Characteristics Of The Megaton Cabbage Variety - The Rules Of Growing And Care + Photos

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

How to grow Megaton cabbage on a garden plot?

Cabbage is in a special position both in the garden and on the table of Russians. This is a beloved and honorable crop, the varieties of which are grown in great variety. Its most common type is white cabbage. Cabbage can be of early, medium and late ripening, and among many varieties, the Megaton hybrid occupies a separate place, noticeably distinguishing for the better with its characteristics.

Content

• 1 Characteristics of the hybrid

  • 1.1 Description of the variety
  • 1.2 Video: how much a head of cabbage of Megaton weighs
  • 1.3 Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

• 2 Learning to grow Megaton on our site

  • 2.1 Sowing cabbage and caring for seedlings
  • 2.2 Preparing the garden
  • 2.3 Watering and feeding
  • 2.4 Table: Fertilization schedule
  • 2.5 Temperature conditions

• 3 Insects that pose a danger to the hybrid

  • 3.1 Cabbage moth
  • 3.2 Cabbage aphid
  • 3.3 Whitefly
  • 3.4 Medvedka
  • 3.5 Photo gallery: how to recognize a pest
  • 3.6 Video: Megaton Cabbage - Pest Control

• 4 Diseases of white cabbage

  • 4.1 Downy mildew
  • 4.2 Rhizoctonia

• 5 Harvesting Megaton's harvest: storage and conservation

  5.1 Video: Megaton cabbage - harvest from one package of seeds

• 6 Reviews of the hybrid

Hybrid characteristics

The centuries-old cultivation of white cabbage has led to the development of a huge number of its hybrids. In particular, the Dutch breeders of the Bejo Zaden company relatively recently, at the end of the 20th century, created the Megaton F1 variety. It is a mid-late hybrid known for its productivity and head size.

Description of the variety

Megaton is a medium late ripening cabbage hybrid. It is popular throughout Russia, in the CIS countries and abroad.

Hybrid Megaton is gaining popularity in Russia and abroad

Despite the fact that the hybrid was bred in Holland, it feels great in central Russia and Siberia, not inferior in yield to some popular varieties (Slava, Amager). The productivity of Megaton exceeds that of traditional hybrids by 25%.

The culture is great for growing on an industrial scale. Its productivity is so high that it exceeds by more than 100 centners per hectare the result of the usual varieties, which are considered productive. Megaton brings in about 930 quintals per hectare and this is a success for white cabbage. It is for this reason that this hybrid got its name.

Megaton is the most productive hybrid of white cabbage

A head of cabbage is large in size, the average weight ranges from 8 to 15 kg

The head of this hybrid is large and almost white in cross-section.

It is of the correct shape - rounded. The leaf is light green, with a slight "waxy" coating. In section, the head of Megaton is almost white and very dense.

Video: how much a head of cabbage of Megaton weighs

Cabbage of this variety contains in its composition up to 5% sugars and up to 43 mg of vitamin C per 100 g. This makes Megaton a useful product for fresh consumption in winter.

The ripening period of the hybrid is 120–140 days from sowing the seeds, and if the cabbage was grown in seedlings, then this period is shortened, and the heads of cabbage are formed on about the hundredth day.

Already in early September, you can cut the first heads of cabbage

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety

Megaton cabbage has the following undeniable advantages:

• high productivity;
• frost resistance;
• lack of predisposition to head cracking;
• resistance to fusarium wilting, gray rot and keel;
• excellent taste and versatility of use;
• possibility of transportation over a long distance.

The gardener who once landed Megaton, most likely, will not give up this cabbage in the future. Even individual shortcomings do not spoil the overall positive impression:

• some stiffness of the leaves of freshly harvested heads of cabbage;
• slight darkening of cabbage during salting and pickling;
• lower sugar content compared to other popular varieties;
• relatively short (about four months) shelf life.

Megaton is noticeably different from other varieties with an average ripening period in taste. This cabbage makes excellent side dishes for main courses, salads and soups. And this is not counting the fact that salting for the winter and fermentation is the main thing for which a hybrid is generally planted.

Sauerkraut is a traditional dish on the tables of many nations

Learning to grow Megaton on our site

Sowing cabbage and caring for seedlings

With the seedless method of growing cabbage, the best time for sowing is the first days of May. The seeds are embedded in the soil deep enough, by 3 cm. From above, the bed is covered with a thin layer of humus, which protects its surface from drying out, since the moisture level of the soil before germination is the main condition for seed germination.

After the formation of the third leaf at the seedlings, it is necessary to thin out the plantings for the first time, rejecting low-quality seedlings. Secondary thinning of cabbage seedlings is carried out during the formation of the sixth leaf, while the distance between seedlings should be at least 50 cm and no more than 70 cm.

Hybrid planting scheme

Immediately after the last procedure, the time comes for the first feeding of cabbage with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. To do this, you can use both organic and mineral supplements. In the first case, 0.5 l of liquid mullein is stirred in 10 l of water, in the second, 50 g of urea is taken for the same volume.

When growing Megaton by seedlings, sprouted cabbage seeds should be sown in boxes with a layer of soil about 10 cm thick. The distance between them is at least 5 cm, between rows - 5-6 cm. If the seedlings are grown closer, it will become difficult for them to develop, and the seedlings will be frail. For convenience, you can use cardboard partitions or initially sow cabbage in special boxes with cells.

Cabbage seedlings are not recommended to thicken too much

Sowing cabbage for seedlings should take place from late March to early April. It is recommended to put two seeds in each hole. After emergence, the weaker shoot is removed or transplanted.

After the appearance of the second true leaf, the plants are fed with any complex micronutrient fertilizer for seedlings.

Lighting throughout the development of plants is an important factor in the growth of cabbage. If there is not enough light, then the shoots are strongly stretched, thinner, seedlings are formed weak, often get sick.

When the seedlings do not have enough light, they stretch too much, not having time to get stronger

During growth, cabbage seedlings are well watered with settled water at room temperature, and a week before planting in the ground, the amount of watering is reduced. At the same time, the seedlings begin to harden, daily taking boxes with them to the open air during the day in good weather.

After the appearance of the sixth leaf, the cabbage is planted in the ground, carefully spilling the seedlings in two to three hours

Preparing the garden

Megaton loves to grow in fertile loamy soils with a neutral reaction. The place should be sunny, cabbage does not like shade. Since autumn, the selected area is generously flavored with organic matter from plant residues and dug shallowly.

It is not recommended to plant cabbage in the same place where it grew last year, as the culture depletes the soil and the soil loses many minerals. Cucumbers and zucchini are good predecessors for it, provided they are properly nourished.

It's good when the cabbage patch is open to the sun from all sides

Watering and feeding

Megaton is very picky about loosening the soil and requires frequent watering. It is best to combine both. In 20-30 minutes after watering, the bed is loosened so that the water does not “weigh down” the earth and oxygen circulates freely in the soil. It is not worth pouring the plants too much, it is enough just to make sure that the substrate on the cabbage bed does not dry out. When the first leaves are wide enough, moisture from the ground will evaporate more slowly, and watering can be reduced.

Table: fertilization schedule

Feeding time	Structure
7-9 days after picking seedlings	2 g of potassium fertilizer, 4 g of superphosphate, 2 g of ammonium nitrate, dissolved in 1 liter of water (this is enough for 50-60 plants).
Two weeks after the first feeding	4 g of potassium fertilizer, 8 g of superphosphate, 4 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 liter of water. Yellowed seedlings can be fed with fermented manure diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Two days before planting seedlings in open ground	3 g of ammonium nitrate, 8 g of potassium fertilizer, 5 g of superphosphate, dissolved in 1 liter of water.
When the leaves began to grow	10 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water (enough for 5-6 plants).
At the beginning of head formation	4 g of urea, 5 g of double superphosphate, 8 g of potassium sulfate per 10 liters of water.

Temperature regime

The fastest shoots of Megaton appear at temperatures not lower than 12 ° C and not higher than 19 ° C. Delicate young plants can freeze and die with sudden changes in temperature, but mature seedlings can survive when the temperature drops to -3 ° C.

Adult heads of cabbage on the vine calmly survive frosts down to -8 ° C, but heat above 30 ° C can provoke a growth arrest

Insects that pose a danger to the hybrid

Megaton is resistant to the most dangerous diseases for cabbage, which cannot be said about his "relationship" with insects. Here, the hybrid is helpless and vulnerable, and there are a lot of applicants to feast on fleshy leaves or to lay aside a couple of million larvae in an inaccessible place. The most basic and scary ones are bear, moth, aphid and whitefly.

Cabbage moth

Damages top and rosette leaves, loves young heads of cabbage. It can be detected by caterpillars or egg clutches. To fight, cabbage is sprayed with Lepidocide solution (25 g per 10 L of water).

Cabbage aphid

The cabbage leaf is discolored and curled. The head of cabbage stops growing. Aphids can be found on the underside of the leaf. To combat it, Decis-Pro is used in dry form, 3 mg per hundred square meters of land (process no more than two times).

Whitefly

White bloom on the leaves is an indicator of whitefly infection. The next step is the appearance of a soot-like fungus on the leaf. To fight insects, Actellik is used (ampoule for 1 liter of water).

Medvedka

This insect gnaws at the stem and root. The plant will inevitably die. To combat the bear, Medvetox is used, which is applied to a depth of 5 cm in the aisles. Product consumption: 20 grams per 10 m2.

Photo gallery: how to recognize a pest

Whitefly infects cabbage with fungus

Medvedka is capable of gnawing the trunk of a head of cabbage

Cabbage moth lays eggs in leaves

Cabbage aphids live on the back of the litz

Video: Megaton cabbage - pest control

You can effectively protect cabbage from the attacks of most harmful insects by combining business with pleasure. Plant pungent-smelling flowers and herbs around the perimeter of the garden. Such plants not only scare away pests with their aroma, but also help attract other insects that can inflict reprisals against parasites. The most popular among gardeners are mint, marigold, cilantro, sage, rosemary, and basil.

Correct neighbors for a healthy harvest

Diseases of white cabbage

Despite the fact that Megaton is not susceptible to such terrible diseases as keela or fusarium, he, like any cabbage, can catch a disease "simpler". Although, in principle, any bacteria or fungus, if the problem is not identified in a timely manner and does not know how to deal with it, can destroy most, or even the entire crop.

Downy mildew

Yellow, rapidly spreading spots appear on cabbage leaves. Over time, they cover the entire surface. Affected leaves die off. You can prevent disease by soaking the seeds in hot, but not boiling water for half an hour. Adult plants are treated with garlic broth. One medium head is crushed into a gruel, which is infused in water for 10 hours, then brought to a boil and cooled. By adding a little soap to such a solution and sprinkling a cabbage leaf with it, you can save the culture from death.

At first glance, downy mildew is quite harmless - it seems that a thin layer of plaque can be easily erased, but this impression is deceptive, the problem is serious

Rhizoctonia

It is characterized by yellowing at the root neck. This process ends with tissue necrosis and plant death. You can prevent the development of the disease by spraying the soil before planting with Quadris or HOM preparations.

Necrosis with rhizoctonia gradually spreads from the integumentary leaves inward, the head of cabbage stops growing and dries up

Harvesting Megaton: storage and conservation

Cut heads of Megaton are recommended to be immediately removed to a storage place, carefully selecting healthy and undamaged forks. The cabbage stump should be whole, without any signs of disease or rot.

The crop should be stored in a cellar at a positive temperature no higher than 4–5 ° C. Heads of cabbage are usually folded on shelves or in boxes with a cabbage stump up or suspended from it on hooks under the ceiling.

There are different options for storing heads of cabbage

If you prefer the second method, then you can pre-wrap each fork with cling film as tightly as possible, so that there is no air between it and the head of cabbage. And when stored in boxes, good bedding, for example, dry straw, will best save the product from damage.

You should never rush to harvest cabbage, because this culture is not at all afraid of frost, while it does not tolerate heat. Therefore, if you cut the cabbage heads too early, they will be poorly stored. It is better to eat such cabbage immediately fresh or pickle it. It is also not recommended to delay for a long time with harvesting, despite the fact that Megaton rarely cracks, it can also be brought to such a state by being late with harvesting.

How to understand that the head of cabbage is ready? In the central strip, cabbage is usually chopped at the end of October. At this time, the heads of cabbage have already formed and reached the optimal size. They are dense to the touch and crunch a little, the upper leaves are light, with shine. People call this phenomenon "bald spot". This is a reliable sign - it's time to harvest.

Video: Megaton cabbage - harvest from one package of seeds

Hybrid reviews

It would seem that there is nothing easier than planting seeds, watering them, and after a while harvest. Nature works wonders, beautiful plants, including cultivated ones, multiply by self-sowing. What can we say about the Megaton hybrid, which is famous for its unpretentiousness and immunity, giving out amazing results. But only as a result of hard work, surrounding your plants with care and attention, can you really count on an impressive harvest of tasty and healthy cabbage.

Have a good harvest!