Cabbage is a versatile vegetable rich in minerals and vitamins. Therefore, even beginners are always happy to grow it on their plots. The process of growing cabbage does not have any special subtleties. But, in order for cabbage seedlings to properly begin and effectively develop in the garden, it is important to observe all the main stages of its cultivation. How to grow cabbage seedlings at home? Step-by-step instructions will help you cope with the task perfectly.
How to grow cabbage seedlings at home?
Seedlings of cabbage at home - instructions for beginners
The whole process of growing cabbage seedlings can be divided into several steps:
There are some subtleties here: early planted seeds have a chance to die, but being late can lead to the fact that the seeds do not sprout or are not sufficiently strong before planting on open soil. Although cabbage seeds are fast germinating, you will still need to wait at least five days from the moment of planting.
Depending on the variety of cabbage, determine the time for optimal planting of seeds:
- early maturing variety: usually planted for growing seedlings in mid-March;
- mid-season variety: requires planting in mid-April.
Cabbage grows well in soil that is neutral in composition, as a rule, it is enough just to mix turf, peat and sand in equal proportions. Ordinary soil for planting cabbage seedlings will not work, since the content of nutrients in it will be low, moreover, it may contain pathogens of some diseases. Do not forget about the pre-planting disinfection of the soil, for which it is treated with a not strong solution of manganese.
To obtain high-quality seedlings, you need to carefully choose the seeds, if possible, selecting only the largest ones. Before direct planting, they need to be wrapped with gauze and put in a container with water heated to a temperature of about fifty degrees. So they must lie for at least four hours.
After carrying out such a procedure, the seeds must be unwrapped and removed on a saucer in the refrigerator for twelve hours. This technique helps not only to temper the future culture, but also to intensify its growth.
For planting hardened seeds, you need to prepare special boxes filled with soil. Cabbage seeds are laid out in previously made furrows, deepening by no more than one centimeter, and sprinkled with soil on top. These boxes must be covered with plastic wrap.
Usually, seedlings are planted in two ways.:
- With a pick, when the planted seeds, after ten days, are planted from each other in pots or cups. This procedure must be carried out very carefully so as not to damage the delicate roots of the seedlings.
- Without picking, the seeds are immediately planted in a couple of pieces in separate containers and only if the seedlings of one of them are too weak, they are removed.
Seedling care at home
- Before shoots appear, you need to slightly (without removing the film completely) ventilate the boxes.
- After the sprouts hatch, the boxes need to be transferred to a cool (no higher than twenty degrees), but well-lit place.
- Seedlings of cabbage do not require excessive watering, it will be enough to water it as the soil dries up. Moreover, a week before planting in the garden, watering must be completely stopped.
Now you know how to grow cabbage seedlings at home? Step by step instructions and our recommendations will help you get a good result. Cabbage seedlings can be planted in open ground only when there are already about five to six leaves on the bush. Growing cabbage seedlings is almost no different from similar processes for planting and growing other vegetables. It is important to comply with all requirements and good, strong seedlings will certainly delight the owner.
See also the video:
Planting and growing cabbage seedlings at home
Cabbage is the most ancient vegetable garden. The vegetable is appreciated for its high content of proteins, sugars, vitamins and mineral salts. Its medicinal properties are also well known. The technology of plant cultivation is quite simple, but not everyone knows how to grow cabbage seedlings at home so that it does not go into the arrow and form a dense forks. Let us dwell on the main stages and agrotechnical methods of the seedling period - from the preparation and sowing of seeds to sending the seedlings to the garden bed.
General requirements
The seedling method of cultivation is used to obtain early vegetables, to promote heat-loving crops to regions with an unfavorable climate. Due to the fact that in the initial phases of growth the seedlings take up a small area, it is possible to optimize conditions and care.
When sowing cabbage for seedlings at home, you should remember the growing rules in relation to this particular plant.
- Of all the vegetables in the open field, cabbage is the most sensitive to light. Therefore, the most suitable place for her is not a window sill, but a greenhouse, a greenhouse, a nursery in an open space. As a last resort, a balcony or loggia with a southern exposure.
- The colder the better. For cabbage seedlings, lowering the temperature to 0⁰C is less harmful than the heat above 18⁰C.
- The best age of seedlings for transplanting into open ground is 55-60 days for early-maturing varieties, 35-40 days for mid-season and late cabbage. Overgrown seedlings take root worse, get sick, and their yield decreases.
- Cabbage can be grown, but it is undesirable to grow it in a seedless way. She loves diving - this stimulates branching and strengthening of the root system.
Important! Determine the need for seedlings. The common planting density for early and cauliflower is 50 roots per 10 m², medium and late - 25-30. Add about 15–20% to the calculated amount - some of the seeds will not sprout, something will die during transplantation.
Preparatory stage
Before planting cabbage for seedlings, prepare the soil, planting dishes and seeds.
The soil
Targeted soil is purchased in specialized stores or harvested independently in the fall. For the soil mixture, you need to take one part of the garden land, 2 parts of humus and a little river sand. Half the volume of humus can be replaced with high-moor peat. For enrichment with macronutrients, up to 70 g of superphosphate and a glass of wood ash are added to a bucket of prepared substrate.
For sowing seeds, you will need a low (10–12 cm) tray and individual containers for transplanting - nutrient pots, plastic, paper, film cups or other similar devices. None of this is needed when growing cabbage seedlings in a greenhouse or on a cold bed under a film cover.
Note! To protect seedlings from blackleg disease, pollinate the soil with colloidal sulfur after sowing.
Seeds
You can buy ready-made seeds, processed by the manufacturer. Their distinctive feature is a colored shell or multilayer coating (granule). In this case, dry sowing is practiced. In all other options for planting cabbage for seedlings, a mandatory stage is pre-sowing seed preparation.
The causative agents of diseases such as vascular bacteriosis, black spot, downy mildew are carried by seed. An effective method of prevention is thermal disinfection. The seeds are heated in water heated to 50⁰ for 20 minutes. Some gardeners recommend, to enhance the impact, instead of water, take a weak (1%) solution of potassium permanganate. After warming up, the seeds are washed with cool water (2-3 minutes) and dried.
Sowing
The soil, poured into a box, a tray, is slightly compacted, with the edge of the ruler, longitudinal rows are made 1.5 cm deep and at intervals of 3-4 cm. The seeds are laid out quite thickly, every 1–2 cm, covered with the same soil mixture, and carefully watered. At this stage of growing cabbage seedlings, seeds need warmth and high humidity for germination. Therefore, the box is covered with foil and placed in a warm place (up to 22⁰C) until the first shoots appear.
Many gardeners practice sowing in individual containers, where the seedling will develop until the moment of planting. Potting soil is poured into a plastic cup, cassette, a hollow is made with a stick or finger and 1 to 3 seeds are placed. Further, the germination process is identical to box seeding.
Sowing dates
An actual question for novice summer residents is when to plant cabbage for seedlings. A good seedling before planting should be stocky, compact, with a thick stem and 4-5 true leaves. Based on climatic conditions, variety and optimal age of seedlings, we give approximate dates for sowing seeds and planting seedlings in open ground.
- Early maturing white cabbage and colored. Sowing - mid-March, disembarkation of seedlings - late April - early May.
- Mid-season varieties. Sowing - in the 20th of April, disembarkation - early June.
- Late cabbage is sown on April 15–20, planted from mid-June.
Temperature regime
Cold resistance is a distinctive feature of the culture. She not only withstands low temperatures, but needs them for effective vegetation. Immediately after germination, cabbage seedlings should be provided with a thermal regime not higher than 10–16 ⁰ during the day, and 6–10 at night. It largely depends on the choice of the landing site.
Seat selection
For early maturing varieties, cabbage seedlings are cultivated in a heated greenhouse. The beds with loose nutritious soil are prepared in advance. The seeding depth is 1–2 cm. If diving is expected, sow rather thickly. But from the greenhouse, the seedlings can be immediately transplanted to the garden bed - in this case, sparse sowing is recommended with an interval of 3-4 cm between seedlings.
Varieties of the middle and late ripening period are sown in greenhouses or cold nurseries. In mid-April, a film or glass cover will completely protect the seedlings from night frosts. The walls and volume of the soil of the nursery will maintain the necessary heat balance. A lifting cover will provide ventilation.
The modern way is to grow seedlings in cassettes. The device consists of small cells, each of which, in terms of the volume of soil, is ideal for one seedling. Soil, seeds are sparingly consumed, seedlings do not need to be dived. The cassettes are placed in greenhouses or greenhouses, but it is also possible on a balcony or veranda.
Late varieties of culture in the southern regions are sown on sunny, well-warmed open beds. Covering materials are used to protect seedlings from freezing temperatures.
Important! If there is no other place besides the windowsill for seedlings, create a temperature regime by airing. Another option is to take the landing boxes outside during the day, and to bring it indoors at night.
Seedling care
Young plants love moisture and good ventilation. Water them with plain or melt water. A couple of times a season for the prevention of root rot, crops are spilled with a manganese solution (0.5 g / l of water).
Dive
One of the most time consuming processes of growing cabbage seedlings is diving. This is done in the first leaf phase. The central root of the seedling is cut off by a quarter and placed in an individual container, deepening to the cotyledonous leaves. The cut plants are watered abundantly and placed in a warm place protected from the sun for a couple of days. After the seedlings have taken root, they are exposed to the cold.
Cabbage is grown in many countries around the world. It is used in first courses, second courses, appetizers and preparations. Many people buy it in the store, but a knowledgeable gardener knows that self-grown cabbage is much tastier and healthier.
Growing healthy cabbage seedlings is the main task of the gardener who wants to get a bountiful harvest of this crop. The agricultural technology for growing any types of cabbage is similar, and if you follow the simple growing recommendations, you can get an excellent harvest.
Conditions for growing cabbage seedlings at home
The main conditions for growing cabbage seedlings include: temperature, humidity and lighting. The future harvest depends on them.
Cabbage does not like high temperatures, as well as very low temperatures. At high temperatures, the plants begin to hurt, and at low temperatures, they stop growing. Sudden changes in temperature and drafts are detrimental to plants.
Cabbage is considered a moisture-loving plant. You need to water it regularly, preventing the soil from drying out. At the same time, overflow should not be allowed, as this provokes the appearance of pests and a black leg. To moisten the leaves, they can be irrigated with a spray bottle.
With a lack of daylight, cabbage seedlings are supplemented with a phytolamp in the morning and evening hours.
The time of planting seedlings in the beds depends on the maturation of the cabbage and varietal characteristics. The time of sowing seeds, in turn, depends on the time of transplanting plants into open ground. In the southern lane, cabbage seeds are sown earlier than in the middle and northern lane.
- Early maturing white cabbage, red cabbage and hybrid varieties should be sown from February 20 to March 20.
- Mid-season and late varieties are sown from April 1 to April 20.
- Broccoli and cauliflower seeds are sown several times. The sowing interval is 15-19 days. The first sowing is carried out in mid-March, the last at the end of May.
- Peking cabbage is sown several times and the first sowing is done in mid-April and the second in June.
- Brussels sprouts should be sown in mid-April.
- Kohlrabi is sown several times. The first sowing is carried out at the end of March, the last at the end of May.
- Planting of cabbage of early maturing varieties is carried out in 45-60 days. Seedlings of mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties, hybrids of white and red cabbage are ready for planting in 35-45 days.
- It takes 40-50 days to plant broccoli seedlings.
- Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are transplanted into the beds for 45-50 days. Kohlrabi is planted after 35 days.
In order to grow strong seedlings, which in the future will give a bountiful and tasty harvest, you must adhere to some subtleties in caring for cabbage.
Preparation of land and seeds
The success of the future harvest directly depends on good seedlings, and they are obtained from quality seeds.
The seeds, as well as the soil, require preliminary preparation.
Land for seedlings can be bought ready-made or prepared at home. The second is better prepared in advance, in the fall. It must freeze in order for harmful bacteria and pests to die in it. But if this is not possible, then its preparation can be done before sowing.
The soil for sowing should consist of a part of turf or leaf land, part of rotted humus, part of coarse sand and part of peat. The resulting mixture is thoroughly mixed and poured with a hot dark solution of potassium permanganate.
A glass of wood ash and 30 grams of superphosphate, 15 grams of ammonium nitrate, 10 grams of potassium sulfate are added to it, per 10 kilograms. If these fertilizers are not available, you can take 35 grams of nitroammophoska. The resulting soil mixture is suitable for all types of cabbage.
Before sowing cabbage seeds must be pre-prepared.
When buying treated seeds, they are soaked for 20 minutes in water heated to 50 degrees, after which they can be sown in the ground. Self-harvested or untreated seeds require preliminary preparation.
The seeds are calibrated first. Small and damaged ones are immediately removed. Selected seeds are disinfected in a solution of Fitosporin, Baktofit or a strong solution of potassium permanganate.
For better germination, the seeds are placed in a gauze bag and soaked for a day in a solution of sodium humate (5 grams per liter of water).
Sowing
For sowing, containers are taken with a depth of 5 (if the plants are sown in heap) or 10 centimeters (if they grow one at a time). For this, containers, boxes or individual pots, cups, peat tablets are suitable. Any containers at the bottom should have holes for excess water to escape when watering.
The earth is poured into a container, slightly compacted and spilled with warm water. In it, grooves are made with a depth of 1-1.5 centimeters. The width between them should be equal to 3-4 centimeters.
Seeds are sown at a distance of 1-4 (depending on the variety) centimeters from each other and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of soil or sand, and irrigated with warm water from a spray bottle.
To accelerate seed germination and retain moisture, the container is covered with foil or glass. The temperature of the content of the sown seeds should be 18-25 degrees. After 4 days, abundant shoots appear. After that, the shelter is removed. Weaker shoots are removed if necessary.
To prevent the seedlings from stretching, after germination of the seeds, the container with the plants must be removed to a cool, bright place. The air temperature should be 16-20 degrees during the day and 8-15 at night. When 2 true leaves appear on the seedlings, peat is poured into the aisles (if diving is not expected).
When the seedlings are 10-14 days old, a dive is made. Plants are planted in separate cups, peat pots, cassettes with the same soil mixture that was used for sowing, deepen to the level of the cotyledons.
After diving the seedlings, you need to create a temperature regime equal to 15-20 degrees. After rooting of plants, it decreases to 10-14 degrees.
Fertilizing cabbage seedlings is done 3 times.
- For the first time, it is carried out 7 days after the dive. For feeding, take: 40 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of ammonium nitrate, 10 grams of potassium chloride, in a bucket of warm water. You can also use a tablespoon of urea in a bucket of water or a solution of mullein (bird droppings) infusion and water in a ratio of 1:10.
- The second time the seedlings are fertilized after 14 days. Plants are sprayed with a mixture of 40 grams of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water.
- The third feeding is done 7 days before planting seedlings in the beds. For this, an infusion of mullein (bird droppings) or a special composition is used: 80 grams of superphosphate, 30 grams of ammonium nitrate, 20 grams of potassium chloride, per bucket of water.
With a lack of light, a phytolamp is installed next to the seedlings.
Daylight hours for cabbage should be 12-16 hours (depending on the species).
After the seedlings have real leaves, they need to start hardening. Hardening consists in lowering the temperature of the content to 5 degrees Celsius. For this, plants are exposed to the street (under a canopy), balcony. On the first day by 3 hours, then the duration is increased daily by 2 hours.
It is necessary to water the seedlings with warm, settled water as the earth dries up. Watering stops a week before cabbage is planted on the beds.
When the seedlings reach a height of 18-20 centimeters and have 5-7 leaves, you can start transplanting into the ground.
Features of growing seedlings of cabbage species
With the right approach, you can independently grow white cabbage, red cabbage, cauliflower, Beijing, Brussels sprouts, ornamental cabbage, broccoli and kohlrabi. The seedling method allows you to grow plants in a shorter time compared to sowing in open ground. In addition, in cold regions, the second cultivation option is difficult due to the short warm period and the seedling method is considered the only possible one.
The first crop of cauliflower is harvested in mid-June. To obtain such a crop, you can plant varieties: Snow Globe, Movir-74, Alpha, Express ... Sowing of seeds is carried out on March 15-20.
Mid-season varieties Flora Blanca, Belaya Krasavitsa are sown from late March to mid-April,
Late-ripening varieties Regent, Cortes F1. Consista, Amerigo F1, Autumn giant are sown in the second half of April and early May. The harvest ripens in August - September.
Seedlings of cauliflower are more thermophilic in comparison with white cabbage and when grown, the air temperature in the room should be 5-7 degrees higher. The optimum temperature for cauliflower growth is 20 degrees during the day and at least 10 degrees at night.
To get a large head, cauliflower is fed every 10 days.
If this is not observed, the yield is worse, and the size of the inflorescences is smaller.
Legumes, cucumbers and potatoes are good precursors to cabbage when choosing a site for planting in the ground.
For early varieties of broccoli, the period from seed germination to cutting off the heads is 2-2.5 months, for mid-early varieties - 3 months. The most popular early ripening varieties of broccoli include: Tonus, Gnome, Curly Head, Monterey, Vitamin, Vyarus, Macho F1 and Fiesta F1.
Broccoli is not afraid of cold weather and is often sown with seeds in the garden in May - June. Growing such cabbage with seedlings justifies itself when getting an early harvest, especially in the northern regions.
Broccoli, like any other cabbage, does not like excessive heat and prefers a humid climate. It grows on any soil.
Before the emergence of shoots, the temperature in the room can be 18-25 degrees. Then the temperature drops to 14-16 degrees during the day and 8-10 at night.
Daylight hours for broccoli seedlings should be 15-16 hours.
A dive is not required for this type of cabbage. Seedlings are sown in individual containers.
Plants grow at home for 5-6 weeks. Disembarkation takes place in mid-May.
Early varieties of Peking cabbage (Orange mandarin, Cha-Cha, Vesnyanka, Asten, Peking broadleaf, Sprinkin) ripen in 40-55 days from the moment of sowing the seeds, mid-ripening (Glass, Bilko, Vorozheya, Hydra F1) ripen in 55-60 days, late (Russian size, Nika, Parkin and others) - after 80 days.
The peculiarities of growing this cabbage are in compliance with the temperature regime, good lighting and timely watering.
The optimum temperature for growing Chinese cabbage is 13-20 degrees. At higher ones, it shoots an arrow, at lower ones it does not grow.
Diving of seedlings is not carried out.
Best of all, Chinese cabbage grows, garlic, onions, carrots and
Early maturing varieties Franklin F1, Long Island, Rosella F1 ripen in 4 months. Mid-season varieties - Diablo, Veselaya Kompaniya, Pomegranate F1 bracelet ripen for 5 months. Late varieties Sanda, Boxer F1, Commander in six months.
The temperature of the seedlings of Brussels sprouts during the day should be 16-18 degrees, at night - 5-6 degrees.
This cabbage is practically not susceptible to keel disease, it can be watered with cold water.
Seedlings are dived into separate containers at the stage of one true leaf. Plants are planted on the garden bed after 45 - 60 days. This cabbage should be planted according to the scheme 60 x 60 centimeters.
The agricultural technology of white and red cabbage is the same. They are grown in seedlings, both at home and in greenhouses. Care for these types of cabbage is standard.
- The best early varieties of white cabbage include: Rinda F1, Kazachok, June, Tobia, they ripen about 70-90 days after sowing.
- Mid-season varieties - Sugar Queen F1, Slava, Atria F1, Merchant, Megaton ripen in 100-150 days.
- Late - Moskovskaya, Mara, Kolobok, Amager, Aggressor ripen in 120-180 days.
Early red varieties Early Beauty, Drumond ripen in 4 months. Mid-season varieties Kamennaya Golovaya 447, Avangard F1, Kalibos F1 - after 120–150 days. The Mikhnevskaya variety ripens in 4.5 months. Late varieties Languedaker late, Mars, Maksila - after 5 months.
The best early varieties of kohlrabi are Pikant, Vienna Belaya 1350, Atena (ripening period 55-90 days), mid-season varieties - Blue Planet F1, Vienna Blue, Alka (70-120 days), late-ripening - Violetta, Gigant, Kossak F1 and Kolibri F1 (120-150 days).
Plants are grown in a seedling and non-seedling way. Cabbage withstands low temperatures and grows even at -2 degrees, which allows it to be transplanted into the ground even with possible frost.
Transplanting into soil is carried out 35 days after sowing the seeds.
When 2 true leaves appear, the seedlings are fertilized with complex fertilizers. Re-feeding is carried out 2 weeks before planting in the ground.
Diving is not required for this cabbage.
Leafy varieties reach a height of 110-120 centimeters without forming rosettes. Elongated openwork carved leaves hang down. Cabbage varieties form colored rosettes.
The most beautiful varieties: Peacock, Colors of the East, Tokyo, Snow Queen, Nagoya, Coral, Osaka, Relay, Lace frill.
The agricultural technique of ornamental cabbage is similar to white cabbage. It is grown as seedlings or sown directly in open ground. Early cabbage is sown in early April.
- Seeds are sown in individual containers.
- The air temperature for plant growth should be 12-16 degrees.
- When the seedlings grow up and 2-3 leaves are formed, it undergoes a dive or transplant into open ground.
Ornamental cabbage is cold-resistant and frost-resistant.
For planting cabbage in the fall, rotted humus, compost (1 bucket per square meter) are introduced into the beds for digging. In the spring, mineral fertilizers are introduced (30 grams of urea, 30 grams of superphosphate, a glass of wood ash per square meter).
Seedlings when planting should be 18-25 centimeters in height, have 5-7 developed leaves, an elastic, strong stem and a developed root system.
Watering the seedlings stops a week before the transplant. 2 hours before planting, the plants are watered abundantly.
The distance between plants when planting on beds should be 20-60 centimeters (depending on the type of cabbage), between rows - 50-60 centimeters.
The depth of the planting hole should be slightly larger than the size of the root system with an earthy clod. Plants are transplanted with an earthen clod. If they grew in peat pots, they are transplanted directly into them.
Plants are buried in the ground to the first true leaf, the roots are compressed with soil. A liter of water is poured under each plant.
Bright sun rays can harm immature plants, therefore, the beds with seedlings are shaded for several days after planting.
After planting, water the cabbage every 3 days, 2 liters of water per plant. After a month, watering is reduced to 1 time in 7 days (one bucket of water per square meter of beds). In the heat, watering is done more often.
Loosening of the soil (to a depth of 7 centimeters) is carried out after each watering.
- The first feeding is done half a month after transplanting. To do this, take an infusion of mullein (bird droppings) 0.5 liters per plant.
- The second feeding should be done after 10 days. For this, a solution is taken, consisting of: a bucket of water, 30 grams of superphosphate, 15 grams of ammonium nitrate and 15 grams of potassium chloride.
To prevent the appearance of pests, plants and the ground around them are powdered with wood ash (glass per square meter).
For the prevention of diseases and pests, plants are sprayed with protective preparations.
Caring for cabbage seedlings, as well as for adult plants, does not cause any particular problems. Subject to agricultural technology, any type of cabbage gives an excellent harvest.
How to grow cabbage seedlings. Picking: video
Growing cabbage seedlings of any kind at home practically does not cause difficulties for gardeners. Plants grow and get stronger quickly. The seedlings grow healthy, strong, and the harvest does not take long.
Depending on the ripening period of cabbage, the timing of its sowing also differs - remember this.
2. Buying quality seeds
Last but not least, the quality of the seedlings will depend on the seeds, and therefore the yield of cabbage. Therefore, get good seed.
How to buy seeds correctly, so as not to acquire expired, lost germination due to improper storage or generally counterfeit seed, is described in detail in the publications:
3. Preparing the correct soil mixture
To grow strong cabbage seedlings, you need to properly prepare a nutritious soil mixture. Ideally, the soil for cabbage seedlings should be prepared in the fall, but if for some reason you did not have time to do this, you can start compiling it right now. Mix 1 part sod land and add a little (10 tablespoons for every 10 kg of soil) and mix the substrate well. In this case, ash will be a source of not only micro- and macroelements, but also an excellent antiseptic that can prevent the appearance of cabbage seedlings.
Of course, you can make any other nutritious soil mixture - not only turf-based, but also, for example. The main thing is that the resulting soil is breathable and fertile. And also, when preparing potting soil for cabbage seedlings, never use the garden soil on which cruciferous crops were previously grown: it probably contains infections characteristic of Cabbage, and the likelihood of getting seedling diseases increases significantly.
And in this video, our expert Tatyana shares her experience in compiling soil for seedlings:
As you can see, it is really undesirable to take land from the garden.
Want to know even more about the intricacies of preparing soil mixture for seedlings? Then read these articles:
4. Choosing the optimal sowing time for cabbage seedlings
There is no point in sowing cabbage seedlings in early January - it's too early, or at the end of May - it's too late. Every gardener knows this common truth. But, although we know the approximate dates for sowing seeds, sometimes it is quite difficult to determine a specific date. Let's talk about everything in order.Remember:
- early varieties of cabbage should be sown for seedlings from the beginning of March until about the 25th-28th of the month,
- seeds of medium varieties can be sown approximately from March 25 to April 25,
- well, cabbage of late varieties - from the beginning to the 20th of April.
If such terms for sowing cabbage seeds seem overly blurred and incomprehensible to you, then you will appreciate the recommendations from the article - it describes an algorithm that helps to calculate the optimal sowing time for your particular conditions.
Well, I will give one more hint: you can determine the time of sowing cabbage for seedlings based on the fact that about 10 days pass from the time of sowing the seeds to the emergence of seedlings (plus or minus a couple of days), and from the emergence of seedlings to the time of planting, about 50-55 days. Based on this, it is necessary to sow cabbage for seedlings 60-65 days before the desired planting in the ground.
Our market, which contains offers from the largest online stores, will help you choose seeds for sowing cabbage for seedlings. ...
Thanks to simple manipulations, you can practically eliminate dangerous cabbage diseases (such as black leg, and so on) already in the seedling period, which means you will be able to grow healthy and strong seedlings.
If you purchased already processed seeds (this should be indicated on the package), it will be enough just to warm them up for 20 minutes in hot water (at a temperature of about +50 ° C). After warming up the seeds, cool them in cool water for 5 minutes - this will increase the cabbage's resistance to various fungal diseases. Just keep in mind: not all seeds processed by the manufacturer can be wetted! For some species, this is completely unacceptable, therefore, in order not to be mistaken, read about which ones are used and what are their features.
6. Correct seeding
It would seem that there is no need to bother there: I bought the seeds, prepared the soil mixture and go ahead - this as you want. Not certainly in that way. In order for the cabbage seedlings to be strong and stocky, it is better to grow it with - only then the volume of its roots will be large, the seedling itself will grow more squat and strong, and it will be easier to transfer the transplant to a permanent place. How to sow cabbage correctly?Early cabbage seeds should be sown in a tray or grower. Before sowing, we water the soil well, and we try not to moisten the soil until the shoots appear - this will prevent the disease of the seedlings with a black leg. Why water the soil abundantly before sowing? The thing is that for germination, cabbage seeds need a lot of water - about 50% of their weight.
When shoots appear, they are needed, leaving each feeding area of about 2x2 cm.After 2 weeks, when the seedlings have already grown a little, they must be dived, planting according to the 3x3 cm scheme, for example, in cassettes. When diving, do not forget to deepen the stem of the seedlings to the cotyledons! After another half month, the seedlings must be transplanted again, but already in pots (peat pots, plastic or paper cups, or any other) - ideally, the size of the new container should be 5x5 cm.
Before picking seedlings, it is advisable to treat the cups with a weak (blue in color) solution or any other drug that prevents the appearance of fungal diseases.
If you do not have the desire to dive cabbage, then it is better to initially sow it in separate pots. When the time comes for planting seedlings to a permanent place, its root system will be of a large volume, and due to the fact that the plants grew in separate pots before transplanting, it is almost not injured (transplant will result).
7. Light for seedlings
For cabbage seedlings to grow strong and stocky, it is not enough to plant them correctly - you need to carry them out, because there is little usual daylight at home for cabbage. Using an ordinary fluorescent lamp, we illuminate the seedlings for about 12-15 hours a day.8. Timely watering
"Cabbage loves water and good weather" - this proverb-statement is equally true both in relation to already grown cabbage heads, and in relation to its seedlings.
Plants as needed, but try to avoid both drying out of the soil and waterlogging. In order not to overdo it with watering, loosen the soil more often.
9. Maintaining optimal temperature
When growing cabbage seedlings, you need to monitor the air temperature in the room. The optimum temperature before the emergence of cabbage shoots is considered to be +18 ° C ... + 20 ° C, when the shoots appear, the temperature must be reduced: during the day to +15 ° C ... + 17 ° C, at night - to +8 ° C. .. + 10 ° С (we are talking only about white cabbage!). Such seemingly sharp changes in day and night temperatures will make it possible to strengthen the seedlings and help prevent the seedlings from pulling out.
Regarding seedlings, keep in mind: it does not tolerate low temperatures, and this will only lead to a decrease in yield - the heads will be small and loose. The temperature regime for growing cauliflower seedlings, of course, can also fluctuate during the day and night. On average, the temperature should be kept 5-7 ° C higher than that of the white cabbage.
10. Mandatory feeding
When growing cabbage seedlings, do not forget to feed them, because it is during the seedling period that young plants really need a balanced set of various nutrients, which should come in the most easily accessible form.First feeding should be carried out approximately 7-9 days after the pick. You can prepare fertilizer as follows: dissolve 2 grams of ammonium nitrate and 4 grams in 1 liter of water. One liter of nutrient solution is enough to feed 50-60 plants. In order not to burn the young roots of the seedlings, water them first, and only then feed them.
Second feeding should be carried out 2 weeks after the first. For her, we prepare a new nutrient solution from the same fertilizers, we just double their amount per liter of water. If the cabbage seedlings begin to turn a little yellow, they can be fed with a solution of fermented slurry (1:10).
Third feeding you need to spend a couple of days before planting cabbage seedlings in the ground, and for this we prepare a solution: add 3 g of ammonium nitrate, 5 g of superphosphate and 8 g of potassium fertilizers to 1 liter of water. The dose of potash fertilizers in this case is increased so that the seedlings better take root in the open field, which is why such a top dressing is called hardening. If you do not want to bother with the preparation of dressings, you can use a ready-made liquid complex fertilizer, for example, "Kemira Lux".
11. Hardening
The hardening of seedlings means a set of measures due to which the root system of plants develops better and their high survival rate is ensured. Cabbage seedlings begin to harden about 10 days before planting in the ground.
In the first day or two, we simply open the window in a room with cabbage seedlings for 3-4 hours. In the next few days, we take out the seedlings on the balcony (loggia, veranda, etc.) for a couple of hours, thereby exposing them to direct sunlight. Taking out the seedlings in the sun for the first time, we slightly shade them with gauze so that the bright spring sun does not burn the young plants.
From the sixth day of hardening, we reduce watering (we control so that the soil does not dry out) and take out the seedlings to the balcony. There she will be until the moment of landing in the ground. By the way, before planting in the ground, cabbage seedlings should have 4–5 leaves, and before planting, they must be well watered.
Everyone's favorite cabbage is best grown by the seedling method. Seedlings not only allow harvesting earlier, but also provide the gardener with disease and climate change resistant sprouts. Planting cabbage for seedlings with all the intricacies of the process and useful tips will be described below in the article.
If the seedlings are grown correctly, it will allow the gardener to collect a rich harvest from the garden. But to get a good, grown seedlings by the time they are transplanted to a permanent place, you can only correctly calculate the timing of their harvesting. So when to plant cabbage for seedlings?
Planting cabbage for seedlings can be carried out at different times, it all depends on the variety, region.
- Early varieties begin to be sown from late February to early March. Seedlings are grown for about 1.5-2 months and are transplanted to a permanent place around the beginning of May.
- Mid-season varieties can be planted from March 25 to April 25. Such seedlings are grown for an average of 1.5 months.
- Late varieties of cabbage begin to sow from early to mid-April. Such seedlings are grown for only 1-1.5 months, during which time it will be completely ready for transplantation.
It is also worth noting that you can start making seedlings early in the southern and middle regions, where warm days come from the end of April. And in the northern regions, where the cold lasts until summer, it is pointless to make seedlings from the beginning of March.
What soil to choose for cabbage seedlings?
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Planting cabbage for seedlings is carried out exclusively in light soil. It is best made from turf, peat and humus. The latter can be replaced with sand. All parts are taken in equal proportions. In the case when it is not possible to compose the soil mixture on your own or time does not allow, you can simply use the purchased seedling mixtures. You can improve the quality of the soil with wood ash. A tablespoon of ash is taken per kilogram of the finished earthen mixture.
To disinfect the earth, it must be watered right before planting the seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate. If there is no potassium permanganate, you should use simple boiling water. The water is heated, and when it boils, they simply pour it over the ground.
Important! It is also worth processing with potassium permanganate a purchased mixture, and not only one that was made independently. Since, regardless of where the soil was taken, it may contain pest eggs and fungal spores.
Seed preparation
After the cabbage seeds are purchased, they need to be inspected at home. Often, even in packaged packages that are sold in specialized stores, a marriage comes across. Planting cabbage for seedlings with defective seeds simply will not give results. So the seeds should be sorted out, remove all the half, spoiled and too small.
If the seeds are branded, were in the package, then processing may not be required. In some factories, seeds are processed before packing - this is always indicated on the package. Since they are processed with special substances, it is not recommended even to germinate them in a damp cloth, so that the substance on top of the seeds is not washed off. They just sort them out and do nothing else.
When using seeds harvested by hand, bought in bulk without a bag on the market for planting cabbage for seedlings, processing must be carried out. First, the seeds are placed in a hot solution of potassium permanganate (+50 degrees) for 15 minutes. Then you need to transfer them to cold water for 3 minutes. Now they are dried on a cloth or paper towel.
Important! If the seeds are hardened a day before planting, they will germinate faster. To do this, they are immersed in cold water (+ 2 ... + 3 degrees) for 24 hours. But such hardening can only be carried out for untreated seeds!
How to sow cabbage with seeds correctly?
Planting cabbage for seedlings can be carried out in two ways, with and without picking into separate pots. If there is no pick, the seeds must be sown immediately in special seedling boxes. Such trays are divided into separate cells, in which the seedlings need to be grown. Instead of such trays, you can use peat or any other cups, as is convenient for the gardener.
A small layer of soil is poured into the cups, up to 5 cm. Seeds are sown in small holes up to 1 cm deep. When growing seedlings without picking, 1-3 seeds are sown in each pot (for safety reasons) at a distance of 1-2 cm. Then the cups or the tray are covered with foil.
Interesting! The no-pick method is convenient to use in small farms, where cabbage is grown mostly for their own needs.
Planting cabbage for seedlings with a pick consists of two stages. At the first stage, the seeds are sown and germinated, and at the second, the sprouts are dived into separate pots. Sow seeds in large boxes 1 cm deep in rows. You can make such small rows in a drawer with a pencil. Sow at a distance of 1-2 cm, then sprinkle with earth no more than a centimeter. Now it remains to cover the box with foil and set aside the seeds to germinate. Seedlings, in both cases, can be expected for 4-5 days, if the room temperature is + 18… + 20 degrees Celsius.
How to care for cabbage seedlings?
After the sprouts have appeared, the most difficult stage of growing seedlings begins - caring for cabbage sprouts. If you do not follow all the rules, the seedlings will grow thin, frail, not hardened.
What can seedlings hurt?
Cabbage seedlings can get sick due to improper temperature conditions, waterlogging, and if cabbage was planted in untreated soil. It is pointless to wait for the disease to pass by itself, it must be urgently treated.
- Cabbage seedlings are often attacked by a cruciferous flea. Treatment with Inta-Vir can help.
- Stopping (temporarily) watering will save you from the black leg so that the earth dries up. Saplings on top and the ground, sprinkled with wood ash.
- Root rot will disappear if the seedlings are treated with Rizoplan. For 100 ml of warm water, 1 g of the substance is taken. The tool is simply sprayed on the seedlings from above. You can also use Trichodermin. Under 1 plant, 1 gram of the substance is applied.
VIDEO - A good way to plant cabbage