage seeds of different ripening periods. Not everything is clear here, although the logic is there. Seedlings of any variety are planted in a permanent place at the age of 40 to 50 days. If the cabbage is early, then you need to take full advantage of this term and get vitamin products as early as possible. This cabbage will not be stored, heads of cabbage are usually small, not very dense, they are happily eaten in the form of salads. Therefore, early varieties are sown first for seedlings. Usually in the middle lane this happens in mid-March, but if there is such an opportunity (southern region or greenhouse), this can be done in February.

Early cabbages have small heads, but the meaning is not in size: the road is a spoon for dinner

Cabbage of late varieties is intended for long-term storage in fresh cellars. Her heads of cabbage reach ripeness in the autumn months, even fall on the beds under slight frosts, which does not bother them at all: they should be put in the cellar as later as possible. Therefore, too early sowing is optional. However, based on the length of the growing season, it turns out that the approximate sowing dates for late varieties fall in mid-April.

Late varieties grow in dense heads, stay in the garden for a long time, so they also have to be sown early.

Cabbage of medium ripening is grown for autumn consumption (it is stored worse than late) and pickling, which is usually done in autumn. Therefore, these varieties are harvested in September-October, and in order for it to ripen by this time, seeds can be sown a little later than in the case of late varieties. Sowing dates are around the end of April. Obviously, all the dates mentioned are approximate: in the south they shift somewhat in one direction, and in the conditions of the Urals or Siberia - in the other.

At the end of the twentieth century, a boom began among gardeners associated with the publication of various kinds of sowing calendars related to the life cycle of celestial bodies. The most popular was the Lunar calendar, which links favorable and bad days gardening worries with the constellation in which the Earth's satellite - the Moon is located.

There is indisputable evidence that the growth of various crops is differently related to the phases of the moon, but it is difficult to judge how serious this influence is: as a rule, those summer residents who strictly follow the calendars get approximately the same harvest, and those who simply have no time to follow them .

Counts,that the periods of new moon and full moon are forbidden for sowing, transplanting and any other operations with plants. These days, the flora, as it were, freezes and prepares for a change in the lunar phase. If strictly followed Lunar calendar, then in 2019 the following days are allowed for sowing cabbage:

in February - 21, 22, 25, 26;
in March - 20, 21, 25, 26;
in April - 18, 21;
in May - 19, 24.

It would be sad to look at these dates (and they are given in many authoritative sources!). If they are strictly followed, then the most necessary time falls out of sowing: the beginning and middle of April. And if the gardener should be at work on the 18th and 21st... Fortunately, other publications publish their versions of the calendar, less strict ones, and the April dates in them look like this: April 7, 8, 18, 20–21.

Well, it’s easier, there are days at the beginning of the month. All this would be ridiculous, but indeed, after looking through a dozen magazines and Internet sites, you come to the conclusion that many people write the way they want, and if this is the case, then it makes little sense to strictly follow such calendars. There is time - we focus on the source we like, trustworthy. No - we sow when we have free time, relying on scientific data and our own experience.

Preliminary preparation

Preparation for sowing cabbage for seedlings consists in the purchase and processing of containers, seeds and soil. In terms of packaging, nothing special is required. Yes, it is very convenient to use peat tablets or pots. But cabbage is normally transplanted, so you can grow it at home even in common boxes. And since the picking is only good for her, it is best to prepare small boxes and any cups about 7 x 7 cm in size. Nothing is needed in the greenhouse: the seeds are sown directly into the ground.

Seed preparation

Regarding the preparation of seeds, you can read many recipes. These include calibration, decontamination, soaking, tempering, etc. Let's ask ourselves: do we have time for all this? If the seeds are collected in your own garden, then almost all of this, indeed, will have to be done. But how many summer residents prepare their cabbage seeds, which she gives only in the second year? After all, it is necessary to preserve a healthy stalk until spring, plant it, take care of it ... The store now sells seeds for every taste, and in the case of cabbage varieties, they are not so expensive.

Yes, until recently there were firms that could hardly be trusted, and instead of cabbage you could buy, for example, turnips. Now most of these organizations have left the market. True, regrading happens, and you can run into a completely different variety that you wanted, but, in terms of quality, the seeds, as a rule, are sold quite suitable, and they do not require any additional preparation. Cabbage seeds remain viable for 4–5 years, and fresher seeds are usually put on the market.

Cabbage seeds are medium in size, easy to handle

Calibration is advised to be carried out by lowering the seeds into salt water. Well, this method is good for light seeds like peppers or tomatoes! In cabbage, almost all the seeds will sink, only the broken ones will float, and there are very few of them. Do I need to disinfect purchased seeds? I haven't done this in many years. But those who wish, fearing for the presence of infectious agents in the bag, can do this. The recipe is simple: 15–20 minutes in a dark purple solution of potassium permanganate at a temperature of about 48–50 ° C, followed by rinsing.

Many gardeners advise soaking seeds before sowing, including in solutions of microfertilizers. Of course, this does not harm at all, but it will not give a big effect either. As, however, and hardening of soaked seeds in the refrigerator. Cabbage is so cold-resistant that such measures will only take your time, and in our fast age you can spend it on something more necessary.

High-quality cabbage seeds, if they are not found on some treasured shelf and have not been stored there for many years, will sprout even without any preparation, dry, and a difference of one or two days will not make us weather. Therefore, you should listen to all the advice, but pass them through yourself, deciding whether to carry out this or that stage.

Soil preparation

But careful preparation of the soil for sowing is already more serious, especially if the soil is taken from the garden. At least, it is impossible to take it from the garden where cruciferous plants (cabbage, radish, radish) grew. For cultivation not a large number you can buy seedlings in the store, but if you have something to cook from, you should not waste your money. Moreover, we are only talking about growing seedlings at home, and this is done infrequently: at home, cabbage seedlings are just very hot.

So, if home sowing is supposed, then the best composition soil - sod land, peat and sand, taken in equal proportions. In addition, half a bucket must be added to a bucket of such a mixture. liter jar wood ash. You can also have a couple of tablespoons of superphosphate, but you can do without it, it’s better to make up for the lack of fertilizers with top dressing.

For growing cabbage seedlings, it is not recommended to use humus, even good quality: at the same time, she grows more pampered.

Self-prepared soil must be disinfected. The choice of method is an amateur. Freezing the soil is easy to do, but it does not kill all possible pathogens. Steaming in the oven at a temperature of about 100 ° C is more reliable, but at this time it will not be so pleasant to be in the kitchen. In addition, hot processing kills beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Probably, optimal way is, after all, pouring with a solution of potassium permanganate.

In contrast to seed dressing, for soil, the concentration of the solution should be lower. It makes no sense to give numerical values: well, how does the average Russian inhabitant take a sample of 0.5 g at home? It should be a pink solution. Not a faint pink, but such that the coloring is quite intense. But through the solution, poured into a liter jar, it was possible to discern what was behind it. Here's a guideline. It is better to shed the soil with a warm solution, but not hot. So that it becomes clearly wet. After that, she will have to dry out for a couple of days, otherwise it will not even be possible to make grooves for sowing.

The middle solution is suitable for soil disinfection, and the one on the left is suitable for seeds.

How to grow seedlings of early and late cabbage at home

Cabbage seedlings are elementary grown in open ground, at least late and medium-late varieties and in not too northern regions. At home, in a city apartment, this has to be done only for early production, but it is extremely difficult to grow high-quality seedlings at home. The best way for most regions - a small greenhouse or unheated greenhouse.

On the windowsill in a house or apartment

If it became necessary to grow seedlings on the windowsill, then this should be the coldest and most illuminated window sill in the house. And the owners will have to put up with constantly open windows: a temperature comfortable for a person for cabbage seedlings is detrimental.

It makes no sense to immediately sow the seeds in separate pots, unless it is peat tablets. All the same, 10 days after germination, they will need to be transplanted with pinching off the tip of the main root: this is the only way to grow relatively strong seedlings at home. Therefore, we sow in a small box. Two weeks of stay of seedlings remarkably withstand suitable rectangular carton boxes from under milk, kefir, juice, etc. If you cut off one of the large sides of the box, and make several holes for drainage in the second excess water, it turns out a great container for the first time. Moreover, a soil layer of more than 4 cm is not needed in the sowing container. The sowing technique is simple, but seedling care is not very good:

We sow the seeds in moist soil, in grooves, at a distance of about 3 cm from each other. Embedding depth - about 1 cm.
For primary sowing, any improvised container will do.
We fall asleep with soil, compact. You can cover with glass, but they will rise like that. We have a few days of quiet life, while the box of crops can be with room temperature.
As soon as at least a couple of sprouts have hatched, put the box into the brightest light and into the cold: 10–12 o C during the day and 6–8 o C at night. If you miss at least one day, you can throw it away and sow again. During the day in the heat, the seedlings stretch up to 5 cm, and they can no longer be saved.
If everything is fine with the temperature (only the owners are cold), care is simple: do not overheat for the first week, then it can be a few degrees higher, but not more than 16 ° C. Night heat is especially terrible.
Water lightly so as not to dry out the soil. And as much light as possible! If the seedlings are too thick and are already shading themselves, do not wait, we thin out.
While there is time, we are preparing a new home. Individual cups are best, but a more spacious drawer with a depth of at least 7-8 cm is also suitable.
In ten days, the first true leaf will lean over the cotyledon leaves. This is a signal that it is time for the seedlings to dive.
The pick is usual: carefully dig out the seedlings. If the spine is small, you can hardly touch it, and pinch the medium and long ones, tearing off a few millimeters from the top. We plant in the hole, squeeze the soil with our fingers, carefully water it. If we dive into a common box, the diagram is approximately 6 x 6 cm.
It is necessary to dive early: there should be at most one real leaf
For the first few days we put it in partial shade, the temperature is 18–20 ° C. Then we return it to a cold illuminated window sill.
In the phase of two true leaves, we feed with any complex fertilizer according to the instructions for it. A week before planting in the garden, we repeat top dressing.
Immediately after the second feeding, we accustom the seedlings to even more severe conditions, taking them out to the balcony for a while.

Seedlings ready for planting should have a stocky appearance, a thick stem and 5-6 succulent leaves.

Good seedlings are low, but strong

The advantage of growing seedlings on the windowsill is only one: they are supervised all the time. But it creates a lot of inconvenience.

Video: growing cabbage seedlings

in the greenhouse

If there is a small unheated greenhouse in the country, it is better to use this option. True, it will be necessary to visit the seedlings often: ideally, at least every other day. The greenhouse cultivation of early cabbage seedlings makes the most sense; varieties more late deadline ripening in the middle lane and in the south can be sown already in open ground under temporary shelter.

Sowing early varieties of cabbage in a greenhouse can be carried out at any time, which is determined only by the climate of the region and the current weather: the seeds must germinate at a temperature inside the greenhouse of at least 10 ° C, otherwise their hatching will take too long, and under adverse conditions, the death of part of the seeds is possible. You can sow both in a box (just like in an apartment), and directly in a prepared seedling bed.

The first method of growing seedlings is no different from growing on a windowsill: the same sowing, the same care, compliance with temperature, humidity and light conditions. But picking is possible both in cups or a large box, and directly in the garden, as it is more convenient for the gardener.

If sowing seeds is carried out in a garden bed, it is necessary to prepare the soil in it in the same way as for a box: make it loose and safe. It is better to replace the soil in the seedbed in general, preparing it in the same way as at home: from earth, sand, peat and ash. Before sowing, shed it with a solution of potassium permanganate, let it dry, loosen and sow the seeds according to a convenient pattern.

The latter implies that seedlings can be grown in the garden without picking, if only the temperature is strictly observed. If by the time the true leaves are formed, the seedlings have not stretched at all, the picking can be omitted. Obviously, if you plan to do without picking, you should immediately sow the seeds less often, according to the 6 x 6 cm scheme (or thin out the seedlings after they sprout and grow slightly).

In the greenhouse, seedlings can be grown both in pots and in the garden.

Growing in a greenhouse involves systematic ventilation by opening doors or windows. The risk of infection with a black leg is no lower than at home, and this sore attacks, first of all, with excessive soil and air moisture. Growing seedlings of cabbage in a greenhouse is more convenient than at home, but these advantages are manifested only on the condition that the owner can systematically monitor its condition.

Video: cabbage seedlings in a greenhouse

Outdoor cultivation

In the garden, you can immediately sow cabbage seeds in a permanent place, as soon as the weather allows. To reduce the risk, several seeds are placed in each prepared well and for the first time the wells are covered with a cropped plastic bottle. This approach saves time because it does not require a subsequent transplant, but, as a rule, in early spring the soil is still so difficult to work with that it is easier to prepare a small seedling bed than a large bed for growing cabbage in the "from and to" mode.

Video: growing cabbage in the ground without seedlings

Of course, the possibility of growing seedlings in the garden also depends on when it will be possible to get to the site: sometimes the roads dry out too late. But as a rule, in central Russia in mid-April, sowing is already possible. It is better to prepare a small bed in the fall, dug it up well with the addition of a fair amount of wood ash. Then, on the very first spring visit to the dacha, you can only slightly loosen the soil and, having made grooves, sow seeds in them.

By the way, rows of cabbage can be alternated with rows of relatively cold-resistant annual flowers: asters, phloxes, Godetia, etc. If you take a little risk, you can sow “Merry Fellows” dahlias, and marigolds, and salvia.

After sowing, the bed should be covered with plastic wrap. But it is better to stretch it at a height of 10-15 cm. Window frames with opening sashes, which were thrown away in large quantities during the boom of plastic windows, are ideal for such a temporary shelter. Having nailed boards with a width of 10 cm and above along the perimeter of such a frame, we get a wonderful portable greenhouse.

Under such a shelter it will not be too hot, and you should not be afraid that the shoots will stretch. No, this is at home one day of delay with a decrease in temperature leads to the death of seedlings. In the open field, when we arrive at the site next weekend, we may not see seedlings yet, depending on the weather. Well, in another week shoots will appear for sure; by then it will be warmer and the shelter can be removed.

For the first week, you can cover the crops with any improvised material.

In open ground, watering of seedlings is almost never required: there are enough winter reserves of moisture in the soil. It is only necessary to periodically loosen the earth between the rows and remove weeds. Top dressing is desirable: in the same way as at home, in the phase of two true leaves and after another two weeks. It is not necessary to dive, but thinning is necessary: in rows, 6–7 cm should be left between plants. It will be possible to plant seedlings in a garden bed at the usual time.

The advantage of open ground is colossal: seedlings never stretch. She has enough light and is still quite cool. No need to mess with containers for sowing, drag boxes back and forth ... Disadvantages? Yes, in fact, they are not.

Benefits of using cassettes

Let's get back to housing. Talking about individual pots, we completely forgot to discuss what they should be. But those days have passed when the housewives themselves folded the likeness of cups from plastic film or paper. Now the most economical ones collect plastic cups from sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. all year round. It is important that they are not too small: you need a volume of at least 200 ml.

Ordinary cassettes are a box divided into cells

But it is even more convenient to use the so-called cassettes: in them, individual cups are combined into a common box-type matrix. They are easy to transport, but each bush in them lives in its own home, and the roots do not intertwine. And the most convenient if they also have removable bottoms. Not quite removable, but easily pushed out by pressing a finger along with a clod of earth and a seedling bush. Seedlings are easily removed from such cups and without damage to the root system. The relative minus (they cost money) is compensated by durability: such cassettes serve for many years.

And this is how individual cups with an easily retractable bottom look like: they are also placed in a common tray

Use of peat tablets

Peat tablets are compressed peat with additions of fertilizers and, sometimes, growth stimulants. Available in various sizes: from 2.5 cm in diameter. Before use, the tablets are placed in a pan and gradually poured with plenty of water. Water is absorbed, the tablets grow up (they are limited by a braid from the sides) and turn into cylindrical peat containers for sowing seeds. A small recess is made for the seed in one of the ends.

Water pills swell and turn into nutrient pots

For cabbage, you need to use tablets with a diameter of 4 cm or more. Just in case, 2-3 seeds are sown in each tablet, and then excess plants are cut off. The pallet with tablets is kept at room temperature and in the light until shoots appear. Then the temperature is sharply reduced and seedlings are grown under normal conditions.

Tablets are poured "from below", pouring water into the pan; the right amount of moisture is absorbed into the peat.

Feeding is not necessary: the material of the tablets contains a sufficient amount of nutrients. Diving when using tablets is not required, but if the roots begin to sprout and intertwine with the roots of neighbors, the seedlings, along with the tablet, will have to be transplanted into a larger pot with soil mixture. The convenience of using peat tablets is obvious. The downsides are that the tablets are relatively expensive, and it only makes sense to buy them in small quantities.

Features of growing seedlings in different regions of Russia

The technology for growing cabbage seedlings does not depend on the region: the recipes are quite standard. Naturally, the timing of sowing seeds and the place differ: in the south there is no point in sowing cabbage in apartment conditions, but in the north this often has to be done.

So, in the Moscow region, the seeds of early cabbage are sown in late March or early April, and this can only be done at home or in a greenhouse. But late cabbage is sown already in open ground, as soon as the weather permits. In the Kuban, sowing in the garden is possible already in March, and in Siberia or the Urals - not earlier than the end of April. If in the middle lane and in the south, before planting seedlings in open ground, hardening can be carried out (this is a desirable stage), but in the Siberian region it is mandatory.

In the southern regions (Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, Astrakhan Region) in mid-March, it is already possible to even plant seedlings in open ground, so sowing seeds in an unheated greenhouse is possible in mid-February. In these regions, on the contrary, it is desirable to finish all things with cabbage in the spring: even adult plants cannot stand extreme heat. But in the conditions, for example, Leningrad region late cabbage, sown on seedlings with a slight delay, may not have time to form properly, so seeds are sown here in March or April, but greenhouse conditions are used for this.

If you observe the temperature regime, give enough light and water in moderation, cabbage seedlings grow strong and healthy. Unless, of course, some infection was introduced with the soil. We have already discussed the issue of pulling seedlings: if it has grown a few centimeters in the first day, it is better to throw it away. If the stretch is small, you can carefully pour clean soil to the roots, water lightly and immediately correct the flaws with heat and light.

The main danger for cabbage seedlings is the black leg. Its first sign is the blackening of the root collar, the thinning of the stem, and then its drying out. At the first suspicion of a disease, diseased specimens should be carefully pulled out and discarded, the soil should be poured with a light pink solution of potassium permanganate, and clean river sand should be carefully poured to the roots of the remaining plants. An even more reliable means would be to transplant healthy plants into clean land.

Seedlings that have fallen ill with a black leg cannot be saved, but you can try to save neighboring, still healthy plants

Sometimes seedlings acquire an unnatural blue-violet hue. If this is not a characteristic color for the variety, most likely the color is associated with deviations from the regime. Perhaps there is simply not enough nutrition, and liquid top dressing can rectify the situation. Yellowing of seedlings can also be associated with a lack of any nutrients or errors in watering.

Sometimes the leaves of cabbage seedlings are covered with small holes. There are several reasons, but only one serious one: perhaps a cruciferous flea was brought with the soil. It can be destroyed in seedlings only by spraying with chemicals: for starters, you can try a relatively safe Bordeaux liquid or even an ash infusion. It is undesirable to use more severe chemicals on seedlings.

Other pests of cabbage plants rarely infect seedlings, and if they are found, it is necessary to study the relevant literature and apply specific chemicals. But if the seedlings are clearly dying, unfortunately, nothing can be done already. In most cases, the owner was to blame when he did something wrong. Well, sometimes - accidentally caught pests that were not noticed in time. Most often, seedlings die from black leg. But when grown in open ground, seedlings almost never die.

In our next article you will learn about all the landing rules bell pepper on seedlings and features of caring for it:

Growing cabbage seedlings is not difficult, unless they are doing it in a warm city apartment. Comfortable conditions for seedlings and its owner are radically different. But if conditions of good light and coolness are created, cabbage seedlings grow strong and healthy: other operations when caring for it do not require anything supernatural.

When to plant seedlings of cabbage, transplant it to a garden bed in open ground? These questions are often asked by gardeners. And they do it right, because proper cultivation seedlings and planting time significantly depends on the quality of the crop. For growing seedlings, it is important to choose the right soil, fertilizers, planting capacity. Be sure to monitor the plants in order to identify pests and diseases in time.

Features of planting seedlings

At home, growing cabbage seedlings is quite simple for those gardeners who have at least a little experience. If you are doing this for the first time, then get acquainted with certain nuances of sowing seeds, caring for seedlings and planting them in the open. How to plant cabbage for seedlings? Here a number of recommendations, which will help grow healthy and strong cabbage:

If you follow all the rules, then the seedlings will be strong, and the harvest will be plentiful. Let's take a closer look at how to plant cabbage.

Seed preparation

Many gardeners buy seeds from the store. You need to choose a reliable and trusted manufacturer whose seeds have proven themselves in the market. Many of them process the material for sowing in order to increase its germination and protect it from diseases. Information about processing, her agricultural technology, listed on the seed packet. The age of the seed must be no more than a year.

If you grew the seeds yourself, then you also need to prepare yourself. For sowing seedlings select the largest seeds. After they are lowered for a few minutes in a 3% composition of salt. Floating seeds are removed, they are unsuitable for sowing. Seeds can be tested for germination. Approximately 100 grains are laid out on a cloth moistened with water. With regular watering, shoots appear in a week. Determine what percentage of seeds turned out to be suitable for sowing.

To protect against bacteria and fungi, the seeds are disinfected. Why use different methods:

Good result shows disinfection warm water , 49-55 degrees. At a lower temperature, disinfection will not occur, and at an elevated temperature, the material will lose its germination. Seeds are soaked for 20 minutes, the temperature must be controlled with a thermometer.
The material is soaked in a strong solution manganese for half an hour, then thoroughly washed with clean water.

Before planting seeds, you need to improve their germination. Here are the popular methods:

Liter water mixed with 1 tbsp. l. wood ash.
Sowing material is soaked in a solution nitrophoska(per liter water 1 st. l.).
Normal water lightly cover the seeds for 12 hours.

Seeds are hardened for a day in the refrigerator at a temperature of 5 - 7 degrees. Then they can be planted. Hardening ensures the resistance of seedlings to diseases and temperature extremes.

Soil preparation and planting seeds

Seedlings from seeds grow well in the composition of the earth with humus and sod 1:1. Can be taken peat instead of sod land. It is not necessary to use land from the garden, littered or planted with cruciferous crops, for cultivation, there are many pathogens. To fertilize the land, for 1 kg you need to add 1 tbsp. l. ash.

Seeds should be planted in moist soil with a depth of 5 - 6 mm, in pre-cut grooves. The distance between the seeds is 1.5 - 2.5 cm. Before the formation of the first shoots, they are not watered to avoid rotting of the roots. When the cabbage has risen after sowing, watering begins. After 12 - 14 days, the first bait is made.

Growing seedlings of any variety produced with or without a pick. The first method is much more productive, but it will require additional effort and time. If seedlings grown with pick, then at first the seeds are planted in a box, providing an area of 2.5 × 2.5 cm for one sprout. When the first leaves are formed, the seedlings are thinned out, the healthiest and strongest are transplanted into a box, taking into account the area of 3.5 × 3.5 cm per plant. After another 14 days, the seedlings are transplanted into pots, for one bush it is necessary to provide an area of 7 × 7 cm. Picking is carried out only once, immediately transplanting plants into pots.

If a grow seedlings without transplants, then it is necessary to calculate an area of 8 × 8 cm for one plant. It is advisable to plant plants in greenhouses or in cassettes. It is necessary to monitor the number of leaves so that the seedlings do not overgrow. There should be 5-7 of them on the stem. Overgrown plants give weak heads, take root poorly, so they are removed.

When to plant cabbage for seedlings?

What is the optimal time for planting cabbage for seedlings? The calendar will greatly depend on weather outside, climate, varieties. For example, in Siberia or the Urals, seedlings are planted on open ground in early summer, and in warm areas - in early spring. Each variety is characterized maturity and seedling growth. It must be taken into account during planting seeds. Here are the terms that seedling different varieties must grow indoors:

Taking into account these terms, determine the date of sowing for seedlings of cabbage in greenhouse or balcony. So, when to plant cabbage on seedlings:

White cabbage early- March 15–20.
White-headed mid-season and late it is desirable to sow on April 12–17.
Kohlrabi planted from March to June, taking into account the desired harvest time.
Savoy planted late February to late March.
cauliflower planted from early to late May.
Brussels planted throughout April.

Types of cabbage

Fertilizers and watering

Proper care of cabbage seedlings involves periodic watering. Water in pots should not stagnate, otherwise the stems and roots will rot. However, the earth must be constantly slightly moist, not dry out, in order for the seedlings to develop strong. To reduce the amount of watering, you need to loosen priming. In this case, it will not dry out, the moisture in it will remain much longer. Instead of ordinary water, seedlings can be watered melt water then the seedlings grow better.

In pots with seedlings of cabbage need to add fertilizer. The first bait is performed seven days after picking or 14 days after germination. Mix 4 grams in one liter of water superphosphate add 2 grams ammonia and potash fertilizers. This amount of fertilizer is enough for about 70 bushes. After 1 - 2 weeks, the bait is repeated, but bait should be done with a double concentration. For the third time, bait is added a few days before planting in open ground.

For gardeners who do not want to prepare solutions and mixtures for a long time, a universal ready-made bait is suitable, for example, "Kemira-Lux", this fertilizer has excellent reviews and good fame. If you want to get organic cabbage without "chemistry", then use it as a bait straw or wood ash(per liter of water 1 tablespoon) or bird droppings, which is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, let it brew for a week, after which this concentrate is diluted another 10 times and the seedlings are watered.

Disease control

Young plants are exposed to various pathogenic bacteria and fungi. To prevent diseases, seeds must be processed before planting, warm the ground. So that last year's illness does not return, cabbage is planted in a new place.

The most common seedling diseases are as follows:

False rot characterized by yellow and gray spots on the leaves. The seedling is thin, weak and small, does not grow well, certain plants die. Bushes are treated with Bordeaux liquid, humidity and temperature are controlled in the greenhouse. root rot caused by a fungus that develops in excessively moist soil. They fight it with drugs "Rizoplan» and "Trichodermin» .

quila It's a fungal infection. It is expressed on the roots with round growths that interfere with the nutrition of the bush. It is necessary to carefully select seedlings before planting in open ground, throw away infected seedlings.

Also fungal disease. It appears due to stagnation of air, high humidity, improper care. It infects the root area on the stem, it turns black and the plant dies. Methods of struggle - proper watering, disinfection of soil and seeds.

Preparing for landing on open ground

Planting cabbage seedlings in the ground needs timely preparation of the land. It is not recommended to plant cabbage in the same place more often than 3-4 years in a row. After the site is planted with other vegetables for four years. It’s great if you grew up in this place before tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, legumes. For cabbage the most favorable soil is loam. If the earth is acidic, then in autumn 2 - 3 glasses per 1 sq.m. are added to it. mixtures dolomite flour with chalk. At the same time, the soil is fertilized manure of animals and poultry. On poorly cultivated beds add 6 - 7 kg / m², lowland - 3 - 4 kg, medium cultivated - 5 - 6 kg.

In April they add to the ground mineral and organic supplements. Apply urea, compost, humus with ash and other mixed baits. Before planting seedlings in the ground, In the hole you need to add the following composition:

Nitrophoska - 1 tsp;
Ash from straw or wood - 1 tablespoon;
Compost - 500 gr.

After adding the bait, the hole is watered with water, it must be warm. The earth must first be fluffed with a rake. Then the water will not evaporate so quickly, and it will be easier to dig out the weeds.

How and when to plant in the beds?

Planting of any variety in open ground is carried out when 5 - 6 true leaves appeared on cabbage sprouts, developed roots, a strong stem 17 - 22 cm long. When you need to plant cabbage on a garden bed, depends largely on the varieties and species.

winter cabbage can be planted in late spring or early summer. Early varieties planted in the first days of May or in the last decade of April. Mediterranean thermophilic varieties frosts harm, they must be planted closer to the beginning of summer. But here chinese cabbage and chinese fully formed only in late autumn and early spring. Because they are planted in September or March, it is advisable to grow these varieties in a seedless way, directly from seeds.

How to plant cabbage correctly open beds? It is better to start planting in the afternoon, when the sun does not bake so much, so that young shoots do not wither. The soil must be fluffed, dig holes with a diameter of 12 - 17 cm and a depth of about 12 cm. Before planting cabbage, they add groundbait. The holes are dug in a row, when planting seedlings of early varieties, the aisles must be 45–60 cm wide, and the distance between the holes is 30 cm. It is necessary to plant late varieties at large intervals, between plants the distance is 35 - 40 cm, between rows - 55 - 60 cm.

After planting cabbage on open ground, seedlings are watered 2-3 times a day for one week, then they switch to watering once a week. If the weather is rainy and cloudy, then you can immediately water the plants once a week. Earth needed loosen after each watering. After about 14 days, when the seedlings are well stretched, the cabbage needs to be fed. In 10 liters of water, knead the following mixture:

You can use 500 grams for bait bird droppings or cow dung and dilute them in 10 liters of water. For the next bait, the same type of fertilizer is used, it is performed 2 to 3 weeks after the first. Late types of cabbage are fed for the third time in early September, thereby increasing the yield.

Even for a beginner gardener, there is nothing difficult when growing cabbage. It is only necessary to learn how to properly plant seeds for seedlings and plant seedlings in open ground. Quite a bit of effort - and with the onset of autumn, the owner's cabbage will thank with a plentiful and generous harvest.

White cabbage is an agricultural plant of the cruciferous family with a two-year vegetative period. Large vegetables are considered fleshy leaves on a plant of the first year of life, curled into a “head” - a head of cabbage. Cabbage is grown everywhere and is one of the ten most common vegetables on Earth.

There are seedling and seedless ways of cultivating cabbage. In the conditions of a short summer in central Europe, the seedling method is considered optimal. Therefore, since the end of January, gardeners have been faced with the question of properly growing cabbage seedlings at home.

All varieties of white cabbage can be divided into 5 groups:

late ripening;
Mid-season:
- mid-early;
- Medium;
- Middle-late;
Early ripe;
Ultra-early.

The choice of seeds is carried out depending on the purpose of growing cabbage. For salads and hot dishes, as well as for the purpose of eating fresh cabbage leaves, you should select varieties with a delicate leaf structure and a high content of water and sugars.

Similar characteristics are distinguished by ultra-early varieties and hybrid taxa. For example, Lipenskaya, Zhnivenskaya, Orient Express F1, Strawberry F1, Chesma F1 and others. The maturation of these varieties and hybrids takes 50-90 days from the moment of planting. With longer cultivation, the heads are prone to cracking.

Early maturing varieties and unstable hybrids ripen 72-110 days after planting. These varieties differ small size heads of cabbage, so early ripening cabbage actively grows in thickened plantings without loss of yield.

Heads of cabbage dense or medium density, leaves of delicate structure, without bitterness. When overgrown, the head may crack. Shelf life - up to 1.5 months in a cool place. Early varieties of cabbage are suitable for salads, hot dishes, early pickling in a hot way. Examples of early white cabbage: Dumas F1, June, Rinda F1.

Mid-early varieties - Maid of honor F1, Ataman F1, Slava 1305. It takes 90-120 days to ripen. Mid-season varieties- Countess F1, Revenge F1, ripen 115-130 days.

Middle-late - Belorusskaya 455, Sat 3 F1 - 110-140 days. Medium varieties are transitional between early and late cabbage. Most often, they have a delicate leaf texture, a sugar content of up to 10%, and a high storage capacity. However, over watering can be prone to cracking heads. Suitable both for fresh consumption and for long-term preservation: salting, pickling in any way, pickling. Head of large size, dense.

Late varieties of cabbage most often surpass the rest in the concentration of vitamins in the leaves. Able to be stored fresh for 6-8 months. They lend themselves perfectly to salting, pickling and pickling, especially in a cold way. Ripen within 130-150 days. Examples of late varieties include Megaton F1, Moscow late, Morozko, Dominanta F1.

Seed preparation

Getting the maximum yield begins with seed preparation.

In the process, the most potentially strong and healthy plants are selected and stimulated:

Calibration and culling of seeds. It is carried out in a 3% salt solution (30 g / liter) for 5 minutes. Floating seeds are to be discarded. The settled seeds are washed with plenty of water, then dried, preventing premature germination by constant stirring.
Germination check. At home, it is carried out with a multiple of 25 seeds (if possible, use 100 pcs.). The tested seeds are placed on a hygroscopic material (fabric, paper napkins or towels, non-woven napkins, etc.), moistened abundantly, covered with a layer of material and placed for 168 hours at a constant 20-25°C. After 72 hours, the energy (friendliness) of germination is evaluated, after 7 days - germination. Seeds are inspected and counted daily, those that have erupted are removed, the rest are moistened again.
Seed disinfection. Carried out to combat bacterial and fungal infections with a 5% solution of potassium permanganate. The exposure should not exceed 2 minutes, then the seeds are washed running water. Thermal disinfection is possible for 20 minutes strictly at a temperature of 48-50 ° C or in garlic water (30 g of crushed garlic per 100 ml of water) for 1 hour. For the same purpose, you can use Dimexide 90% with an exposure of up to 10 minutes. After disinfection, the seeds should be washed cold water and dry.
Soaking of seed. The procedure significantly speeds up the eruption of seeds. The material is tested for hygroscopicity at a temperature of 20-25°C with irrigation with water (12 hours), complex fertilizers (12 hours), growth regulators (4-12 hours), ash water (3 hours). Ash water is prepared for 24 hours by insisting 2 tablespoons of wood ash in 1 liter of water. After using the ash water, the seeds require rinsing.
Seed hardening. The procedure is carried out with soaked seeds, placing them for 24 hours in low temperature conditions (1-2 ° C). For this purpose, you can use the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator.

Soil preparation

Cabbage seedlings require light, nutrient-rich soil.

You can use peat tablets, ready-made soil for seedlings, or cook it yourself:

Mix 5 kg of humus and 5 kg of sod land with 10 tablespoons of ash.
Mix peat, sand and soddy soil in a ratio of 1:1:1.
Peat and soddy soil in a ratio of 3: 1 for a month to withstand at a temperature of 25-30 ° C with regular abundant watering, it is possible to use a solution of EM fertilizers. Before planting, add 0.5 kg of clean river sand and 1 glass of wood ash for every 10 kg of soil.

The soil for cabbage seedlings requires disinfection with a 2% solution of potassium permanganate, 1% solution of copper sulphate, or by calcination. The earth is placed in cassettes for seedlings, trays or seedling boxes.

When to plant

Sowing time is focused on the timing of the desired planting of seedlings in open ground. If it is possible to use covering materials, the first planting of seeds of early cabbage is permissible even at the end of January. But these terms are relevant for the Amur region and the southern strip of the post-Soviet space.

The seeds of early and ultra-early varieties are sown first. Sowing is carried out at the rate of 45-55 days from the moment of sowing to planting seedlings in the garden. For the Middle Strip, the sowing of early cabbage falls on the second or third decade of March, for the southern regions more often at the end of February - the beginning of March, and for Siberia and the Urals - from March 25 to April 10.

Medium varieties and hybrids will be most ready for transplanting into open ground when sown between March 20 and April 25. From sowing to transplanting, 30-50 days should pass, depending on the variety.

Late cabbage for seedlings is sown during April. For the Middle Strip and the South, planting is recommended to be completed by April 25, in Siberia and the Urals, the end of sowing cabbage seeds falls on April 15. The maturation of seedlings of late-ripening cabbage lasts 50-65 days.

Before sowing, it will not be superfluous to familiarize yourself with the lunar sowing calendar.

Step by step instructions for growing seedlings

Growing cabbage seedlings at home is possible in two ways: with a pick and without a transplant. Seedlings after picking are distinguished by a larger area of \u200b\u200bthe leaves and root system against the background of low growth, but this method requires more effort from the gardener, and some of the seedlings may die.

Growing seedlings without picking is easier, but plants with this method quickly stretch out, so an accurate calculation is required for timely transplanting seedlings to the garden.

With a pick

Cabbage seedling picking scheme

Prepare a wide shallow container with drainage system: container, tray or box.
Fill the container with soil, water abundantly.
Sow the seeds in rows at a distance of 1-2 cm from each other. Leave the distance between the rows at least 1.5-2 cm. The sowing depth is 1-1.5 cm. The air temperature should be maintained at least 20 ° C.
After a week, evaluate the landing, if necessary, thin out. The area for feeding each sprout should be at least 2 square meters. see Reduce air temperature to 15 ° C.
Feed with a solution of complex fertilizer in phase 2 of true leaves.
Transplant the seedlings into separate containers with a diameter of at least 6 cm after 3 weeks from the date of sowing. Before transplanting, the soil is watered with a 1% solution of copper sulfate. In the process, the growth zone of the main root of each seedling is necessarily pinched, the seedlings themselves are immersed in the ground to the level of the cotyledons.
Re-feed the seedlings with a solution of complex fertilizers a week after transplanting.

Without a pick

Prepare a container with peat tablets, seedling cassettes or individual containers fill with soil with a diameter of 5-6 cm.
Water generously.
Sow the seeds in pairs in each container, deepening by 1 cm. Maintain the air temperature at least 18 ° C.
After the emergence of shoots, reduce the air temperature to 10 ° C.
At stage 2 of true leaves, feed the plants with a solution of complex fertilizers.
Thin out seedlings. In each container, cassette or tablet, 1 most viable sprout should remain.

Aftercare

Additional illumination of seedlings 15 hours a day with a fluorescent lamp.
Moderate watering every 2 days in small portions.
Daily ventilation of seedlings. The greatest need for ventilation occurs in seedlings in peat tablets.
Weekly prevention of plant damage by “black leg”. It is carried out by watering the seedlings with a 1% solution of potassium permanganate.
Top dressing before hardening. It is carried out 16-14 days before transplanting into open ground. Nitrogen and potassium supplements are used.
Hardening of seedlings is carried out 2 weeks before transplanting into open ground. It is carried out by exposing seedlings to open space with a gradual increase in the time the seedlings stay outdoors. Trains plants to low temperatures, wind and high insolation.
Preparation for transplantation to a permanent place. It consists in stopping watering 5-7 days before transplanting. Resume watering 2 hours before transplanting.

Secrets useful when growing cabbage

When growing cabbage seedlings at home, from the moment the first true leaf appears, it is desirable to ensure daily fluctuations in air temperature by 3-5 ° C with a decrease at night. This will slow down the growth of seedlings and strengthen their resistance to bacterial infections.

Watering seedlings should be done with warm water with a temperature of about 20 ° C.

When a “black leg” appears, the seedlings should be sprinkled with a centimeter layer of calcined sand or wood ash.

Seedlings of early cabbage are considered ripe for planting when 7 true leaves appear. The dived seedlings are transplanted into open ground after the appearance of 5 true leaves.

Growing cabbage seedlings in a snail

Sowing dates

First you need to choose a variety. I try all the time different varieties, but it is better to choose resistant to diseases and insects.

For seedlings, it is very important to choose the right sowing time. It makes no sense to start too early, in January or February, since no more than 10 days pass before the first shoots appear, and about 35-40 days before transplanting into open ground or a greenhouse.

Depending on the variety and climatic conditions of the region, the sowing period varies from late March to mid-April. It is important to consider that too early or late sowing will negatively affect the quality of the seedlings - it will stretch out or be too weakened. This will lead to the death of plants, or permanent diseases.

Methods for sowing white cabbage for seedlings

There are many ways of sowing, but not all of them allow you to get excellent seedling quality. I have noted three the best way sowing:

into the tray;
snail;
without diving;

I will dwell on each of them separately, and talk in detail about their advantages and disadvantages.

Sowing in a regular container

This is a classic sowing method favored by many gardeners. But it should immediately be borne in mind that it provides for a pick.

First of all, I am preparing the seeds. I soak them in a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 10 minutes, if there is no manganese, I use a 1% solution of copper sulfate.

If I buy seeds, then I choose pelleted ones. That is, covered with a special colored shell. It contains disinfectants and useful material that accelerate germination. Such seeds do not need processing.

In a shallow container, for example, in a tray, pour the soil, filling it by about a third. I recommend getting the more nutritious one from the store, as it is more suitable for our purposes. We also treat the soil with disinfectants - a manganese solution, or copper. This procedure is needed to reduce the likelihood of blackleg infection.

We moisten the soil well, for the germination of cabbage seeds you need a lot of water, about 50% of their weight. Then we make depressions on the surface of the soil, and we plant the prepared seeds in them.

Cabbage seedlings tolerate thickening well, so you can sow thickly. We fall asleep everything with a thin layer of earth, not thicker than 1 cm, cover the tray with cling film to create the effect of a greenhouse. I recommend taking seedlings to a glass loggia or balcony, where there is a lot of light, the required temperature and humidity.

I perform a pick at the moment the cotyledon leaves appear. For young plants, this is a traumatic procedure that significantly slows down the growth of seedlings in the future, so I rarely resort to this method.

Sowing seeds of cabbage "in snails"

This is a relatively new method, which at one time turned the idea of \u200b\u200bgrowing seedlings. It is used not only for cabbage, but also for other vegetables and flowers.

The main advantage of the method is a small area for placing a large number of plants. Does it seem impossible?

For this growing method, we need to make an unusual container ourselves. To do this, we take dense polyethylene, linoleum, or a laminate substrate, we need a waterproof, soft and porous material. I usually use a tape 10 cm wide and 1-1.5 m long.

We fill the entire width of the strip of material with soil up to 1 cm thick, compact and moisten it. We plant the seeds, deepening them a little into the ground, stepping back 1.5 cm from the edge and keeping a distance of 1-2 cm between them.

We evenly fill the entire length of the tape and twist it neatly into a roll. I advise you to do this gradually, which will allow you to carry out this procedure on a small working surface, and to prevent spilling of the soil with the seeds already sown.

Having formed a snail, it must be fixed with an elastic band and placed in a suitable container. I use a plastic bowl, the bottom of which I first lay out with wet sand, sawdust, or hay.

I pour warm water over the snail itself, and pour a little into the container. Then I tightly cover the entire structure with cellophane to create a greenhouse effect. Please note that you must place the roll in such a way that the seeds are at the top, not at the bottom. Otherwise, the whole seedling will die.

Dive can also be attributed to the disadvantages of this method. The only difference is that doing this procedure in a snail is a little easier. You need to carefully unfold the snail, moisten the soil so that it becomes softer, and alternately transplant the strongest seedlings into separate cups.

We grow cabbage seedlings without diving

If you do not want to pick seedlings, and you want to get the strongest seedlings on time, then this method is ideal. Its main advantage is the exclusion of shock for the plant and the possibility of injury to the root system, which reduces the likelihood of diseases.

In this case, seedlings are grown in separate cups initially. In order for the seeds to germinate better, I advise you to place them between two wet wipes, and leave them in this form for 3-4 days. During this time, they will swell, and some will even germinate. In this form, they can be planted in containers, deepening by 1-1.5 cm.

For growing, you can buy special peat cups. But I chose seedling trays for myself, which I buy, or I make myself from egg trays. I place the sown container in a box, having previously laid the bottom with hay, grass, or just a film so that the soil does not wake up through the holes. This will make it easier to carry seedlings and save space.

seedling care

It doesn’t matter which growing method you choose, you need to prepare the seeds and soil in the way described above, as well as follow the basic rules of care. Temperature regime and lighting play an equally important role in obtaining strong seedlings.

The optimal day length for cabbage seedlings is 12 hours, so in the spring they need additional illumination. The temperature in the room must be maintained within 18-20 degrees Celsius during the day and 8-10 degrees Celsius at night.

These conditions will not allow your seedlings to stretch. The root system will develop steadily, and the plant will not spend all its energy on the growth of green mass.

Rules for feeding cabbage seedlings

If you use soil taken from the garden, and not an earth mixture (garden soil mixed with humus or biohumus, in a 1: 1 ratio), then I recommend feeding the soil after diving, or when cotyledon leaves appear. To do this, I use one of the complex fertilizers: Fertika Lux, Krepysh, Zdoroven. Or I use natural top dressings: yeast, ash, ammonia.

When using purchased land, I can do without fertilizer, it is enriched with all the necessary micro and macro elements at the production stage. If the plants do not develop well, or you are not sure whether top dressing is needed or not - I recommend reducing the dosage by half from the recommended on the package so as not to burn the young seedlings.

Most often, I feed cabbage with natural growth stimulants, namely yeast mash. The recipe is quite simple and not expensive.

For 1 liter of water, you need to take 10 g of dry yeast and 3 tbsp. l. Sahara. Move all the ingredients well, and leave them to infuse for 5 hours. Yeast is activated during this time, and when applied, it will create a good nutrient medium for plants.

I recommend transplanting seedlings in open ground when it gets warmer. We place the seedling together with an earthen clod in the prepared holes, dig in and moisten. Transshipment is the simplest and convenient way planting cabbage in open ground.

You can choose any of the methods for growing seedlings, but it's best to avoid diving with any plants whenever possible. My recommendations will help you grow strong cabbage seedlings, and you will be surprised how this will affect the yield of vegetable crops.

Savelyeva Ekaterina Vasilievna, gardener

White cabbage is always present in the garden in every garden. It is good fresh, as a filling for pies and a side dish for meat, delicious

The white-headed beauty is distinguished by a long growing season. Get bountiful harvest tight clean heads of cabbage is impossible without growing strong and healthy seedlings. How to do it right is written in this article.

The timing of sowing cabbage seeds for seedlings depends on the climate of a particular area and the variety of vegetable. There are early, mid-season and late-ripening varieties that differ in the length of the growing season.

It is considered correct to plant cabbage in open ground, which has from 5 to 7 true leaves. This development corresponds to the age of 6-8 weeks. Taking into account the increase in time for seed germination (about 5-7 days), it turns out that optimal time sowing cabbage seeds - 8-9 weeks before planting in the ground.

The vegetable is not afraid of frost, but it develops better at a temperature not lower than +18 degrees.

Depending on the climate, cabbage seeds are planted:

in the Moscow region and the middle lane in April;
in the Urals and Siberia - in the second decade of April;
in the south of Russia, seeds are sown in March.

Early ripe varieties of cabbage give a harvest in late June - early July. They are sown very first, planting seedlings as soon as the soil warms up.

Advice. The device of high warm beds. They are built from a layer of plant residues, straw and manure, fertile soil is poured on top. Due to the height of the building and the burning of manure, the bed is much warmer for the roots of the plant than ordinary earth.

It is not worth rushing to plant late varieties (they are grown for storage and fermentation). If the heads of cabbage are poured too early, before the first frost, they will not store well.

How to grow cabbage seedlings: step by step instructions

There are many ways to sow cabbage seeds. You can sow a vegetable in greenhouses, hotbeds, keep it on your home windowsill, choose large boxes or individual pots for growing. All options have pros and cons, but choosing the right soil is essential.

For plants of the cruciferous family, loose, humus-rich soil is needed. Seedling soil can be purchased at the store by buying a mixture of "Universal" or a special "For cabbage".

You can prepare a seedling substrate yourself. To do this, take:

1 part non-acidic peat;
1 part coarse river sand;
1 part fatty humus;
1 part of soddy forest land (usually they collect land in the fall from under the oak).

calcined in the oven, at a temperature of 170 degrees, for about 15 minutes;
steamed in a water bath for about an hour;
shed the earth with a hot raspberry solution of potassium permanganate or Maxim.

The gardener chooses the method of soil disinfection that is convenient for him. Shop soil, as a rule, has already been processed and does not need to be treated.

For each bucket of soil mixture, 2 cups of wood ash are added (they use ash only from burning trees and grass!), 40 g of superphosphate.

Important! If fertilized soil is collected for seedlings of cabbage with garden beds, you can not take the land from the places where they grew: cabbage, mustard, swede, radish and radish. In such soil, pathogens and insect pests can survive.

White cabbage can be sown in common seedling boxes, later planting the plants in separate dishes. You can do without picking, just sowing the seeds less often. But, in this case, the seedlings may turn out to be stretched out due to lack of light.

They practice planting cabbage in peat tablets, separate 100-150 gram cups. Such plants do not require picking, but on initial stage cultivation, such a number of cups "eats" a lot of space on the windowsill.

Experienced gardeners practice an interesting method of obtaining strong white cabbage seedlings by sowing seeds in "snails". This method of sowing a vegetable will be discussed in more detail below.

The need to treat cabbage seeds depends on their condition. Now on sale there are seeds of white cabbage, which are already enclosed in a shell of nutrients and treated for diseases.

They are noticeably larger than ordinary seeds and have a bright color (green, blue, red). Such seeds are called "coated", they do not need additional processing.

Cabbage seeds, collected independently from plants, or purchased raw, need pre-sowing preparation. Cruciferous plants often suffer from Fusarium and other fungal diseases. The causative agent of the disease may be on the seed.

Planting material is treated with one of the following means:

Phytosporin (half a teaspoon of powder in half a glass of water);
saturated pink solution of potassium permanganate.

In potassium permanganate, the seeds are kept for about 15 minutes, in a solution of specialized preparations - following the instructions. After pickling, the seeds are dried, scattered on a clean cloth, to a loose state and proceed to sowing.

Interesting. Some gardeners use a technique aimed at stimulating germination and seed hardening. The essence of the method lies in the fact that after soaking in a warm fungicide solution, the cabbage is placed in a cloth and cleaned for a day in the refrigerator. Store the seeds in the vegetable compartment, at a temperature of +4 +6 degrees. It is believed that such hardening has a positive effect on the strength of seed germination and strengthens the immunity of the future plant.

Practiced:

keeping cabbage seeds in an aloe solution (a couple of drops in a glass of water);
warming the seeds hot water(temperature +50 degrees) for 15 minutes;
soaking in a solution of hydrogen peroxide (1 tablespoon of peroxide 3% in 2 cups of water) for 12 hours.

All these treatments are aimed at disinfection, accelerating germination and strengthening plant immunity.

How to plant cabbage for seedlings

Cabbage seeds are small, they should not be immersed in the soil to a great depth - they may not sprout. The recommended sowing depth is 7-9 mm, the distance between seeds is 2.5-3 cm (subject to subsequent picking) and up to 6 cm (without picking).

It is necessary to sow cabbage in moist soil. This is especially important for coated seeds. With a lack of moisture in the soil, the seed coat may not dissolve and prevent the sprout from germinating.

The dishes with cabbage are covered with plastic or cling film, a piece of glass and removed for germination. Comfort temperature for germination +20 degrees. Seedlings may appear as early as 3 days or germinate within a week.

Caring for cabbage seedlings at home

White cabbage is considered an unpretentious crop, but it also has its own preferences. Cabbage loves coolness, watering and bright lighting.

Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, cabbage seedlings are put on the lightest window sill. If the windows in the apartment face north and there is not enough natural light, it is necessary to hang (at a height of 40-50 cm) a fluorescent lamp or a special phyto lamp above the seedlings.

The air temperature comfortable for seedlings is +20 +22 degrees during the day and +16 +17 at night. To achieve such conditions in ordinary apartment complicated. Dry air is added to the actively working heating, the seedlings are drawn out.

Gardeners solve the problem in different ways:

separate boxes with seedlings from batteries with film or foil;
open the window at night, separating the cabbage from the rest of the room with a film curtain;
they build small greenhouses for seedlings and keep cabbage on a glazed balcony or loggia.

To increase the humidity of the air to a comfortable level for seedlings, the placement of bowls of water near the bowls with crops will help.

Nevertheless, the strongest and most hardened seedlings are obtained by sowing cabbage in a greenhouse or greenhouse. The abundance of light and coolness do not allow plants to stretch, and nighttime temperature drops to +5 degrees only harden the cabbage.

Good seedlings have a bluish-green hue, this is a sign that the plant was grown in comfortable conditions.

Densely sown cabbage dive when the second true leaf opens on the plants. Separate plastic glasses are prepared for transplantation, with a capacity of 200 ml or a spacious seedling box, 8 cm deep. In a box, seedlings are placed at a distance of 6-8 cm from each other.

Before planting, seedlings are watered abundantly. Pulling seedlings out of the soil is convenient with a regular fork. When transplanting cabbage into a new soil, the plant is buried in the soil to the level of the beginning of the growth of a real leaf.

Some gardeners pinch the central root of the seedling, shortening it by a quarter. It is believed that this procedure stimulates the growth of lateral suction roots and the plant receives more nutrition.

Important! Cabbage stems are crisp and brittle, you can not transfer the plant, taking it by the leaf.

The first few days after transplanting, it is necessary to maintain constant soil moisture. To reduce stress, you can spray the plants with Epin's solution.

Watering and fertilizing

Cabbage is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture in the soil. It is watered 2-3 times a week, making sure that water does not accumulate in the pan after watering.

If the seedling soil was thoroughly filled with humus and superphosphate, additional fertilizing for cabbage is not required. If the plants have pale leaves and are stunted, they are probably undernourished. A week after picking, the seedlings are watered with a solution of any complex mineral fertilizer (Kemira, Rainbow, Agricola).

If cabbage is grown in a standard city apartment, at a high temperature, it will be pampered and stretched out. Planted in the ground, such cabbage can die even from small frosts.

Starting from the age of 5 weeks, plants are accustomed to coolness - they are taken out to the balcony, a window is opened at night (at an air temperature at night not lower than +7 +9 degrees). Plants are accustomed to coolness gradually, starting with a couple of hours of being outside.

In a private house, it is easier to harden seedlings. She is put out on the street, constructing a simple greenhouse from wire arcs and film or white lutrasil.

Growing cabbage seedlings without picking

Despite the fact that cabbage easily tolerates transplantation, picking delays the growth of bushes for about a week. It is quite possible to do without this procedure if you sow cabbage immediately in separate glasses or in peat tablets.

1-2 seeds are lowered into each cup (later the extra sprout is removed) and the vegetable is grown according to standard scheme. When preparing a dozen plants, this method is convenient and not troublesome.

If you want to get 60 or more bushes, a simpler method is used: sowing cabbage in one common box. Seeds are immediately distributed in a 6 by 6 cm pattern, providing the seedlings with enough space to grow.

The original method of preparing seedlings, significantly saving space on the windowsill.

For this landing method you will need:

some seedling land;
foam tape (linoleum underlay), 10 cm wide and about a meter long;
elastic band or rope;
wide round dishes;
seeds.

The tape is laid out on the table in full length, soil is poured on it, with a layer of 1-1.5 cm. Stepping back from the upper edge of 1 cm, cabbage seeds are laid out along the entire length of the tape, at a distance of 3-5 cm. Sprinkle them with soil.

Being careful, carefully fold the roll with seeds and earth, forming a "snail". Secure the structure with an elastic band or rope.

The snail is placed upright (seed side up!) in the prepared dish, where water is poured. That's it, landing completed.

Cabbage seedlings feel good in this design until the pick. Planting plants is very convenient - just unfold the tape and the roots will be "in full view". You don't have to unravel and soak anything.

White cabbage is planted in the garden in May - early June. Small frosts are not terrible for the culture if hardening has been carried out. It is advantageous to place early varieties in the ground as early as possible in order to get a harvest at the end of June.

To protect against severe night frosts, the plants are protected with film, lutrasil and straw (loosely falling asleep bushes “with their heads”).

Late cabbage is planted in late May - early June. Frosts at this time are no longer terrible, but young and tender plants can become a victim of cruciferous flea. You can protect the seedlings by sprinkling the bushes with tobacco dust, fine wood ash or mustard powder.

For cabbage, a garden bed is prepared in an open sunny place. Good crop precursors: beans, cucumbers, pumpkin. Do not plant it after plants of the Cruciferous and Nightshade families.

For each meter of cabbage beds, a bucket of rotted manure or compost, 30 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate are added.

Planting scheme for early cabbage 30 by 40 cm, mid-season 40 by 50 cm, late 60 by 70 cm. Seedlings are planted in cloudy weather or in the evening when the sun is already setting. The first 3-4 days, the cabbage is “cast” - watered abundantly, irrigating the leaves. This creates the necessary air humidity for better plant survival.

Problems when growing cabbage

Healthy cabbage seedlings have bright green leaves, with a bluish bloom, they are stocky and strong. Change appearance plants indicates problems that have arisen.

The leaves turn yellow.

Pale and yellowing of cabbage leaves indicates a lack or excess of moisture, a lack of nitrogen in the soil. If watering is organized correctly, the seedlings are fed with a solution of chicken manure (1 to 15).

Important! Yellowing and dying of cotyledon leaves is a natural process.

The seedling is stretched out.

A clear lack of light and too high a temperature. Eliminate the cause of stretching by installing additional lamps and placing the seedlings in coolness.

The cabbage has stopped growing.

Poor nutrient content soil leads to a slowdown in the growth of seedlings. Seedlings are fed with complex mineral fertilizer.

The cabbage falls, a brown "belt" is visible on the stem.

Black leg disease is a common disease of seedlings, with excessive watering. As a preventive measure, the soil is regularly loosened, after watering it is sprinkled with ash or sand. During cultivation, seedlings are watered 2 times with Fitosporin.

The secrets of growing strong healthy seedlings of cabbage - video

The most important rules for strong seedlings of cabbage. What to do so that the cabbage does not stretch - video

Getting healthy seedlings of the "Queen of the Russian Garden" is not so difficult if you follow the tips given in the article.