How To Grow Cabbage Seedlings At Home In Different Ways: When To Sow, Features Of Care With Video, Lunar Calendar

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to grow good white cabbage seedlings at home: methods and techniques

Growing cabbage usually starts with preparing seedlings. It is almost unrealistic to grow strong seedlings in a city apartment, it is too hot there, but in greenhouses it is not at all difficult to do this. You just need to sow the seeds on time and put a little effort into caring for young plants.

Content

• 1 Is it necessary to grow cabbage through seedlings
• 2 When to sow: lunar calendar 2019

• 3 Preliminary preparation

  • 3.1 Seed preparation
  • 3.2 Soil preparation

• 4 How to grow seedlings of early and late cabbage at home

  • 4.1 On a windowsill in a house or apartment

    4.1.1 Video: growing cabbage seedlings

  • 4.2 In the greenhouse

    4.2.1 Video: cabbage seedlings in the greenhouse

  • 4.3 Growing outdoors

    4.3.1 Video: growing cabbage in the ground without seedlings

  • 4.4 Benefits of using cassettes
  • 4.5 Use of peat tablets
• 5 Features of growing seedlings in different regions of Russia
• 6 Useful tips

Is it necessary to grow cabbage through seedlings

The question of the compulsory cultivation of cabbage seedlings is connected with two points: what kind of cabbage we are talking about, and in which region 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 seeds in early April, which is difficult to do directly in the garden in the middle lane. Early varieties stay in the garden for a much shorter time, but if they are sown immediately to a permanent place, then the harvest cannot be called early.

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

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

When to sow: lunar calendar 2019

You should immediately determine the order of sowing cabbage seeds of different ripening periods. Not everything is clear here, although there is logic. Seedlings of any varieties are planted in a permanent place at the age of 40 to 50 days. If the cabbage is early, then you need to take all the benefits of this term and get vitamin products as early as possible. This cabbage will not be stored, the heads of cabbage are usually small, not very dense, they are happily eaten in the form of salads. Therefore, the 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 cabbage has small heads of cabbage, but the meaning is not in size: the road is a spoon for dinner

Late varieties of cabbage are intended for long-term fresh storage in cellars. Its heads of cabbage reach ripeness in the autumn months, they even end up in the beds under light frosts, which does not bother them at all: they should be put into the cellar as late as possible. Sowing too early is therefore unnecessary. However, based on the length of the growing season, it turns out that the approximate sowing dates for the late varieties are in mid-April.

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

Medium ripening cabbage is grown for autumn consumption (it is stored worse late) and fermentation, which is usually done in autumn. Therefore, these varieties are harvested in September-October, and in order for it to ripen precisely by this time, the 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 above dates are approximate: in the south they move 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 associated with the life cycle of heavenly bodies. The most popular was the Lunar calendar, which links the favorable and unfavorable days of gardening concerns with the constellation in which the Earth's satellite, the Moon, is located.

It is believed that the periods of new moon and full moon are prohibited for sowing, transplanting and any other operations with plants. On these days, the flora seems to freeze and prepare for the change of the lunar phase. If you strictly follow the 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 cited in many authoritative sources!). If you follow them strictly, then the most necessary time falls out of sowing: the beginning and mid-April. And if the gardener on the 18th and 21st must be at work … Fortunately, other publications publish their versions of the calendar, less strict, and the April numbers in them look like this: 7, 8, 18, 20-21 April.

Well, that’s better, there are days at the beginning of the month. All this would be funny, but after all, after looking through a dozen magazines and Internet sites, you come to the conclusion that many write the way they want, and if this is so, then there is not much point in strictly following such calendars. There is a time - we focus on a favorite, trustworthy source. No - we sow when we have free time, relying on scientific data and our experience.

Preliminary preparation

Preparation for sowing cabbage for seedlings consists in the purchase and processing of containers, seed material 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 a transplant, so you can even grow it at home in shared 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. In the greenhouse, nothing is needed: the seeds are sown directly into the ground.

Seed preparation

There are many recipes to read about seed preparation. They include calibration, decontamination, soaking, hardening, etc. Let's ask ourselves a question: do we have time for all this? If the seeds are harvested 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 stump 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 companies that could hardly be trusted, and instead of cabbage, you could buy, for example, turnips. Most of these organizations have now left the market. True, a re-grading happens, and you can run into a completely different variety that you wanted, but, from the point of view 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 marketed.

Seeds in cabbage are medium in size, easy to handle

Calibration is advised to be carried out by immersing the seeds in salt water. Well, this method is good for light seeds like peppers or tomatoes! In cabbage, almost all the seeds will drown, only chipped off will remain to swim, and there are very few of them. Do I need to disinfect purchased seeds? I haven't done this for years. But those who wish, fearing for the presence of infectious agents in the bag, can do this. Recipe normal 15-20 minutes in the dark purple solution of potassium permanganate at a temperature of about 48-50 ^{on the} C followed by washing.

Many gardeners are advised to soak the seeds before sowing, including in micronutrient solutions. Of course, this will not harm at all, but it will not give much 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 it can be spent on something more necessary.

High-quality cabbage seeds, if they are not found on some cherished shelf and have not been stored there for many years, will sprout without any preparation, dry, and the difference of one or two days will not make us any better. Therefore, it is worth listening to all the advice, but letting it pass 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 absolutely impossible to take it from the garden where cruciferous plants (cabbage, radish, radish) grew. To grow a small amount of seedlings, you can buy soil in the store, but if you have something to cook from, you should not waste your money. Moreover, we are talking only about growing seedlings at home, and this is rarely done: cabbage seedlings at home are simply very hot.

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

Self-prepared soil must be disinfected. The choice of method is not for everybody. Freezing the soil is easy, but it does not kill all possible pathogens. Reliable steaming in the oven at a temperature of about 100 ^to C, but at this time in the kitchen is not so pleasant to be. In addition, hot processing kills beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Probably the best way is, after all, spilling with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Unlike seed dressing, the concentration of the solution for the soil should be lower. It makes no sense to give numerical values: how does the average Russian man in the street take a sample of 0.5 g at home? It should be a pink solution. Not faintly pink, but such that the color is intense enough. But through the solution poured into a liter jar, it was possible to discern what was behind it. Here's a rough guide. It is better to spill the soil with a warm solution, but not hot. So that it becomes visibly wet. After that, she will have to dry out for a couple of days, otherwise it will not even be possible to make furrows for sowing.

For soil disinfection, a medium solution is suitable, and for seeds - the one on the left

How to grow early and late cabbage seedlings at home

Cabbage seedlings are simply grown in the open field, at least in late and mid-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 daunting to grow high-quality seedlings at home. The best option for most regions is a small greenhouse or unheated greenhouse.

On a windowsill in a house or apartment

If there is a need to grow seedlings on the windowsill, then this should be the coldest and most lighted windowsill in the house. And the owners will have to put up with constantly open windows: a comfortable temperature for a person for cabbage seedlings is destructive.

It makes no sense to immediately sow seeds in separate pots, unless they are peat tablets. Anyway, 10 days after germination, they will have 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, sowing is carried out in a small box. Two weeks of seedlings stay wonderfully withstand rectangular cardboard boxes of milk, kefir, juice, etc. time. Moreover, in the sowing tank, a soil layer of more than 4 cm is not needed. The sowing technique is simple, but care for the seedlings is not very:

1. We sow seeds in moist soil, in grooves, at a distance of about 3 cm from each other. Embedding depth - about 1 cm.

   

   Any container at hand will do for the primary sowing

2. 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 seed box can be at room temperature.
3. As soon as at least a couple of sprouts hatch, the box is exposed to the brightest light and in 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. For a day in the warmth, the seedlings stretch up to 5 cm, and they can no longer be saved.
4. If everything is fine with the temperature (cold only owners), care is simple: the first week, do not overheat in the future can be a few degrees higher, but not more than 16 ^of S. Especially scary night heat.
5. Water lightly, just so as not to dry out the soil. And as much light as possible! If the seedlings are too dense and are already shading themselves, do not wait, we thin out.
6. 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 will do.
7. Ten days later, the first true leaf will peck over the cotyledon leaves. This is a signal that it is time for the seedlings to dive.

8. The pick is usual: carefully dig out the seedlings. If the spine is small, you can hardly touch it, and pinch the middle and long ones, tearing off a few millimeters from the top. We plant in the hole, squeeze the soil with our fingers, water carefully. If we dive into a common box, the scheme is approximately 6 x 6 cm.

   

   It is necessary to dive early: there should be at most one real leaf

9. For the first few days we put it in partial shade, the temperature is 18–20 ^o C. Then we return it to the cold lighted window sill.
10. In the phase of two true leaves, we feed with any complex fertilizer according to the instructions for it. We repeat the feeding a week before planting in the garden.
11. 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, low but strong

The advantage of growing seedlings on a windowsill is only one: it is under supervision all the time. But it creates a lot of inconveniences.

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, you will need to visit seedlings often: ideally, at least every other day. Greenhouse cultivation of early cabbage seedlings makes the greatest sense; varieties of a later ripening period in the middle lane and in the south can be sown already in open ground, under a temporary shelter.

The sowing of early varieties of cabbage in a greenhouse can be carried out in any terms that are defined only by the climate of the region and the current weather: the seeds should germinate at a temperature inside the greenhouse is not below 10 ^{on the} C, otherwise they proklovyvanie too prolonged, and under adverse conditions possible and the death of the seed. You can sow both in a box (just like in an apartment), and directly into a prepared seedling bed.

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

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

The latter implies that seedlings can be grown in the garden without picking, if only the temperature is strictly observed. If, by the time of the formation of real leaves, the seedlings have not stretched out at all, the pick may not be carried out. Obviously, if it is supposed to do without picking, it is necessary to 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 a garden

Growing in a greenhouse involves systematic airing 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 cabbage seedlings in a greenhouse is more convenient than at home, but these advantages appear only if 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 permits. To reduce the risk, several seeds are placed in each prepared well and for the first time the wells are covered with a cut plastic bottle. This approach saves time, since it does not require subsequent replanting, but, as a rule, in early spring, it is still so difficult to work with the soil that it is easier to prepare a small seedling bed than a large bed for growing cabbage in the "inside and out" mode.

Video: growing cabbage in the ground without seedlings

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

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

It will not be too hot under such a shelter, and you should not be afraid that the seedlings will stretch out. No, it is at home that one day of delay with a drop 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, after another week, seedlings will appear necessarily; by that time it will be already warmer, the shelter can be removed.

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

In the open field, watering of seedlings is almost never required: there is enough winter moisture in the soil. It is only necessary to periodically loosen the soil in the aisles and remove weeds. Top dressing is desirable: just like at home, in the phase of two true leaves and after another two weeks. It is not necessary to dive, but thinning is obligatory: in the rows it is necessary to leave 6–7 cm between the plants. It will be possible to plant seedlings in the garden at the usual time.

The advantage of open ground is colossal: the seedlings never stretch out. She has enough light and it's not hot yet. No need to mess with the sowing containers, carry boxes back and forth … Disadvantages? Actually, they are not.

Benefits of using cassettes

Let's go back to the apartment conditions. Talking about individual pots, we completely forgot to discuss what they should be. But gone are the days when housewives themselves rolled up a kind of cups made of plastic wrap or paper. Now the most economical people collect plastic cups from sour cream, cottage cheese, etc. all year round. It is important that they are not too small: a volume of at least 200 ml is needed.

Regular 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 matrix like a box. 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 completely removable, but easily pushed out by pressing the finger together with a lump of earth and a bush of seedlings. Seedlings can be easily removed from such cups without damaging the root system. The relative disadvantage (they cost money) is compensated by their 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 the addition of fertilizers and, sometimes, growth stimulants. Available in various sizes: from 2.5 cm in diameter. Before use, the tablets are placed in a tray and gradually filled with plenty of water. The water is absorbed, the tablets grow up (from the sides they are limited by the braid) and turn into cylindrical peat containers for sowing seeds. There is a small recess for the seed in one of the ends.

Water tablets swell and turn into nutritious pots

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

There is no need for top dressing: the material of the tablets contains a sufficient amount of nutrients. A dive is not required when using tablets, 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 of potting soil. The convenience of using peat tablets is obvious. The only drawbacks are that the tablets are relatively expensive, and it makes sense to buy them only in small quantities.

Features of growing seedlings in different regions of Russia

The technology of growing cabbage seedlings does not depend on the region: the recipes are pretty 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 it often has to be done.

So, in the Moscow region, seeds of early cabbage are sown in late March or early April, and this can be done only at home or in a greenhouse. But the late cabbage is sown in open ground as soon as the weather permits. In the Kuban, planting in the garden is possible in March, and in Siberia or the Urals - not earlier than the end of April. If in the middle lane and in the south, hardening can be carried out before planting seedlings in open ground (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, you can 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 advisable to finish all business with cabbage in the spring: adult plants cannot stand extreme heat either. But in the conditions of, for example, the Leningrad region, late cabbage, sown for seedlings with a slight delay, may not have time to form properly, therefore, seeds are sown here in March or April, but greenhouse conditions are used for this.

Helpful hints

If you observe the temperature regime, give enough light and water in moderation, cabbage seedlings grow strong and healthy. Unless, of course, some kind of infection was introduced with the soil. We have already discussed the issue of stretching 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 blemishes with heat and light.

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

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

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

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

Other pests of cabbage plants rarely affect seedlings, and if they are detected, it is necessary to study the relevant literature and apply specific chemicals. But if the seedlings are clearly dying, unfortunately, nothing can be done. 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 a black leg. But when grown in open ground, seedlings almost never die.

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